Winter is here, and I feel it in the crunch of dry grass underfoot, the billows of fog blanketing the farm in early mornings, the plunging of temperatures just before sunrise.

I love winter in Australia. Yes, mornings are frigid, but once the sun comes out, it’s like a scrumptious Autumn day, cold, crisp, and utterly refreshing.

There are no bugs or sweltering heat, sunrise arrives at a more humane hour, and the early afternoon darkness is such a lovely excuse to head indoors for cozy evenings of books and movies and multiple hot cuppas.

Winter is also hard.

We’ve had no rain and our paddocks are dry and barren with little for the animals to forage. The cold temperatures mean newborn goats need to be housed indoors, and our tiny home echoes with the bleats of hungry kids and the pattering of their little hooves tap-tapping along the kitchen floor.

But the sunny days are glorious, and once those first rays of light hit the farmyard, we bundle up our armloads of babies and take them out to the sun-drenched goat playpen where they can nibble on grass and take long, luxurious naps in the sunshine.

During this barren time, my gardens are a haven. With no rain to keep them thriving, I’ve cut back to a few essentials, rainbow silverbeet, root veggies, and loads of herbs.

It’s so lovely to open the gates and wander along the straw-covered pathways, breathing in fragrant lavender, thyme, and rosemary, delighting in the daisies and feverfew that manage to blossom even in the dead of winter, and resting my eyes on green, glorious green.

With icy winds blowing in and freezing temperatures in the forecast, it’s a lovely weekend for hunkering in with hot soup and cozy sweaters, old movies and baking, writing for my luvs at Plum Deluxe, and reading beloved favourites from John Buchan, L.M. Montgomery, and Enid Blyton.

Mostly I’m looking forward to medieval mates arriving for a weekend of medieval projects and good visits over hot bread rolls and hotter coffee. They do my heart so much good, and their hugs are the best.

What are you looking forward to this weekend? xo