Monday Musings.

Saturday was a wash, as far as getting anything of consequence done.  We had these Headlines of Doom, warning us of another terrible snow storm over the weekend.  It did not materialize, thank goodness, but it sure got everyone's attention.  My parents have been virtually snowed in for a week, so needed to get out shopping.  This involved multiple stops and took a long time.  I take it for granted that I can whiz through my multiple chore list without giving it much thought.  For my nonagenarian parents, it's exhausting.  And slooooooow.  I am getting better at calming myself down, slowing my expectations and just going with the flow. 

I can get 400# of feed in the back of my car!  Exciting news!!!  I occasionally pick up poultry feed for a neighbor when I get mine.  The mill is not on our way - ever - so when one of us is going, we save the other a trip.  I tend to go more because I have more chickens and they are bored and they are gluttons.  I can relate.

Faced with yet another round of snow (today), I had to face the snow load on my roof.  I did have a good day yesterday - I got to use lots of tools!  There was the Phillips head screw driver to reattach the light cover on one of the lights over my license plate.  There was the beloved cordless drill/screwdriver for tightening the storm door frame around my front door.  There was the wood chisel and heavy-duty hammer for chiseling off a 1/4 inch of wood that has been driving me mad all winter - my storm door was a bit longer than the original 'special' one, and the kickboard underneath had to be cut out to allow for the difference.  A certain (male) neighbor and I have had many go-arounds on how much needed to be taken off.  I finally took it into my own hands.  Plus, it was the first day in weeks that it wasn't in the single digits!  There was my medium-duty hammer for putting up the wool curtain in the chicken coop and for hanging the light/switch gizmo that will make turning on and off the coop light so much easier.  There was the roof rake.  Then there was the most important tool of all - the Ibuprofen.

It is amazingly difficult to maneuver a roof rake, IMHO.  That is especially so when one's rotator cuffs are virtually non-existent.  And when you need to maneuver through thigh-high snow.  I was contemplating putting on my snow shoes but my screwy logic took the upper hand.  I thought it would be much easier to fall if I was bound to those clodhoppers (I am not named Grace for very obvious reasons) and, if I was firmly embedded in deep snow, it would be impossible to fall over!  There you go!  I cleared the bottom 5 feet from the front - took a break to shovel all the snow I raked onto my paths; then cleared the back 5 feet and shoveled some more.  I then went in the house and made a note - next house will have a steeply pitched roof.  I then shoveled my way to the back gate, chiseled the gate clear of the ice (with my handy coal shovel), then schlepped 200# of chicken feed into the bins.  Dotty, the Spotted Sussex, trailed me the entire time.  It's like having another dog.

I love to fill the bird feeder on the deck railing.  I can stand still for a few minutes and then the chickadees start fluttering around me.  They are so tiny and brave!  I love the sound of their wings.

When I shoveled out to the sheep this morning, I was met by a shocking sight.  A rabbit had tried to bulldoze it's way through the fence on their gate and got trapped.  It had apparently tried to free itself so frantically that it had spewed blood all over.  The sheep were huddled together, traumatized (especially Norman, who seems to be very easily traumatized).  I thought it was dead, but it was just limp from fatigue.  I carefully pulled the wires apart and eased it out, then carried it over and laid it down under the pine trees.  I figured I would let it die in peace.  Five minutes later, it was up and huddled.  Five minutes after that, it was gone -- hopped away.