Here in north-central Pennsylvania, we are preparing for the big storm that may dump as much as two feet of snow.
The horses are hayed and their water is topped off. Sassy, (my 31-year-old mustang) is wearing her blanket - the old girl got pretty spritely and ran all around the pasture after I put it on her - I think she really liked it!)
All the other animals are warm, tucked in, and we're ready to go.
Last night, I fed the horses and pigs. Then I walked out for the nightly feeding of the chickens and turkeys. As I walked back to the barn to return the water bucket and give the horses their nightly "cookie" I saw Lochlin waiting and watching for me and I thought, "this is the epitome of coziness."
When we get cold and snow like this I think of a story out of a book from my childhood, "Stories That Never Grow Old," edited by Watty Piper.
Inside this marvelous, enchanting book, with its beautiful illustrations, is a story titled, "Shingebiss."
Shingebiss is the story of a duck who defies the North Wind.
"'How fortunate it is that I have a comfortable lodge with a good fire,' said he to himself. And he looked at the great logs that would keep his fire burning until spring came again. There were four of them - one for each of the cold months."
"Far up in the Arctic, the North Wind lived. He was a quarrelsome creature. He liked to come blowing down over the earth, frightening the animals and birds. Sometimes he froze them to death, if they didn't hide when they heard him coming."
The story goes on to relate the struggle the North Wind has to defeat Shingebiss as it freezes the lake ice, blows ice and snow over Shingebiss' back, comes into his lodge to blow out his fire, and tries to blow down his lodge. Shingebiss replies with:
"Bring your frost and ice and snow; I'm still free to come and go."
I hope that we can all feel like little Shingebiss after this great storm blows through!
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