Perhaps surprisingly this cold, snow-covered winter has been great. The cows are very content in the frozen paddock. No mud means dry coats and hard hooves. Cold and snowy is warmer than wet and muddy. Only the hens dislike snow, peaking out the door and refusing to venture into the drifts. The hens prefer their house, cozy on a deep pack pecking squash and scratching straw. In the fields the plants are safe under their blanket of snow. Below the snow is a layer of straw and below the straw the garlic waits patiently for spring. Its been a hard winter, but a good snow.