It's a mild winter day here at my farm - a mix of sun and clouds with highs in the 40s, which means my peafowl and geese will be out and about in their enclosures.
Geese and peafowl are pretty tolerant of cooler weather. Geese have excellent insulation systems - dense outer feathers, thick down feathers, and natural fat reserves that not only keep them warm but also provide energy. The peafowl have protective feathering and can regulate their body temperatures to adjust to the cold. To make sure they are all comfortable, I provide heated shelters, where they can take cover during unpleasant conditions. And they're also checked several times a day to ensure they have all the food and water they need.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Peacocks are stunning birds. And remember, technically only the males are peacocks with their long and colorful tails. The females are peahens. This is one of my handsome peacocks.
Breeding season is just starting. This is when the males display their plumage to attract mates. The season usually runs from March to October or sooner if temperatures are warmer.
Some of the peahens are curious and have gathered to watch the show.
The peacock turns in circles showing off his tail. This display is known as “train-rattling” – a way to show the females that they are healthy and fit for reproduction.
The stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised.
This male repeats the dance over and over, turning to face the peahens as he rattles.
And he certainly doesn’t mind the camera up close. And look at his feet. A peafowl’s legs are very strong. They have three toes on each foot facing forward, and one facing backwards. They also have sharp, powerful metatarsal spurs that are used for defense.
This young male still has some growing to do, but here he is fanning his feathers also.
One can see him trying hard to attract these peahens. He won’t have his full tail until at least three years of age. Peahens usually choose males that have bigger, healthier plumage with an abundance of eyespots.
My mature males with the biggest, longest tails are on their perch – keeping a lookout for predators. The peacock is a large sized bird with an average length from bill to tail of 39 to 45 inches.
These are females. Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their head called a corona. It may take up to one year for a corona to reach full size.
A peahen has more subdued plumage – this one with soft brown feathers and a metallic green neck.Their colors are more dull to allow them to blend into their surroundings.
Some of the birds are in their coop. Inside, they also have several perches on which they can roost.
During the day, they are all free to walk in and out as they please.
These two decided to venture outdoors walking along the footpaths shoveled for them after the recent blizzard.
Next door, my geese are also enjoying their shoveled “course.” I hope you saw the Instagram videos on @marthastewart48 – they walk single file from one side to the other, honking as they waddle.
During warmer days, they can also be found resting along the snow covered path and enjoying the activities around them.
Here is my pair of Chinese geese. These geese most likely descended from the swan goose in Asia, though over time developed different physical characteristics, such as longer necks and more compact bodies. The Chinese goose is refined and curvaceous. Its bill is relatively long and slender, with a large, rounded, erect knob that attaches to its forehead. The Chinese goose holds its head high and has a long, slim, well-arched neck which meets the body at about a 45 degree angle. Mature ganders average 12 pounds, while mature geese average 10 pounds.
My Pomeranian guard geese are happy in the snow – going indoors only when they’re hungry.
And here is one of my Sebastopol geese. Sebastopols are medium-sized birds with pure white feathers that contrast with their bright blue eyes and orange bills and feet. And what is most striking is the plumage. The head and upper two-thirds of the neck is smooth, while that of the breast and underbody is elongated and well-curled. Both my peafowl and waterfowl are looking great and seem to be enjoying the winter season. Are you?
Here at my farm, everyone on my crew is busy cleaning up after the Blizzard of 2026 dropped more than a foot - in some places more than two - of heavy, wet snow.
The storm began Sunday afternoon and then continued through the next day with whiteout conditions and high winds. Offices were closed, travel bans on major streets, highways and bridges were imposed, and everyone was advised to stay home. Winter is definitely not over yet. And there is more snow in the forecast.
Here are some photos, enjoy. I hope all of you affected are okay.
This week’s powerful winter blizzard brought strong winds and widespread heavy snow across much of the Northeast. More than 20-inches fell at my farm. This linden tree-lined path between the paddocks runs from my Winter House and carport down to the chicken coops.
The stable and Boxwood Allée look so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is covered under burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow.
This storm set multiple one-day records across New England. It brought strong winds and caused low visibility. Thankfully my farm did not suffer any damage.
Narrow paths were made to all my animal pens right away, so they could be accessed and checked.
Here is my stable complex courtyard. The cobblestone is completely covered again – a new layer of snow after last month’s big storm dropped an initial two feet.
The next day was sunny and much more calm after the storm. Here’s a dawn redwood, Metasequoia, with its straight trunk – an impressive tree by any standard and beautiful in any season.
Snow shadows of the trees and the many branches could be seen all over the grounds.
The 100-year old white spruce fencing has stood the test of time. I love how the snow collects on the fence rails. I have photographed sections of this beautiful fence many times through the seasons.
Here, it is easy to see which direction the snow was falling. This was a wet snow. Wet snow occurs when the air temperature near the surface is above freezing, causing the snowflakes to partially melt before reaching the surface. This causes the snowflakes to become “sticky.” It’s great snowball making snow.
While the bare deciduous trees stand tall in my middle field, young evergreens collect lots of snow on their branches below.
Big snowstorms like this one cause a lot of cleanup work, but one can’t deny the beauty of a clean snow covered field – still untouched except for the tiny prints of bird and squirrel feet.
Streams are full and look black against the white snow.
Drifts create interesting markings on the landscape.
And the blueberry bushes on the left look even brighter red against the white snow. A stand of quince is on the right.
Here is a view of my long pergola – it will look quite different in a few months when the garden is filled with colorful blooms.
Do you know what this is? Buried under nearly three feet of snow is a burlap covered planter.
Notice the holes in the burlap. It’s a “Good Thing” I developed to help our avian friends during winter – they love to take cover inside, especially during storms.
And can you recognize this area of the farm?
It is the center footpath in my Summer House Garden. On both sides are my formal boxwood hedges and shrubs – all protected by strong burlap to keep the snow from splaying the tender branches.
The snow stuck to so many of the tree branches. These are my pollarded lindens outside the stable.
Pasang is busy removing snow from all the burlap covered boxwood surrounding my herbaceous peonies. A narrow footpath is between the burlap and the fence – covered waist high with snow.
And here’s Pete in my trusted Kubota tractor. A Land Pride PR1690 Power Rake is attached to the back and used to rake the snow on the carriage roads and break up any ice. It’s snowing again this morning with more in the forecast. Be careful.
The beginning of a new year is always a nice time to get a jump start on spring cleaning.
Not long ago I decided it was time to clean and organize my stable hayloft - a large loft above the horse stalls where we keep bales of hay made right here in my fields. The area is also used to house horse supplies, various building materials, screen doors, and several large ornamental planters. Getting things back in order is always so energizing.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here is my stable – home to my Friesians, my Fell pony, and my donkeys. On the second floor is my hayloft that extends the full length of the building.
Here is a view out of one of the windows of the loft. This window looks out onto the great Boxwood Allée, which is now completely enshrouded in protective burlap for the winter.
From another window of the hayloft, one can see this area of my farm – the carriage road to my azaleas. I have many trees planted along this carriage road also including crabapples, horse chestnuts, paulownia trees and others.
The hayloft cat walk can be seen from the stable’s entryway. This area separates the stacked hay from the rest of my items being stored.
This is the hay side. I am very proud of the hay I make here at the farm – it is good and nutritious and my horses all love it.
On this other side of the hayloft, I store various moldings, window casings, screen windows, door screens, outdoor planters, horse supplies, etc.
But over time, the area has gotten disorganized – with items placed on random shelves or laying on the floor. During winter, when it’s cold and there is snow on the ground, it is a good time to go through and clean out these spaces.
So the crew got to work, vacuuming the floor, assessing what was here, and putting things where they belong.
It got messier before it got cleaner, and like any organizing job, discoveries of long misplaced items are once again found.
Storage bins are used for seasonal horse equipment and supplies – now all put away.
Screen doors are housed in specially made storage boxes, so they are well protected during the off-season. Screens should be stored either by laying flat or standing upright, in a dry area where the temperature is kept fairly constant.
Wood pallets are used to keep my valuable pots from resting directly on the floor.
It is always important to store or cover all outdoor planters because freezing temperatures can crack or break them.
The crew organized all the moldings on the shelves, making sure they are stacked according to length and type.
I keep the moldings stacked horizontally to keep them from bowing.
Unused saddles are on proper saddle racks to maintain their shape and prevent moisture buildup.
Rolling shelves are tucked away yet easy to access. Slowly the area looks much better.
This loft has high ceilings and lots of windows. Hay creates a lot of dust, so dusting from top to bottom is done on a regular basis.
This is what a little time and elbow grease can do. To separate the hay side from the rest of the loft, I created a dust barrier using industrial size tarps secured to the sides of the entrance.
And here’s Fernando making sure the stairs leading down to the stalls and feed room are also clean and dust free.
A place for everything and everything in its place. It’s so nice to come up here and see the newly organized hayloft.
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