What a Difference a Week Makes

Do you believe this?  A week ago today, it was 17 degrees F. when I posted at 1:48 PM. 

My gosh. 

I'm grateful, don't get me wrong.  

I did not have to dump waterers last night. 

Ferdy, Moe, and their girls all got to come out for an hour this afternoon... they had been in all weekend. 

In their yard and house, not in the house. 

I was glad they got some exercise. 

So were they. 

Look what the ducks got!

Lopsided, but still, submersible for them. 

Not that I didn't beat myself keeping their fortexes full. 

These two are being beaten up on... Speedy Gonazalez, who will be 3 in March, 

and Rooster Three who will be 5 this spring. (maybe six) 

They have to wait until the other 12 birds are on the roost before going in. 

These are the culprits, two of the Elvi and Buddy, the King Rooster of the old henhouse. 

This mess awaits me in the henspa.  I won't be doing it tomorrow, either... tomorrow is our "date night" for Christmas, the Oak Ridge Boys concert in Topeka.  Keith is taking off the afternoon so we get a good start on our evening. 

The sad thing is... I threw straw on top of a scene like this two weeks ago when I put the fresh straw in the henspa.  I'll be digging this out with the pitchfork, believe me. 

Still disgruntled that they can't come in the yard.  However, they had the run of the pasture for 3 hours today... and didn't do much more than move out 30 feet from the pen. 

See the huge mound of hay there on the left of the trough in which Kelly is standing?  The trough has always been kind of a napping/sleeping place for the babies, starting last summer with Kaycee and Kody. 

But even though they have a legit hay feeder, I realized they liked to lay in the trough and eat... and hence, I put hay in the trough daily.  They ate around the trough in a circle.  

Then we had the smattering of snow, which melted, so that the bottom third of the hay was wet. 

I tipped the trough out today, and put just a bit of a flake in the end.  Tomorrow or Wednesday, before the weather crashes again, I'm going to load the pile into the cart, and take it down into the pasture. I found out last year that our bare horse/llama yard, where you see Windy looking at you right now... re-seeded itself because of the hay left on it from the llamas.  

I then read about using spoiled hay to lay on your pasture where you wanted grass growing again, so I am going to give it a shot, as an experiment.  I can tell you that it DID work in the goatyard. 

"Did you want something?" 

And this, my Friends, is how our dear old Ranger Boy has come home to us. 

I had asked oldest grandson Chris to take care of Ranger, Gertie, and any other dog or cat that passes here before we do... and gave him careful instructions on what he was to do with them. 

But my friend Rhonda at our vet's office had a great idea....

"Why not bury the ashes with you? " was her question to me.  She has left instructions for her beloved pets to be buried with her. (Their ashes). 

I had thought to have Chris sprinkle them here in the pasture where they loved it so much... but this is even a better idea. 

In past years, preserving the ashes of our pets was not possible at our vet's... but it is, now. 

It is not inexpensive, but not overly expensive, either, and we were able to do it. 

It comforts me in some crazy way to know that Ranger's presence is still here, as it is in our hearts. 

Tonight's moon... so beautiful over the next ridge.  

I hope you can all see it.