1 These dark snowy weeks have been very good for one thing! Spring Cleaning! Our latest project is reorganizing the Winter House Basement. In this very large basement are stored props, cooking tools, baking essentials, and a wonderful assortment of dishes and glassware. Laura Acuna, head housekeeper, spearheaded the reorganization. Carlos helped carry the very heavy tubs.

2 Susan Carmichael, my new assistant in Bedford, used her organizational skills to clearly separate and mark my large assortment of canning and preserving jars, marking each tub with numbers, sizes, and descriptions of contents.

3 What did we do before the advent of the tight-lidded plastic tub?? I prefer the square, simple-topped, clear tubs that can stack easily one atop the other. I love my Brother P-Touch, which allows me to label in fine or bold, on thick or thin tape.

4 I have been canning for many years and have accumulated a really large collection of jars, both old and new. Ball Jar maker, Jarden, sponsored one of my PBS cooking series, and I am forever grateful for their generosity—I love Ball Jars.

5 Weck Jars are another type of jar—more old-fashioned in design, using rubber rings and clamps.

6 I have many of my grandmother's Ball and Kerr jars from the 1930s and '40s.

7 I love the wide-mouth jars that make canning tomatoes or peaches a much easier task.

8 It was a rather large puzzle, organizing not only jars by size and type, but also the myriad tops, rings, clamps and rubbers.

9 The P-Touch is one of my favorite "can't live without" tools. We use it for filing, for daily folders, for medicine cabinets, for storage, etc.

10 The tubs got more and more numerous as we divided and emptied all the old tubs, which were in a bad state of disarray, and rearranged the jars in new, clean tubs all the same size.

11 All the newly arranged tubs are now stacked in an anteroom. We are about to reorganize all the shelves and their contents in the next week—what a chore!!

12 We have an assortment of tubs from years past—I really don't care for the curvy tubs, or those with handles that "lock." Clamp tops are fine for most jobs, they look nice, they have colored trim, and they are see-through, so even if mislabeled you can find what you are searching for more easily than in opaque tubs.

13 By the end of the day, there were just a few tubs that still appeared to be disorganized—screw tops with clamp tops, jars with lids, without lids—but since these blue jars are collector's items, we keep them in the collection. We use them for many things: screws, nails, nuts and bolts, as well as for jams, jellies and canning.

14 Some day I will have just one type of tub, but for now, I am using, and re-using, what I have. By the way, plastic tubs are great in basements where floods do occur. None of the contents will be damaged. A very good thing!

15 We have also started to organize the party glasses I use for entertaining. We store these in tubs, also, with accurate counts on the outside of the contents. When throwing a party, it is so great to have large numbers of nice glasses right in the basement.

16 The big job now is to rearrange the shelving neatly, and then find a good way to stack the tubs for easy access. I will be happy to continue this process in future blogs.

1 Finally the right kind of snowy day—after four days of grey, the sun emerged! The farm looked glorious.

2 The birds came out of hiding in force—cardinals, wood peckers, finches, blue jays, crows, doves, etc. They are eating us out of house and home!!!

3 Sparrows, cardinals, chickadees—during this cold spell, "birds of a feather DON'T stick together" as they usually do.

4 Each feeder holds a different kind of seed or seed mix: sunflower seed, special wild bird mix, thistle, corn, millet, etc. They do have a veritable feast.

5 I love how the birds puff up to keep warm.

6 When the sun comes out, more of the structure of the farm's fencing and allees is visible, and everything casts long and interesting shadows across the white snow.

7 Ghenghis Khan stays outside a lot during the snowy days; he loves the cold! He must stay on a leash most of the time, because he has a very bad habit of running off to distant places.

8 The stable looks so quiet and serene in the sunlight. Inside, we are washing the walls and windows—doing a major spring cleaning!

9 How different Ben Chunch and Sasa look without icicles hanging from their manes and beards!

10 I think they want carrots or maybe biscuits? Or maybe a sugar cube?? They will accept anything, even a crust of bread!

11 Ben Chunch, the fell pony is recently adopted. There is a very nice story of his trip from western Pennsylvania to Bedford in the latest edition of The Fell Pony Express. He is so friendly, not quite ready for the kids to ride on the trails, but willing and very able.

12 His Rambo coat just came. It matches the Friesians coats, and he looks very, very handsome in it.

13 A closeup of Sasa.

14 The snow weighed heavily on the peacock protective netting and Phurba had repair the holes so animals cannot get in!

15 This hoop net was hastily constructed to create a yard for the peacocks—in this cold weather, however, they are not coming out of their heated house very often.

16 They are very friendly and curious birds and bored, I am sure, of the intense cold. They did venture out to visit with Phurba.

17 We keep the roads plowed, but always with a thick layer of snow so we can sled or ski!

18 The poor chicken come out of their coops, but primarily to eat. They too have heat lamps, but the bitter cold is really too much!

19 The guard geese—Pomeranians—don't quite know what to make of this cold snap. They come out all day and squawk and honk!

20 These are wonderful guard geese, but no match at all for the Frenchies. Do you recall Sharkey actually killed the female a couple years ago?

21 I was given the Pomeranians several years ago, and they have thrived.

22 Mixed with the chickens, they make a colorful picture. We feed the geese a special waterfowl feed. The chickens seem to like it, too.

23 Each of the Japanese maples survived the snow and wind—the surrounds clearly show us where every tree is.

24 All the farm gates are required to remain locked so clever animals cannot get into the yards and pens.

25 The four little coops each house about 40 chickens. They are meant only for nighttime protection because the chickens are free to roam in fenced yards during the days.

26 The four other Friesians are put out together: Ramon, Rinze, Rutger and Meindirt.

27 The shadowy Linden Allee.

28 Rufus up close and personal!!!!!!

29 Billie, Rufus and Clive awaiting snacks? Carrots? Apples? Sugar?? French croissant, their favorite?

30 The corn crib—future home of the peacocks, I think—and the equipment shed in the distance.

1 Attorney John Arons, me, Ghenghis Khan, and Muffin Dowdle on our cross-country skis late Tuesday afternoon. The farm roads and the fields were in perfect condition for cross-country skiing. I pack the roads with the tractors, leaving at least four inches of snow on the surface, and the fields were light powdery glory!

2 Returning from the frigid farm, winds blowing in huge gusts and no sun. But this type of skiing really and truly warms one up a lot so only exposed skin feels cold. Wear lots of face cream!!!

3 The great blizzard turned out not to be such a great blizzard, but a darn cold, very windy snow storm of non-massive proportions—at least in Bedford. The Mule was the perfect vehicle to use to traverse the property and photograph the snowy day.

4 Unlike the beautiful snow storm last Saturday, none of the powdery snow stuck on boughs and branches.

5 The crab and oak look cold and bare.

6 The basket shed—so named because it houses my antique basket collection—sits in the grove of Bald Cypress.

7 This is a very long distance photo of one of the bright-red cardinals who visit my feeders. So beautiful in a white landscape.

8 The pergola is hung with many feeders—birds perch on the feeders as well as on the ground.

9 This is the building we call the Gym Garage—garage downstairs, and big gym upstairs, where I go to work out most mornings. I have aerobic as well as weight machines and yoga props also.

10 The main glass greenhouse has been performing very well in the cold. The smaller plastic hoop house was meant to house the big citrus trees, but it was not working well—too small—so it is now being used for propagating seedlings.

11 Another view of the Pin Oak allee—the buildings on the right are the Equipment Barn and the Hay Barn, in which we store furniture and archives.

12 This is the Hay Barn. It really was the hay barn when I bought the farm, but I added new doors, a concrete floor, and windows under the eaves for light. The tree on the right is an American Persimmon. And the reddish shrubs under the pergola are blueberry bushes.

13 The different conifers in the field are the beginning of a pinetum. Many varieties of pines are planted and will hopefully grow into a nice green woodland.

14 The curvaceous tree is a weeping larch—a deciduous evergreen. The trees behind the larch are American and Copper Beeches.

15 The streams were all dotted with snow covered rocks and ice, and the woodlands were frigid. This portion of the woods is being cleared—dead and dying trees being removed, all brush dragged out and chipped, and all brambles and weeds whacked down. By clearing like this, I will have more open spaces in which to plant seedling trees in the spring.

16 The Middle Field is bordered on the west side with weeping willows—they are starting to color even though it is only January.

17 The wetlands are in the rear—a wet area protected because of its proximity to the reservoir nearby. Willows and cattails grow in the wetland.

18 This house, we call the Contemporary. It has been used for storage—someday I will renovate it into a guest house or Party Barn.

19 The little grey structure is the Ice Skaters' Cottage—in front of it is a small pond which will be great for ice skating when the children get a bit bigger.

20 We drove the Kawasaki through some of the fields so we could make tracks for the skiing. That little Kawasaki really negotiated the snow and drifts very well.

21 A big maple tree in the Contemporary field.

22 We call this area the "graveyard." It is where we store and make compost, grow seedling trees, and store our props in the steel storage building.

23 This photo shows the snow swirling around the storage shed.

24 I am very happy with our 1/2 acre of pine trees—we planted these five years ago, and they are growing pretty well.

25 The hay wagons and the furniture trailer are stored in the parking area of the storage shed. The snow was blowing off the roof.

26 Another woodland that needs cleaning, chipping, and replanting.

27 This is what we call the Far Field. It adjoins the furthest portion of the property. We have four miles of carriage roads through the farms, and every portion of the farm is accessible by these roads.

28 This is another portion of the Far Field.

29 Some of the young beech trees in the woods have held on to their golden brown leaves, which look great in the snow.

30 This is the Woodland Cottage—a small building constructed out of recycled windows, doors, and walls. There is no plumbing, but a wonderful old Glenwood wood stove and floors made from wood timbered on the farm.

31 Another part of the far woodland that needs brush cutting and replanting. At one time the entire woodland was timbered to pay taxes. I think such a rash timbering program was too drastic for this lovely property.

32 The small trees are larch seedlings. I stake every newly planted tree to help them grow straight and upright.

33 Along this same road are the more mature trees (12-year-old larches), which are deciduous. They grow on one side of the carriage road and redwoods grow on the other.

34 The big tree is the signature sycamore of the farm.

35 This is the run-in shed where the horses often spend the nights. They actually love the cold and dressed in heavy coats, they spend a good deal of time outdoors.

36 This is one of the osage orange trees that I am trying to nurture along the run-in shed field. Maybe someday they will produce fruit—we did have one this year.

37 In the distance, is the Maple Avenue House where Betsy lives. She has a great yard.

38 These fat conifers are sequoia.

39 The conifer on the right is a Cedrus Americanus—and it has not proven very hardy in our zone. This year we actually sprayed it heavily with antidessicant.

40 Chhiring Sherpa looks like the Abominable Snowman. The farm hands pitched in and shoveled and checked all the animals and greenhouses. We all feel badly that the animals are so confined during this weather.

41 Four of our five Friesians hang together in one field. As long as there is plenty of hay to eat they are happy.

42 The long allee of Linden trees leads from the Maple Avenue gate to the stable.

43 A good view of the house in the far distance from the stable block. The trees are chestnuts and beech.

44 Everything is kept closed on a windy day like today.

45 The boxwood allee under the snow.

46 Plastic netting holds its shape and protects the boxwood from damage.

47 A bright sun tried to come out but never did. And snow continued to fall and blow.

48 Sasa and Ben Chunch spend their time outdoors together, away from the four brothers.

49 Sasa is a great big boy, and the Fell pony is 13 hands tall. All the boys have matching coats.

50 A great view of the stable—on the left is the carriage house, in the center the stable, and on the right the farm offices.

51 The bright sun trying to break out over the farm at 2 p.m.

52 The big greenhouse survived the ice and snow and wind.

53 All the snow is blown off the flower garden fencing.