The entire upper Midwest and eastern US is in the midst of some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter. It dipped below zero the night before last for the first time this winter. This morning when I went outside to feed the laying hens and barn cats, the temperature was a balmy 6 degrees. But the cold didn't seem so cold as I was also greeted by a beautiful sunrise. A colorful sunrise in the winter in northeastern Ohio is something very precious. Something of which to take notice. I can't remember the exact number, but we average somewhere around 2 or 3 clear days per month in the winter. That is because Lake Erie provides us with a shield of clouds most of the time. So when I walked outside this morning and saw clear sky and dawn breaking in the eastern sky, well, it made me smile.
I have been itching to get out and walk the farm for the past couple of days, but for some reason I have not been able to motivate myself to leave the house. Cabin fever is beginning to set in. Even with single digit temperatures outside, I am usually game for a walk in the woods. Since my brain couldn't make my body go for a morning walk outside, I did the next best thing. I baked a cake. It was one of those chocolate dump cakes where you take a box cake mix and add pudding mix and sour cream and chocolate chips and eggs and oil and I even added some Kahlua. We were given a jar of cherry butter as a Christmas gift this year so I divided the layers into layers and used the cherry butter in between the cake layers then frosted the whole thing. It looked so pretty that I got out my fancy pedestal cake plate. Even farmers need a little fancy in their lives from time to time. When I came out into the kitchen later, there was a piece of cardboard taped to the domed lid which reads ............
The man does make me smile.
Perhaps I was feeling a little guilty about the cake because I finally got myself and the dogs out the door for a walk. Here's Molly on one of our paths through our woods. Molly (the Brittany) and the two beagles and I spent a wonderful 2 hours outside. The temperature was around 9 degrees but with very little wind and proper clothing, the walk was quite comfortable. The dogs seem to have so much fun romping in the snow. 
On the opposite end of the day, the sunset was as beautiful as the sunrise was this morning. I gathered up the dogs and we headed home. A warm house was waiting for all of us and for the humans, some chocolate cake too.
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