The ancient pines creak in the cold, howling winds our friends from the north have sent to the Midwest. Looking out the beautifully frosted windows to the 50 acre field across the road, I can see the wind has created swirls of snow drifts that are easily up to my knees in places. And clustered toward the center of the field, are dozens of Canada geese. Being the strong fliers that they are, it's unusual for us to see them settling in, but today's wind and weather has them crowding together to keep warm.
Inside, as anyone who lives in an old house will tell you, some rooms are as cold as an igloo! Well, not really, but at times it seems that way. Still standing strong after 150 years, we often wonder how the original owners kept warm on these blustery days. Surely the 3 fireplaces were burning brightly to keep toes toasty warm, and the woodbox in the kitchen must have been kept full. Each room downstairs has a door...perhaps many of them were closed to keep heat only in the rooms that were in use.
Whatever they did, we are grateful they, and those who came after, kept this old house as they did. History is one of my favorite things...old houses, old barns, old ways. And even as the temperature plummets, extra wood stacked close at hand, hearty stew bubbling away on the stove, and the laughter of children keeps me warm. I'm glad to be at home, waiting to see what the weather brings.
