Looking out across the small valley, trees look like they belong in a winter wonderland postcard. The fields’s various rises and hollows are rounded out in a fresh blanket of snow. The noise of cars going by on the nearby road is muted, somehow quieter. Cedar-tiled rooftops are dusted in snow as it collects in nooks and crannies, lending a gingerbread-style appearance to the slanted rooflines. Underneath it all, the plant kingdom sleeps. Bulbs that require overwintering are preparing for spring. Seeds that require freezing, are preparing to grow. Grass hibernates, as do various members of the animal kingdom who…