This week brought unseasonably warm weather as we welcome a new year. We had a wonderful, dense snow fall a few weeks ago that has slowly been dwindling with rain and warm afternoons. While I mourn the slow and silent departure of the white blanket I’m reminded that perhaps mourning is a perspective not held by everyone. Lewis and Lovett immediately took to the soggy slopes of our melting snow piles, and were soon soaked and drooping in the way only wet snow gear can.
As the afternoon temperature rose to almost 50 degrees we meandered down to see what our friends the pigs thought of the new weather. The deep snow has prevented the ground from freezing and so the pigs noses were that deep dark earth color, which stands out against the white of snow. We found an old, tall hemlock to play under and Lewis and I cut loose a grapevine to see if we could swing across the small stream at the foot of the hemlock. Tarzan and monkeys make it look easy.
As Lewis and I practiced our swinging and climbing, the pigs, being social and curious animals, found fresh dirt near the fence line and began rooting. I felt the flood of endorphins and warmth as I struggled to hang onto our swinging grape vine. With the impending new year I made a mental resolution to play more with the kids and get more exercise. Lewis broke my revery by asking if I had ever climbed a tree as big as this hemlock? I replied yes but a long time ago.
What is time though? What does a “new” year mean? Here were pigs that had no resolutions, just continue enjoying being pigs. I stopped and watched Lewis swinging on the vine and Lovett working with Racey to build fairy houses at the base of the hemlock. Like the snuffling and grunting pigs behind me, time had little meaning. There I was making note of what I wanted to do in the “new” year and there they were doing what called to them in the warmth of our December afternoon. I took hold of one of the lower hemlock branches and began to climb the tree.
We served our new No-Nitrate Smoked Ham Roast for one of the many holiday gatherings these past few days. I was proud of the taste, the presentation by chef (that’s you Grandma) and butcher and the simple ingredients: salt, sugar and hickory smoke from the smoker. No nitrates whatsoever. For all of you out there how was the ham? How did you cook it? We would love to hear.
Happy New Year.
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