When the Snows Come
My husband and I sit in our living room with all the little still-intact dairy barn windows showing flakes falling as if we are on ship at sea in a snowfall. Except for the high ceiling the living room has the feeling of a ship cabin, our converted dairy barn, and I think it is most beautiful when the snow is falling.
The glass doors at the pentagon of the far end of the barn gives us perfect view of the suet bird feeder. We only feed the birds suet in winter because in summer a fat raccoon comes and eats the whole suet cake in one sitting. The bird feeder in winter is our television. We watch male cardinals, bright red in the stark white, feed and contend with the beautiful, bullying blue jays. And the more modest and gentle little juncos and sparrows touch our hearts with their humility.
One winter, when the snow had covered the ground for a month or so and turned to solid ice we watched horrified as squirrels clawed at the feeder and fought with one another for a chance to feed making their shrill cries of territoriality. That hasn’t happened since and we think the ground was too frozen for them to retrieve the nuts and such that they buried in the fall and they were fighting off starvation.
Waking up in the morning there is no need for a weather report as we see the snow piled high on the surrounding trees and we see the sky through the second story doorway in the barn where they used to bring hay inside, now a cathedral window in our bedroom. The thermometer in the former hay loft tells us how cold it is though we can feel how chill the air is. It is great to wake up to see the squirrels running along the limbs of the trees, cleaning off the heavy snow. They seem friskiest just aftter a snowfall.
And if we are lucky and the snow is deep enough we get out our snow shoes and climb up the hill behind our little barn to what we were once told was a Christian Indian burial ground. There are no markers left but the spot has the air of the sacred and it affords a small view of the Catskills in winter. High on the hill overlooking the valley, it seems a perfect place for a burial ground. The snowfall makes it easier to walk the hill which in the summer is too full of saplings and underbrush to be able to walk the “meadow” as we call it. We only get it brush hog mowed once a year.
Our property does not include the entire meadow but on our half of the meadow there is a squat fir tree there which provides a great shelter for deer in a storm and the deer love the meadow. There are a few blown over trees. And as we snow shoe we see all kinds of animal tracks which we attempt to identify. And animal shelters from the harsh elements.
Like many barns, ours was built near the road so we do get some traffic noise. But in the meadow we are far removed from the road and its bustle. And when it snows, it is so beautiful in the quiet, looking at the animal tracks and feeling the spirits in the graveyard. Our secret little piece of Paradise. And to stand there in the silence, in the virgin white, and see the abstract patterns of the snow on the surrounding hundreds of trees is divine.
Welcome to samples of my writing and art work showcasing “Eye-locks and Other Fearsome Things.” “Eye-locks” is a Bipolar/Asperger’s memoir in narrative form that describes the triumph of love over mental illness.
MOONSIDE 
Beautiful.
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December 30, 2022 at 1:43 AM
Thank you!🙏🏽Happy NewYear !!🎄
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December 30, 2022 at 8:07 AM
HNY to you, Ellen.
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December 30, 2022 at 5:48 PM
Your photos are so beautiful. You narrative feels like a New Years Eve present. You are blessed to live where you do, and so are the creatures you live with. I wish you every ✨ Happiness in The New Year!
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December 30, 2022 at 1:46 AM
Dear Cindy, Thanks so much for your lovely comment❣️ Yes, the barn was a beautiful place to live but, for many reasons, we had to sell it when my husband retired. We are now in New York City but near to parks. I am resuscitatI ng my old photos and writing from that time because it was so beautiful.
May the New Year bring you, and those dear to you, all manner of good experiences in your inspired life. And may you enjoy good health and joy❣️🙏🏽
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December 30, 2022 at 10:36 AM
Felice Anno Nuovo a te e i tuoi cari!🖐️🤗🥰⛄🎄🎁🛷
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December 30, 2022 at 1:51 AM
Felice Nuevo anno a te and I Tuoi Cari❣️❣️❣️ Gratias per tutti!! All good health and joy❣️❣️🙏🏽🙏🏽🎄👍
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December 30, 2022 at 10:44 AM
🖐️🤗🥰🎄⛄
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December 30, 2022 at 11:00 AM
The word “lovely” tends to come into my mind a lot, with your posts, Ellen. I think living with nature, is essential for the soul.
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December 30, 2022 at 2:31 AM
Thanks so much, Ronnie! Yes, Nature feeds the soul. We miss our barn terribly but look for nature in New York City. Wishing you a much better new year!! May it be healthy and filled with peace of mind!🙏🏽
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December 30, 2022 at 10:50 AM
So peaceful and beautiful.
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December 30, 2022 at 1:26 PM
When in moderate amounts, yes. Not so much if in Buffalo this year. Happy New Year to you! Hope your driveway melts. 🙂
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December 30, 2022 at 2:32 PM
Happy New Year!
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December 31, 2022 at 1:34 PM
And a very happy, healthy New Year to you!!
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December 31, 2022 at 1:58 PM
Thank you 🙂
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December 31, 2022 at 1:59 PM
I love the pictures, and your words paint a story of a life lived in a dairy barn that’s more of an adventure than mere life.
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January 1, 2023 at 3:11 PM
Thank you so much!! Oh, yes, it was definitely an adventure being in the wild in the middle of nowhere!!! A very happy new year to you and may the new year be good to you❣️🙏🏽🎄🥰🍾👍
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January 1, 2023 at 5:35 PM
Lovely
Sent from my iPhone
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January 1, 2023 at 4:59 PM
Thank you, Lana. Hope you had a good holiday with your children and may yo have a very happy and healthy new year🍾👍❣️🎄🙏🏽
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January 1, 2023 at 5:37 PM
Reading this blog post fills me with a sense of peace and contentment. The description of the snowfall and the beauty of the winter landscape is truly magical, and it’s clear that the writer and their husband find joy in the small moments of observing the natural world around them. The mention of the squirrels fighting for survival during a particularly harsh winter and the peacefulness of the meadow in the snow brings a sense of appreciation for the resilience of nature. Overall, this post is a reminder to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
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January 2, 2023 at 7:38 PM
Thank you so much, Sebastian! What a lovely comment!! Yes, I hadn’t thought of it but the squirrels did show the resilience of nature. You totally get it! Thank you for your comment.🙏🏽🥰🎄
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January 2, 2023 at 8:49 PM
Awesome 👍 Happy New Year 🎊
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January 3, 2023 at 9:17 AM
Thank you so much, Priti❣️Happy and blessed New Year❣️🙏🏽
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January 3, 2023 at 8:10 PM
No snow here, so I especially appreciate you for sharing your secret little piece of Paradise. A beautiful narrative, Ellen.
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January 4, 2023 at 12:00 PM
Thank you so much, Crystal❣️ Really glad you liked it. Alas, we are no longer there. But we have our memories! Hope you are doing, Crystal.🙏🏽
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January 4, 2023 at 9:02 PM
Bellissimo!
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January 7, 2023 at 10:37 AM
Thank you so much!🙏🏽
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January 7, 2023 at 5:16 PM
Winter wonderland. ☺️💗 You make snow look and sound beautiful and magical.
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January 18, 2023 at 4:53 AM
It WAS beautiful and magical!🥰 Truly a testament to God. We miss it dearly. Thank you stopping by and writing❣️🙏🏽
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January 18, 2023 at 7:52 AM
💖☺️
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January 18, 2023 at 8:16 AM
The pictures are very beautiful! Loved them and the blog. Thanks for sharing about your secret little piece of paradise!! 💕
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January 20, 2023 at 4:03 PM
Thank you very much❣️❣️🙏🏽 Glad to share the beauty.
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January 20, 2023 at 5:15 PM
The weather be even more pleasant, lovely and beautiful if we are with our loved ones❤
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May 21, 2023 at 1:34 PM
Yes, you are totally right!!
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May 21, 2023 at 2:37 PM