I don't mind the winter. The snow is pristine white and sparkles and glitters in the moonlight like a million crystals decorating everything that Frost has painted with her delicate hand. Moonlight, yes, because with the time change, I do not get home from school much before dark, so the chores are done at night. Don't get me started on the time change. I think that it may, at one time, when people worked 9 to 5 jobs and stayed home on Sundays, have been helpful in some economics of saving power. But today, the lights are on all the time, people are working any shifts in a 24 hour period and the time change no longer serves its original purpose. It frustrates me though, because I do not need an hour of light in the morning. I need it when I come home from work at 4 pm.
It has been snowing from some time in the early morning off and on all day. This is very welcome. I had resorted to using the lawn mower tractor and the wagon to haul water, since normally the toboggan, which holds 4 five gallon buckets, is how I carry the water in the winter. Up until now, we have not had enough snow to use the toboggan.
When I tried to start the tractor, it would not turn over. I guess the battery is dead and I do not know where to even to begin to look for the charger. I went to get the toboggan, which I had stashed right by the water tap outside the big house. Whoosh, the rope is broken. I tied it, but apparently not well enough, since when I started out, it let go and I had to retie it. The water buckets are all made from recycled rubber and can take a smashing with a 5 pound sledge hammer to bang the ice out of them so they can be refilled. I go to turn the water on and of course the frost free tap is frozen. I cannot get the bi valve from summer off either, because Travis screwed it on and when he tightens something, It is meant to stay. OK. You would think that normal people would have an outlet somewhere near the back stairs where the tap and gas meter are located or somewhere along there. NO WAY! Not these people. Another aggravation for me, grrrrrr!
I go downstairs and turn the dryer on. Last year I had this problem figured out. The dryer vents next to the faucet and the warm air, if I trap it, quickly thaws the tap. Within about 5 minutes, the tap is functioning and I am good to go. There is only an inch of snow and still some bare spots. Pulling the toboggan with 200 pounds of water is not an easy task. The cows are waiting patiently for their drink. They do eat snow, as do the sheep, but the goats and ducks do not, nor the pigs. The pigs greeted me when I got home with many admonitions for leaving them thirsty all day. They were the first to get water and being already dark, they went off to bed for the night. Yesterday I moved Karin in with the pigs. She will have all the hay she wants and there is an unused shelter her size. She is still next to the sheep and hopefully will stay relatively bonded to them.
Finally, after the tractor not starting, the toboggan finally functioning, the bucket ice hammered out and the buckets refilled, the sheep in quarters being hand fed and the bunnies tended to, everyone was happy. I let the ducks and geese drink all they wanted and then put them to bed and closed up the chickens for the night. There are 3 chickens and 2 guinea hens that are still roosting in the tree. Crazy birds. I caught one and stuffed him in the coop and left him overnight, but the next night he was back in the tree. Every year it seems there are some in the tree. This year, I cannot get them down by myself, so they will have to stay there. They have many better places to sleep should they wisen up. There are three that sleep in a corner of the barn as well.
I brought three loads of wood in. The fire is out of course, with me not here to tend it. I needed to clean the ashes anyhow, so this will be a good opportunity for that. The furnace is set to only 14 degrees, so I have good motivation to keep the warm fires burning. Sofi wore her coat today because it was cold outside. I put a blanket over the outside of her kennel in the porch to keep her a little warmer. Last night the dogs slept inside, Robbie and Sofi, but I don't trust Sofi. She climbed up on the leather chair and slept near the fire. She has problems with incontinence these days and the last thing I want is her to sleep on the furniture or anywhere but in her kennel or bed. So she and Robbie are in the porch tonight. It is only -7 as opposed to minus 18 last night. They will be fine.
Supper is slow cooking...goat stew. The fires will be warm in no time and the day is done, finally , and it is time to rest. I promised myself I would not do any hobbies until I finished housecleaning, and the floors and dusting, and dishes are left. I really want to make some bath salts and that is my motivation to do the dishes at least.
We all have frustrating days that seem to be a pile up of everything going wrong. The thing is, persevere and be positive. If the tractor doesn't start, use the toboggan, and if the toboggan is broken, fix it. Sigh.Capice?
It has been snowing from some time in the early morning off and on all day. This is very welcome. I had resorted to using the lawn mower tractor and the wagon to haul water, since normally the toboggan, which holds 4 five gallon buckets, is how I carry the water in the winter. Up until now, we have not had enough snow to use the toboggan.
When I tried to start the tractor, it would not turn over. I guess the battery is dead and I do not know where to even to begin to look for the charger. I went to get the toboggan, which I had stashed right by the water tap outside the big house. Whoosh, the rope is broken. I tied it, but apparently not well enough, since when I started out, it let go and I had to retie it. The water buckets are all made from recycled rubber and can take a smashing with a 5 pound sledge hammer to bang the ice out of them so they can be refilled. I go to turn the water on and of course the frost free tap is frozen. I cannot get the bi valve from summer off either, because Travis screwed it on and when he tightens something, It is meant to stay. OK. You would think that normal people would have an outlet somewhere near the back stairs where the tap and gas meter are located or somewhere along there. NO WAY! Not these people. Another aggravation for me, grrrrrr!
I go downstairs and turn the dryer on. Last year I had this problem figured out. The dryer vents next to the faucet and the warm air, if I trap it, quickly thaws the tap. Within about 5 minutes, the tap is functioning and I am good to go. There is only an inch of snow and still some bare spots. Pulling the toboggan with 200 pounds of water is not an easy task. The cows are waiting patiently for their drink. They do eat snow, as do the sheep, but the goats and ducks do not, nor the pigs. The pigs greeted me when I got home with many admonitions for leaving them thirsty all day. They were the first to get water and being already dark, they went off to bed for the night. Yesterday I moved Karin in with the pigs. She will have all the hay she wants and there is an unused shelter her size. She is still next to the sheep and hopefully will stay relatively bonded to them.
Finally, after the tractor not starting, the toboggan finally functioning, the bucket ice hammered out and the buckets refilled, the sheep in quarters being hand fed and the bunnies tended to, everyone was happy. I let the ducks and geese drink all they wanted and then put them to bed and closed up the chickens for the night. There are 3 chickens and 2 guinea hens that are still roosting in the tree. Crazy birds. I caught one and stuffed him in the coop and left him overnight, but the next night he was back in the tree. Every year it seems there are some in the tree. This year, I cannot get them down by myself, so they will have to stay there. They have many better places to sleep should they wisen up. There are three that sleep in a corner of the barn as well.
I brought three loads of wood in. The fire is out of course, with me not here to tend it. I needed to clean the ashes anyhow, so this will be a good opportunity for that. The furnace is set to only 14 degrees, so I have good motivation to keep the warm fires burning. Sofi wore her coat today because it was cold outside. I put a blanket over the outside of her kennel in the porch to keep her a little warmer. Last night the dogs slept inside, Robbie and Sofi, but I don't trust Sofi. She climbed up on the leather chair and slept near the fire. She has problems with incontinence these days and the last thing I want is her to sleep on the furniture or anywhere but in her kennel or bed. So she and Robbie are in the porch tonight. It is only -7 as opposed to minus 18 last night. They will be fine.
Supper is slow cooking...goat stew. The fires will be warm in no time and the day is done, finally , and it is time to rest. I promised myself I would not do any hobbies until I finished housecleaning, and the floors and dusting, and dishes are left. I really want to make some bath salts and that is my motivation to do the dishes at least.
We all have frustrating days that seem to be a pile up of everything going wrong. The thing is, persevere and be positive. If the tractor doesn't start, use the toboggan, and if the toboggan is broken, fix it. Sigh.Capice?
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