Sowing seeds...

It's the dead of winter.

Brown grass lies lifeless under a cap of ice and snow.

Fields reveal row upon row of solid clumps of  frozen dirt.

Trees stand like naked statues of granite reaching bare limbs to the clear blue skies under a deceptive sun.

If a visitor from the tropics came to visit, he would say, "This place is dead with no hope of life!"

Carrying buckets of hot water to our goats and sheep, I have the same sentiment.

As I break the ice on their water trough's with a 5 lb. maul, pouring steaming water while the animals compete for a drink of the warmed beverage, summer is a distant memory for all of us...goats included.  Their eyes plead for warmth, a place out of the snow where they can chew their cud in comfort.  The barn offers small shelter to these critters who prefer fresh grass to their current daily ration of dry hay.

It begs the question: "WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?"  What is our purpose?  To what end do we hope to gain by the constant struggle against the cold?

The answer: to sow seeds.

We know that if we endure through these long, frigid days, we will be blessed by the warming rains of spring that will transform our little haven into a productive, vibrant farm that will bring a harvest of abundance in it's turn.  We will sow seeds on moist, fertile soil and watch with wonder as life-giving plants grow with unabashed fervor.

  

The promise of sowing seeds...

It keeps us doing what we do.