The View From Today

UGH! That is about all I can say this morning, as winter is back with a vengeance. If you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait a day.... which is what we always say around here. Yesterday, 67 degrees, and this morning, 20 with four inches of snow in the yard, making chores a pain in the neck. At least you can walk in it, unlike ice. I swore to myself I would stay in a little longer (and I did) but at seven went out and carried water to the geese and ducks, fed the horses, and made sure the chickens had plenty of water and feed since I knew they would not be coming out despite their open door. I was right, they had enough sense to take one good look and stay IN!

Beau is wandering out of the gate and back in, at a loss of what to do this morning when he can't reach the grass again. He has had his first bite, but Lacey the mini turned away from the food, and is standing in misery again out in the snow, her Cushing's clad back covered with it. We had the vet again yesterday, and the Cushing's is making her hooves grow abnormally fast, so despite being trimmed six weeks ago, she needs another right away. We are trying to reach our farrier Jerad, who is so gentle with her. We will now be giving her 3 meds a day to try to halt the course of the Cushings and make her more comfortable. And yes, we may have to make a decision about her soon, but not now. She has become a gentle little thing now that she cannot get away from us, and we have removed her halter since we can walk right up to her. Those who knew the Lacey of old would never believe it!

The starlings are lined up on the edge of the heated water tank to drink and stay warm by the scores. We dislike starlings for one reason... they invaded the henhouse two winters in a row wreaking horrible havoc on everything. There is no poop like starling poop! This year, perhaps because we did not put a red heatlamp in the overhead, we were not invaded, except for a few during the day here and there. They flutter back and forth, diving near our heads in panic, and it is not fun to go in there when there are several in there. It used to be fifty or more, and the devastation is still there to see in the form of stained walls. Out by the bird feeder there are scores more birds, all trying to find some seeds to eat. I swept the ground by it and put out a lot of seed this morning, and all the while, a woodpecker pecked on the fresh suet I had put out last night after the basketball game.

The snow is beautiful, but today is scrapbooking day, and I will have to load the car and get to Lawrence in four inches of it, so it will be a pain. I hope it is the last of the season, because spring is officially 3 weeks away. I do remember one year, though, at the Old Place, when we had a snowstorm on March 22nd that sealed my drive between the two banks off, and I spent the day shoveling instead of going to work. High above me that day I heard a sound faint in the wind. I looked up, and overhead, high above, were thousands upon thousands of geese flying north. I have never seen that many again together, so I figure it was God's gift to me for shoveling. I will always treasure it.