Dashing through the snow!

Elena's greatest wish for this holiday season was to go "Dashing through the snow". That seemed like a fun, immaterial (i.e. we didn't have to pack it home) holiday wish, so Erin hit the ether to find a place in Maine that did sleigh rides. She found one, down in the lost middle of Maine (home of Norway, Paris, Sweden, China, etc.). Northern Heights Farm.



So with a foot(ish) of snow on the ground and more falling, we set out on New Year's Even for sleigh ride. Actually morning of the eve as the team and sleigh were booked for a private party on the actual "eve". Thanks to Big Opa's expert piloting we made it over the snowy roads without mishap, until parking at the farm required pushing to gain traction on snow covered ice.


Once there we met our team, Sheri and Grace, and watched as they were harnessed and then led out and hitched to the sleigh.





Sheri and Grace are Belgian mares. Northern Heights Farm breeds working Belgians so they maintain a herd of mostly mares, although many workers prefer geldings as a working team. Belgians are, according to the farm, the largest (all around, height and weight considered) of the draft horses and the sight of a team of them in harness makes you wonder exactly who though a John Deere was a good idea (honestly, green and yellow? Even _I_ know that's not the hottest color combination in the world).

Particularly as we had an absolutely perfect day for a sleigh ride. Feet of fresh snow on the ground, the latest storm just coasting to and and so we had snow laden trees and a few flakes coming down with the occasional ray of sun. Hard to beat.

Once the time was hitched up, Jeff turned them around in a flurry



and we loaded up, bundled under blankets and were off. We had a wonderful ride through the snow covered fields and woods behind their farm.







Along the way Jeff answered questions about Belgians and explained that a good team, Grace and Sheri not quite there, could be controlled entirely by voice and that with one such team he and a friend had won a sap gathering contest. Northern Heights also shows their Belgians at fairs in the fall, driving them in front of one very spiffy wagon.




All in all we had a wonderful time and were all quite pleased that Elena had just this holiday wish. If you are ever in need of a sleigh or wagon ride, or a registered Belgian, look up Northern Heights Farm!

Momma saw a Llama

Hello from Chile! As Jake mentioned, I've been doing field work in Chile for the past two weeks. We have been driving from Antofagasta to Iquique, from Iquique to Calama, Calama to San Pedro de Atacama, and finally a return to Antofagasta. We have been driving around 400 km a day through the desert. It has been an amazing experience. We have been observing the formation of current fans in the desert and examining the deposits of old fans. I've been on top of the altiplano and along the pacific in the southern hemisphere. The landscape is striking. In places there is absolutely no vegetation...no a scrub brush all the way to the sea. It is truly a land of desert with a few oasis. While the geology is amazing, it is a little exhausting to be so far away from vegetation.

One of the highlights of the trip was that on Sunday we 'took the day off' and drove the 'old road' from Calama to San Pedro de Atacama. It was an amazing traverse up to the altiplano where we saw the volcanoes draped over the altiplano in Bolivia. As we drove higher we found the ruins of an Aztex fortified village and drove through herds of llamas, mules, and alpacas.

I'll close with some thank yous - this trip would not have been possible without the encouragement of Jake, the patience of Elena, the support of Dinny, and my parents who taught me to drive a stick shift and Grammy who taught me to pee in the woods (although there are only rocks to pee behind here!) - and finally a few pictures.

When does this drive through open?

Yesterday Nana, Elena, and the pigeons had a bit of excitement. This hawk, a female Coopers Hawk I believe, decided to take a look and see if she could get into the aviary for a bite to eat before the ice storm.



She walked around and around the aviary and loft, even went _under_ the loft, for about 15 minutes before Nana and Elena decided enough was enough and went out to scare her off. The birds were none the worse for wear by the time I got home after dark to close them up, but Elena was excited enough to still be awake!