Flo meets the sun every morning, it is coming up early, is brighter, more direct, staying longer. The sun is the herald of Spring, even as the house is shrouded in ice and heavy snow. The animals, trapped day and night in the Pole Barn are restless and hungry, they miss wandering around and foraging, even when there is nothing for them to eat. It was – 20 here this morning, the snow pack hardening. It will be in the 40’s in a day or so, 60 degrees or more warmer than this morning.

In our 1840 farmhouse, leaky and creaky and groaning under the tons of snow on the roof, I often think of how the people who built this house dealt with cold and ice and snow. Hard to imagine how they did it. Our two wood stoves have been heroic, keeping the house comfortable even on the coldest nights. Our bedroom upstairs has no stoves or heat, we will have to do some work before next winter. We are almost out of firewood, the stoves have been going day and night for many weeks, we have gone through five cords of wood, twice as much as last winter. The dogs have not had a real walk in a month, they are stoic but restless and eager. Only Red has gotten a thorough workout day after day, he loves it, he is tireless.

Flo has brought a new morning ritual, she is always there to greet the sun, and so has drawn me to notice the special beauty of first light coming through our window, through the ice. She shows me how to receive the new day, accept it, rejoice in it, after all, it is my day.