Life on the Farm: The January of Beautiful Mornings

Hey you all. Happy New Year, even though it's a bit late for that. I am back settled into my routine, and over the next week I am so excited to share with you everything about my 3 week trip to Japan over the holidays and also tell you about my writing schedule since so many of you have asked. But first I want to tell you about the incredible January we are having here on the farm. It's completely different to the first month of last year when there was snow on the ground for much of the winter, and it was very, very cold. Too cold. But the last few weeks have been relatively dry and mild. There are even blossoms on some trees and snowdrops on the ground. Even though I love the snow, I have to say that I am completely loving this thus-far painless winter. But what has really blown my mind and compelled me to share with you, have been the incredible sunrises. As the afternoons extend just a bit, the mornings have continued to push later and later into the day. You don't see the sun emerge from the horizon until 8:30am, and when we wake at 7 o'clock it is still completely dark outside. So the clear mornings have allowed us to watch the sky go from dark to pale pink, to orange, to streaked pink and blue, to yellow, and back to blue, all while having our breakfast and making our way to school. As we leave the farm and get a better view from the top of the hill, we are often compelled to lean out of the car and snap a pic on our phones. One Sunday the sky was so spectacular that I piled on a heavy, warm coat over my pyjamas, armed myself with a hot coffee in one hand and a camera in the other, and walked up to the pillars at the top of the farm to take some pictures. Even on days with rainy afternoons, mother nature has blessed us with beautiful mornings. I assume I am not alone in saying that January is normally a tough month for me, but I can't tell you how happy it has made me to start the day off this way.

8:38am From the driveway at the kids' school

8:01am On the way to the car at home

7:55am Walking up the hill to Christopher's favourite tree on the farm

8:11am At the pillars on the edge of the farm

8:17am Looking across the gallops

7:49am Heading out of the farm

8:23am Turning onto the main road towards school