Harvest Moon 64/Winter (Year 1)

Welcome to your first winter! You've survived three hectic seasons, and now things will start to slow down a bit. With no crops to water, grass to chop, or music boxes to dig up, you're going to find a lot more time on your hands, especially here at the beginning, but there are some interesting things to come...

Winter 1st
Mr. Green will show up today with his promised herd of cows from another barn, and will tell you to make sure they are fed. You don't really need to feed them, just to brush and talk to them. After dealing with the cows, save up your chicken eggs and whatever you saved in the refrigerator or cabinet from Fall for gifts. Head toward Moon Mountain, and you'll see that there is nothing growing here in winter and that the small pond near the tent is frozen. Smash the rock there with a fully charged swing from the Golden Hammer to score a power berry. If you don't have the golden hammer yet, take time tonight to bash the table in your living room a few times before going to bed. Chances are that after clearing all the rocks off your farm (you did do that, didn't you?) you are only twenty or thirty swings away from a golden hammer.

There's nothing else up in the mountains except stumps, so unless you need wood for the greenhouse, there's no reason to head back this way. Instead, give your eggs out to the guys, Ann, and now Ellen -Elli's grandmother. We'll want to be good enough friends with her by next summer so that the proper events take place. When you're done playing Santa Claus, head down to the dock on the beach and fish. With any luck, you'll snag the power berry there before darkness falls. Even if you don't, pocket the fish you catch and sell them in the morning.

Winter 2nd-7th
These first few days of winter will drag by rather slowly until you get a greenhouse going. If you're short on wood, run through Moon Mountain and clear out the stumps. There is a congregation of three in one place near the bridge that you just finished building last season. Otherwise, just sit tight and fish off the dock hoping to snag that power berry. Otherwise sell the fish or run off to the bar and give them away. You'll notice that there's a new face at the bar- the girl whose cows you are keeping in your barn. Don't worry about giving her anything, though, she'll be out of the picture soon enough. If Cliff is there, make sure to give him an egg to get a recipe that you can only get during winter.

When you get the greenhouse, get a couple plots of potatoes going. We need Ann to be at a pink heart by the end of the year, and she loves potatoes and corn! Make sure to give her the wool from your sheep whenever it decides to grow back. Plant a patch of strawberries as well, but other than that, it's up to you. Just make sure not to make so much that you tire yourself out before the day even starts.

Winter 8th-9th
Have you ever noticed that out-of-place looking door in the wall of the cave in Moon Mountain? Well you will soon become well acquainted with it, because it's the best source of sellable items this part of the season. Finish all your morning chores and gifting as quickly as possible, make sure you have your hoe, then head up to the cave in Moon Mountain. If it's not snowing, talk to the carpenter beside the door to enter the mine. Once there, you will be stuck until 5:00pm. Until then, get digging! If you fill up your rucksack, feel free to toss the iron ores on the ground if you're holding a more valuable item in order to get back to digging. In addition to items, you might stumble upon a hole that will take you to the next level down. Always opt to go down the hole, because you will find more valuable items further down, including a power berry and a chicken weather vane that Rick can fix up for you.

When you're finally kicked out of the mine, chop the stumps and sell the iron ores. If you get a Moonlight Stone or Rare Metal, save one and give it to Rick the next day, though not both in the same day. If you have a Blue Stone, save on to give to Saibara.

If it's not sunny, you'll just have to spend the day fishing at the beach again.