The Family Coat

First off.... I posted pictures of myself in my good clothes last night... yes, I knew I was heading towards a thourough cleaning when I jumped out of the car and hurried to do chores in the last little bit of twilight after a day of constant rain.  I was able to wash my coat, and the shoes.... well, let's just say that Ranger took care of them for me.  The skirt is going to the cleaners along with some other things that need to go.  I would not do this normally, but Keith was out of town, and I wanted to use the last tiny bit of light. 

Two hours later, it sleeted for a while, but we were lucky and did not get the blizzard conditions that western Kansas got.  Today was sunny and 40, but the weatherpeople tell us that another rainy system is on it's way in.  I hope that it does not bring what Christmas Eve brought the last two years... heavy snow.

Here was the gate to the henyards when I went out this morning:

It's very dark when I do chores, so I wait until I am leaving (or Keith goes out if he leaves later) and lets the chickens loose.  We hear owls in the morning, so I don't want to let them out in the dark and let the owls pick them off.

Keith got a wonderful present from his parents.... his grandfather's coat.

His maternal grandparents owned a cabin at a lake in Minnesota where the whole family gathered yearly.  Keith has many fond memories of the cabin, and fishing and hunting and playing in the water.  His grandpa bought this winter coat in Canada, it is many years old, but very clean and not torn at all.

It closes with velcro and a zipper.  Keith was very grateful to get it, but of course, now I'm worried about it getting dirty and torn doing farm chores!

Here is the new mailbox I wrote about the other day:

Made at McNeeley Steel here in Leavenworth County, it's a thing of beauty, isn't it?  Matches our gate made there, too.

Keith is under there somewhere.  His two little girls were VERY GLAD to see their daddy come home tonight!