I've discovered a fantastic new way to store cold things - necessary now that our cooler is buried somewhere under 4 feet of snow - an upright sled with a tin tub tied on, high enough so that ever-curious Luba can't get up to it, and cold enough outside to refrigerate (and sometimes freeze) the perishables I'm trying to keep for the week. Thankfully, everything is wrapped and frozen well enough that we don't attract other animals, Luba's exuberance can keep away the smaller ones, but I'd rather not see her end up in a fight.

Dawn is coming earlier and earlier - it's almost light when my husband walks out to the car in the morning, and I only have half an hour to wait before I have enough light to begin moving around without candles. I'm excited to think of how long our candles and kerosene will last in the spring, when the evenings are longer and the mornings brighter. We have such a busy spring too!