Our Fresh New Year

 

We enjoyed our first holiday season in our little country house.  I was going to describe our lovely autumn in Green Country.

About how lovely it was to see all the leaves turn golden, orange and crimson. How we loved the bittersweet scent of decaying leaves and rich earth.  Of driving across the rolling hills of northeastern Oklahoma as the changing trees rose as a bold ocean of color.  We enjoyed the cooler days of bright sunshine and cool breezes.  Of how hubs planted a fall/winter garden of romaine, beets, onions, squash and broccoli that promptly sprouted.  (Unfortunately, we were hit with a hard freeze that killed the squash.  Hubs was able to whip together a garden cover of old lumber and a tarp.)  Our little garden thrived.  Before you knew it, we were up to our armpits in crunchy fresh romaine.  Delicious country living!

And then I was going to mention how cool and crisp October was, the air sharp and filled with the smell of warm dinners and blazing fireplaces.  We hit a nearby farm’s pumpkin patch and drove the Talimena Scenic drive (a picturesque highway in southeastern Oklahoma and into Arkansas).  So lovely and peaceful.

Our little homestead nestled in the trees watched as the seasons slide from one to another.  Night came sooner, the trees dropped their leaves and thousands of tiny acorns.  The flowers died back, but, thankfully, so did the bugs.  Dozens of geese in formation headed south punctuated by their staccato honking.  Soon enough real cold hit, 39, 32, 25.  Not easy for these newcomers.  We bought coats and scarves and mittens and boots.  And then some more!  I even bought a huge down comforter for us to all snuggle under on the sofa.

Thanksgiving was spent with hub’s mom.  She was fine company and we enjoyed a beautiful sunny day of turkey, conversation and a hike around the property.  Soon enough it was time for hubs to hang Christmas lights and our little house glowed and illuminated the trees.  On Christmas Eve, we hiked our little deer loop and left apples for the deer.  It was cold and gray and provided us a wonderful winter holiday!

I was going to say all of that, but then January hit.  And it hit hard!

We were slammed with a wicked snow storm and subzero weather in mid-January.  Our water pump froze, our septic froze.  No toilets for 2½ days.  Hubs was out is subzero weather for two days trying to fix everything.  Country living.  Fortunately, a couple friends from work were able to recommend someone to help.  Well, that someone was unable to help, but he knew someone.  So, eventually, after much trial-and-error hubs was able to fix everything.  Although, for a few days, we were like bears…pooping in the woods.  The sub-zero woods.