A blanket of winter snow brings lambs and daydreams of seasons to come | Opinion

Well, sometimes what you wish for does come true. For the past several winter seasons I have wished for a winter that seems like winter. And at this point in time, it seems like winter has arrived. The ground for crops and pastures surely needs the moisture, and the freezing and thawing of the earth makes the soil more permeable. We probably still need more freezing but the snow will certainly provide needed ground water and it also has some minor fertilization effects of nitrogen and sulfur.

Of course, the arrival of winter coincided with my first lambing experience in three years. I have a few yearling Katchdin ewes and lambing season has gone well until today when I lost a set of twins in the cold and snow. But that is life on the farm. You try your best but sometimes nature has different ones with different outcomes.

So, for one who likes to venture to the forests and fields through the end of February what is there to do for idle minds and idle feet? Walking up and down the hill to the barn to check on the ewes is one thing, but overall I am not one to sit around the house. Therefore, I guess winter daydreams will have to be the tonic for me.

As I gaze at the snow-covered hillsides the first dream that crosses my mind is for an uptick in the ruffed grouse population. The last increase in the population that I experienced was in the early 2000’s and this occurred after a couple of cold and snow- covered winters. In my mind I hope this process could be replicated and this would have to be my most fervent dream.

Letting my mind drift back to the past autumn leads me to dream of the Northwoods of Michigan with their scarlet and gold leaf color as the dogs and I follow along sandy two tracks in search of ruffed grouse. Or to travel the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania that are similar to home as we search for the same species.

And never will my mind forget the vast prairies of North Dakota and the flying eruption of multi-colored pheasants at the end of a staunch point. These dreams tell me these experiences must be lived again and again till the body says they can only be a dream.

And of course, these daydreams will also include outings to our Appalachian Mountains. The steep hills and dark hollows harken my mind to the many hunting and fishing excursions that 57 years have brought about. There have been many friends to share these journeys both on the hills and through the waters. Some still travel with me while others have passed to a lifelong dream. The dogs that have traveled with me are a part of this same pathway with some still here while others have crossed the bridge.

As January continues on its journey, I can help but think of the running streams and rivers that the upcoming fishing season will bring. Will the numbers of fish be the same? How many have been lost to the exploding river otter population? Will there be new streams to explore? My mind’s eye can see the rivulets of water that explode from a leaping smallmouth bass. Days end sunsets highlight another outing on the water.

Then the reality of a solid white landscape returns and reality sets in. All these dreams must wait and for this I am not very patient. Yet the rhythm of nature has its own course and tells me that everything happens in its own due time. When you think about it, it makes all those daydreams more special because they stay with you until the time is right. My mind returns to this biblical thought, to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.

Mark Reese is retired from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service and lives on a small farm in Estill County, Kentucky where he raises sheep, and writes a weekly outdoor column for the Estill Tribune.

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 10:00 AM.