Of all the seasonal skies, I find the winter sky the most beautiful to photograph. Our old friend the Polar Vortex returned today and the temperature has already plunged. It is -5 degrees, supposed to go down to -18 tonight here at Bedlam Farm. The very excited anchors on the weather channels say it may get down to – 45 wind chill but somehow I doubt that will happen. It is very cold, and a strong wind will make it a lot colder for the animals, and for us as well.

We have two wood stoves going and the oil heat on. Bless our heated blankets. By 1 p.m. tomorrow, it will begin to get warmer, and by Tuesday it will be in the 40’s. It’s been nearly this cold many times in my time up here, it’s hard to separate the hype from the reality, but I can feel how cold it is, and I’m impressed.

We will be fine. The animals get restless in this, they drink a lot of the heated war. We give them extra hay and some small amounts of grain for energy. People who argue that all animals need to return to nature ought to spend a few hours with them tonight, I am glad we can give them shelter from the wind and sustenance and warm fresh water, those things matter on a night like tonight.

The dogs don’t seem to notice or care about the cold, I took them out for a run in the pasture, I couldn’t take more than 10 minutes, they were running well and eagerly. I loved looking at that sky, it is a work of art all its own.