First day of Spring, Yay a Snow Day!

Overnight we were blessed yet again with more of the wonderful white stuff.  Today being the #firstdayofspring here in Maine it just seems to fit.  I new this was coming.  My body has a way of warning me when we will be getting snow.  When I woke this morning I did not want to get up I hurt so bad.  I was hoping school would be cancelled.  Then the text came.  I have it set up where we all get a text if school is cancelled.  It comes about 5:30am.  It is a great system.  Oh great I said I don't have to move.  Then you wonder how much is out there for them to cancel school.  Russell, on the other hand, has to get up and go even earlier when we have snow.  Not only does he have the stuff around here to get shoveled out but his work requires him to do snow removal for all the cars on the lot.  All the sales staff have to go in early on a snow day and they have to move every car.  That is not an easy job when your dealing with hundreds of cars.  You have to take all the snow off of them.  Warm them and then move them so they can plow the lot.  So the next time you buy a car remember your salesman works hard for their money.  Its not the easiest job out there.  Long hours and a lot of stress.  Most of the sales staff in a dealership don't make money unless they are selling cars.  So days when they are clearing lots of snow and no one is out buying a car they are working for free.  They have many days like that.  It is not a job for everyone.  Russell has been doing it for over seventeen years and it has its ups and downs.  I have always said he deserves a job behind a desk with less stress and regular hours.  It has never worked out that way.  In today's world you have to make a living and if selling cars is what you know how to do then that's what you do.  He likes Toyota and sticks with it.  I know if a better opportunity came along for less stress and good money he would make a move.  Money is the answer to all your problems.  If only we could live without it.

  We try to live on less but boy its hard.
So today I would say its about another ten inches of snow.  I want to say the last for the year but if I do I will jinks us.  Now it seems like the snow will never melt.  We have so much work that needs to be done around the farm and in order for it to be done the snow needs to be gone.  It's just a waiting game now.  The snow just makes everything harder.  Farming would be a lot easier if the weather would just be somewhat nicer.  Well we are not going to change mother nature so we have to work with her.  This year was our first winter and was a lesson learned for next year.  We know the changes we will make.  Working hard in the spring, summer and fall so you are prepared for a long winter. It is a must living in Maine.  I think we did quite well for our first winter.  Being the ages we are and limited income we have to think of the best way to approach everything.  There is always a few ways things can get done.  The end result for us must be the most economical and easiest on our bodies.  We are not spring chickens.  Again I speak of we as in Russell cause he is the one doing the work.  So I will keep chanting my chant of hopes that spring brings us April showers and then our May flowers.  First melt away snow just go go go.  Until then stay warm by the fire. 

When Spring is here...

It seems like words that come out of our mouths so often.  When spring comes we will do this.  When spring comes we will do that.  The list is going to be never ending.  The picture above was from last spring and boy to look at it makes you long for the day.  Today we look at the same landscape and see a few feet of snow.  Can be depressing to say the least.  We have to keep looking back at our pictures from last year to keep our hopes of a green lawn in our future.  We know it will come but right now it seems like it has been forever ago.  Winter is pretty, don't get me wrong, but at this point I say it has been long enough and bring on the spring.  We are ready.  We have a roof to fix.  A house to side.  Some paddocks to build.  Hopefully a barn to build.  And so much more.  All of course if we can afford it.  We will have to do it slow and Russell has to be able to do the work himself.  So some of the list may not even be possible but it all needs to be done. So while we wait lets all just think spring, think spring, think spring.