Bears in hibernation, tortoises in their shells and winter

Bears hibernate in the short cold days of winter. Skunks only poke their heads out every few days to eat the cat food. Tortoises hide in their shells. There is only 6 hours between the end of morning goat chores and the beginning of evening chores. So I feel like a tortoise only poking my head out every few days to see the world. It is winter break between semesters and I can hardly bear to even look at a computer screen. Online teaching zaps all the high tech energies from this Luddite. So until Jan 9th, when we start to gear up for the spring semester, I will have little contact with the computer. I'm making soap - stocking up for the spring, cuddling in my warm reading chair (actually getting some books read - currently it is Hamlet's Blackberry by Wm Powers) and of course hauling gallons of water from the house to the goat pen throughn the icy and snow......

So MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR - I'll see you in 2012. The year of the end of the Mayan 5th great cycle, but more on that later.....

"Bucolic"

I've been wondering about the term "bucolic". I first became aware of it when I read the book "The Bucolic Plague" - great book by the way.
So here is the definition:
bucolic [bjuːˈkɒlɪk]
adj also bucolical
1. of or characteristic of the countryside or country life; rustic
2. of or relating to shepherds; pastoral
n
1. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) (sometimes plural) a pastoral poem, often in the form of a dialogue
2. a rustic; farmer or shepherd
[from Latin būcolicus, from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos cowherd, from bous ox]
bucolically adv

Now that I've actually looked up the word, I will now need to start using it on a regular basis.
So have a bucolic day!

Soap gift certificates

You can now purchase gift certificates for my soap. Go to my Etsy site and look for this photo. www.etsy.com/shop/westfarmgoats

There are a variety of prices to choose from for the gift certificates.