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Monday, December 12, 2016

It's back.

It's true that you can 'smell' snow coming.  Yesterday, as the feeble rays of what passes for sun disappeared behind the clouds, I could smell it.  The funny thing, is that I was standing out in the chicken/duck yard, nose in the air - I looked over and the ducks were standing still, beaks in the air.  I feel so...so...special.  I'm special, all right.  Bring on the padded wagon and the 'special' jacket with the long arms...

I bustled about, trying to get loose ends tucked in before it snowed.  Then I went inside and put on a pot of soup - Ski Country Soup, a family favorite.  That allowed me to clean a little more out of the freezer and mega-stash of canned goods.  I also managed to can 24 pints of vege broth - I had been hoarding my vege-ends in the freezer and thought it would be a perfect weekend to haul them out and make stock.  Imagine my surprise when I uncovered three stuffed gallon zip bags full!  I have one more batch of stock to make - this from an assortment of bones and carcasses (carcassi?) and that's on the schedule for next weekend.  If nothing else, I will go into this winter well-brothed.

Having been sidelined with a sore throat and slight fever (I work with the equivalent of Typhoid Mary - she of many sickly grands), I was hoping that I didn't have her latest acquisition - strep throat.  I don't.  Close call.  Since I was house-bound, I got a few more things (piddly) checked off my list, but every piddly thing helps.  I made a GF version of one of my all-time favorite muffins - one that I have not baked since pre-GF-ness, which has to be 3-4 years now, and I tried it on the barn crew.  Success!  They are Breakfast Muffins - a combo of Bisquick, shredded cheddar and crumbled hot sausage.  I happened to have a box of GF Bisquick so whipped them up.  I would change a few things next time, but all in all, they were tasty.

I also did pawdicures - Lovey is such a breeze to work with, The Pepperoni is like working with a pill bug, and Scrappy - who used to be a walk in the park, is now Mr. Bop-The-Mole with his nails.  Luckily, TP has an appointment with his groomer next weekend - he loves her and lies there like a besotted furry pillow, while she does anything she wants to him.  It's maddening.  I got four loads of laundry done, the drying of which was helped along by a fire in the fireplace most of the weekend.  I also slipped in some reading and knitting.  All in all, it was a pretty descent weekend.



It was a good thing I rested up - I awoke to eight inches of icy snow, so spent a great amount of the morning shoveling.  The ducks have now come to grips with their new cold, white reality and are down the ramp and in their water bowls with hardly a pause.  The same cannot be said of the chickens.  Poor Bunny got booted out of the coop and forlornly went and joined the ducks.  While the poultry yard is plenty big for two roosters, the coop is not.



10 comments:

Mama Pea said...

What a great weekend you had! See what happens when you allow yourself a stay-at-home weekend? We keep getting snow warnings . . . but it doesn't seem to ever materialize. Your snow looks loverly and what wonderful insulation for the ground and plants. We actually had some sunshine yesterday (took a while to realize what it was) and this morning woke to it streaming in again. (How lucky can we get?) Our daughter took care of some kiddies a week ago. One came down with strep, the other pneumonia! She escaped by contracting only (only?!) the strep. You stay as far from your office Typhoid Mary as you can!

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i need a snow like that! all we got was about an inch and then ice. bummer!

Michelle said...

Got colds here, too. Now I don't feel too bad, except for the worst case of laryngitis that I've ever had. So I have a good excuse to not answer the phone and get lots done! Vacuuming and mopping are finished; now I can justify a ride on Lance. ;-)

Sue said...

Hooray for making stock. I just love doing that on a cold day.

Our neighbors to the north of us stole our snow. We got 5 inches--they got 24. Funniest part--it's only 15 miles from me.
I suppose you get a lot of that up your way as well.

Susan said...

We had snow too. At least a millimetre=oh the fuss. However I won't be laughing when we get the freezing rain and the roads turn into skating rinks. I love that you all had your beaks in the air.

Anonymous said...

We very rarely get snow at our farm on the southern Oregon coast, but when it's coming, I can smell it. So you are special and so are your geese and so am I...

Nancy In Boise said...

Have you tried esential oils for colds/flu? Works great! 8 drops organic tea tree oil to 1 TBL carrier oil (I use sweet almond massage oil). Rub on glands, under nose and pads of feet (between toes). My kids start usng it. Can you post your ski soup recipe some time? We have more snow on the way, with 3 degrees for the low Sat. Brrrr, my hens will get some warm treats!

Nancy In Boise said...

And I think you're in tune with your local weather, a great skill!!!

Fiona said...

Today, while ice was actually forming...the ducks here we're having a splash-a-thon. You did get a dump.....wow. As to stock....is it not the best thing?

Sandy Livesay said...

Susan,

I know exactly what you mean about smelling snow. The same goes with rain. Speaking of snow, we had a few.....and I mean a few flakes over this weekend, nothing stayed.

Girlie, I hope you're feeling better soon. I absolutely hate being sick this time of year. I went to the darn grocery store and two days later I was sick. I had been babying myself with all the home remedy stuff but for the life of me couldn't get rid of the cough. Went to the doctor, come to find out after taking a culture of my sinus' I have caught the coronavirus from a sick person. There's no medication, you have to ride out the virus. I have a cough syrup to help with the cough but have to keep taking tylenol for the fever, and guiafenesin for the congestion.

Take care of yourself.
Hugs,
Sandy