Yesterday another seven inches of snow fell.

It might look like winter to us humans, but the birds know that springtime is coming. In the midst of the storm, a robin found the water bubbling out of the rock. The Beast might be slumbering in the pond below, but the robin, clued into to light and other things that we humans aren’t privy to, knows that the weather will turn soon.

My hens, too, have declared that they’ve seen the tail end of winter. While the wind was blowing and the white stuff was falling hard, the Gems laid six eggs, and the Ladies laid five.

This morning, the pond is little more than an undulation in the snow.

The path is narrow to the Little Barn, but I’m going to believe the birds. Spring is around the corner.

New Englanders like to talk about the weather, and we’ve had a lot to talk about this winter. Snowfall is above average and the cold temperatures are keeping it on the ground. For animals that hibernate, the blanket of snow is a good thing as it keeps their burrows cozy and inaccessible. Others, like deer, who have to move through it, can find the going difficult. Some little creatures live under the snow and timidly come out and about looking for bits to eat. You know that they’ve been here because they leave tracks. Adorable tracks.

This is the view from my bedroom window.

Take a closer look.

And closer.

I didn’t see the little twitchy whiskery nose poking out. But I can imagine it!

I’m not an experienced tracker, but a look at guide books tells me that these footprints belong to a white-footed mouse. I could be wrong. If you’re a knowledgeable tracker, please chime in!

The snow is falling again and by nightfall we’ll have another 6-inches or so. Tomorrow there will be a clean canvas.

Yet again, a food magazine has come up with an improved scrambled egg recipe. I’m sure it’s very good, as is any recipe with extra egg yolks and cream. However, they’re really and truly missing the point of what makes scrambled eggs the perfect food: ease and simplicity. Case in point – today dawned sunny, but a quite cold 8º F. I bundled up and did my barn chores. Then I came inside, put a pat of butter into the cast iron skillet,

cracked two of these into a bowl:

and with a fork, stirred them up with a splash of milk and a pinch of kosher salt. The eggs went into the pan (Lily got the bowl to lick) where they cooked over medium heat. As the egg set, I moved them gently about with a spatula.

In about three minutes, just as my hands were thawing out from the barn chores, I had perfect scrambled eggs.

If I thought I’d have to separate eggs for yolks, and then find a use for the extra whites, I would have had cereal instead. That said, sometimes even I embellish scrambled eggs with cheese and/or sautéed vegetables. Sausage is good, too. Such scrambled eggs make the best dinner when you don’t feel like cooking at all. But again, they’re the best because they’re not fussy. (Recipes can be found in my Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook.) Making scrambled eggs complicated seems so… wrong… to me. Besides, I’d never add extra yolks. The two yolks in my breakfast eggs are so flavorful and colorful that I don’t need to add more.

However, notice the muffin in the background of the photo, that recipe does need tweaking. I’m working on a not-too sweet honey whole wheat breakfast muffin. When that’s perfected, I’ll share it with you. Meanwhile, the hens are laying and I’m eating two eggs every morning for breakfast. They’re perfect any way I make them. Thanks, girls!

Fifteen inches of snow, sleet and rain fell. A cold wind blows and swirls. There’s frozen slush on the ground. Veronica is in the front of the line at the Customer Service Department. Excuses fall on feathered ears. A resolution is not forthcoming.