Blizzards, biscotti, and improvised entertainment

As per the starred note on the post below, two days ago we had a storm of EPIC proportions. About 1-2 meters of snow in one day!! Plus, there was thunder and lighting and everything...very strange for December. The storm has left us without power for the past two days, which has actually been surprisingly easy to deal with. We can still cook using the gas stove/oven and the wood-fired oven outside, read/play dice by candlelight, and crowd around the wood stove for heat.

I've quickly adjusted back to life at finocchio verde. There are two long-term wwoofers about my age staying here until at least spring. Andrea (26-ish) and Dimitri (20) make life really entertaining around here, though I have to guard myself from snowballs and being thrown face-first into snowbanks. They're good fun, and have taught me lots of italian profanity (which will come in handy for Italian 202, I'm sure). It's a good deal. Both boys have horses, one of which is due to give birth in late-January.



Each morning and evening, Dimitri and I go to the barn to feed the sheep and goats. While they eat, my job is to make sure all of the lambs get enough to drink from the lactating sheep...which is SO much fun. They've all grown attached to me, especially one beautiful little guy (who I've named Hercules) that comes running when I call his name. Strangely, they love my boots and my pants, nibbling away at them as I try to get them to drink from their mom's udders. No baby goats yet, but I'm hoping one will come soon. One more lamb was born last night, and I got to see it in it's first moments. What a beautiful thing to watch! I'll put up pictures later.


To entertain ourselves in the snow, we invented a new game involving cars, snowy roads, and sleds. Fun stuff! Lots of shoveling snow too, which can be fun as well. Andrea has been teaching us how to juggle too, but I need a lot more practice. Maybe we'll make an igloo too? Who knows.


Until later,

K

Il fino del viaggio lungissimo.

***Sidenote: I'm posting both of these today due to lack of power for the last few days, and i didn't want to make one big blog entry. SO, enjoy!

Ciao a tutti!

I've arrived safely back at the farm, after an unnesessarily long, cold trip (every form of Italian transportation I took was at least a half an hour late, if not an hour and a half). Plus, I had a little mishap in the airport due to stupidly leaving my passport on the plant somehow...don't ask. Either way, I definately got to practice my Italian. It didn't surprise me at all that I slept soundly until 4 in the afternoon the following morning.

What a winter wonderland! There's about 3-4 feet of fresh, untouched snow everywhere. I could probably ski anywhere I wanted to. But it's not too cold, which is nice as well. SO GORGEOUS!




Lots of lambs too! 5 males and 3 females, plus one female born the morning after I arrived. She's been here as long as I have!


Also new to the farm is the cutest kitten ever (named Fortunella), who loves to jump on my shoulder and ride around while rubbing my face and purring crazily. She also enjoys snuggling up with the lambs for a nice nap. Obama and Hillary (the two cats who were kittens when I first arrived this past summer) are also just as sweet as ever, though a little on the chubby side.


We've been eating well also. For lunch today, antipasti di peppers in bagnocaldo (sauce with anchovies and garlic), prociutto made by a friend, and salami made here, minestrone of pasta and borlotti beans (YUM), and formaggio (of course). Sweet, juicy oranges from Sicilia and fresh almonds from france per dolce. And the wine...oh god...the fruitiest, most delicious dolcetto ever from Michele, a friend. We got a big 25 liter tank-like object full of it and distilled it directly into bottles for lunch.



Even though its winter, we still find fun things to do here. More to come later.

Baci! <3

K

PS. Buon compleanno Nick!! (though a little late...)