Yesterday's Post and Today

I missed yesterday's post.  You see... the thermometer went all the way up to 54 degrees! 

I took advantage of it. 

These guys got out for some much-needed exercise. 

You can see they were glad to run and jump! 

Big Mama Jamma Delilah was off on her own, investigating things. 

She has become much better, though, with the little ones... and I don't worry about her near as much as before.

I decided to take the Santa collection down, and got in the "holiday" storage building... I'm ashamed to tell you that you are looking at bins of Christmas things that were not even used this year! 

The tree on the left is my prim tree, though, which has been used as a spring tree, a fall tree, and for several Christmases... one of the Christmas trees!   There are two small lofts in this building, and Chris and I aim to have everything labeled, and up in the loft when all is said and done.  I pulled four bins from here and one empty big bin from the other storage building and threw them onto the cart and took them up to the deck. 

Within the next three years, Keith and I hope to have bought a Wardcraft Homes building... 

a new home for us here at Calamity Acres.  I have never written about it, because I 

don't want to jinx it, but Keith is very wisely getting all our ducks in a row 

before we jump into the site changes, ordering the new home, etc. etc. that goes 

with the whole project.  We hope to live in this house until our new one is sited on 

a basement about fifty feet east of where this house is... then this house will be razed and removed, and

the ground landscaped.  In order to do this, we need to put in a new well and a new septic system, so there are lots of things to think about.  The hay barn will also need to be moved. 

In August, we took a one day trip to Clay Center, Kansas, to see the homes being built 

in the factory there.  Keith became convinced that they are as tight or tighter than site-built homes, and we were very impressed.  It was so interesting to see homes from the bare walls to the almost-finished stages. 

Here is the one we love, the Hanover II. 

So you see... I am trying to keep most of those Christmas decorations because at some point... we will have space for everything in our home!  

The home above is simple and good for a rural homesite such as ours... and not fancier than we need. 

And... as we remind ourselves... if it never happens... we will still be happy living here right where we are. 

After I hooked the Duck Pond Express up (oh happy day, I did not have to lug the buckets clear across the yard)... I got ready to move the feed bags I had run to purchase earlier. 

Delilah jumped right up to help me! 

She knew there was a treat awaiting her in those bags. 

Using the cart, it took me less than thirty minutes to get all the bags loaded and moved around 

to the two henhouses, and bucketed out.  I also got two bags of back yard blend for the wild birds. 

I got a bag of scratch, which I have not fed for ages... I have been feeding chopped corn. 

I noticed, however, that the ducks are ignoring a lot of the corn and so are the chickens.  I got a bag of scratch and the chickens went to town. 

And I let the henspa birds loose as I was moving the grain... and threw them a scoop of scratch... you see that Moe and some of the girls highly approved! 

Until Friday, all of this garden area was covered by snow, and the henspa flock had been in for five days, restricted to their big yard.  They were so glad to get out on Friday and Saturday. 

In the old henhouse, there is only one small window... the light you see on the left is coming from the lower pophole (there are two) and from a small vent in the east wall.  I took Gorilla tape and heavy plastic, and on Friday... I taped this window shut... I noticed last week that cold air was pouring through it, despite the plastic that had been stapled to the outside of the window.   Rinky-dink, but it's working.  I also taped the high pophole shut. 

All the dirt on the walls is from past starling invasions, and yes, yesterday they came in, though not in the hundreds, and fouled everything. 

Butch's wounds have all dried now and he is healing.  I was just worried that he had managed to hurt his only good eye. 

You can see that I took this picture this morning, when it was all cloudy again.  Our drive melted and thawed in the last two days... and in this picture it's apparent that there is just enough of a rise to the gate, coming around that bend... that we have to make a run at the gate when it's snowy or icy.  I have to trudge up... open the gate as wide as it will go.... and then make a run for it.  I have been stuck many times in the drive, and if you get off to the left here in the picture... you are doomed. 

And here is a picture of me taken by a very sleepy Keith this morning... we'll get a better one later... in my new-to-me snowsuit! 

My cousin Mary Frances (Fuh Fuh) gave it to me yesterday after we ate breakfast 

together at I Hop.  

My gosh... it is the most comfortable and warm suit!  The collar actually comes up 

quite a ways and buttons shut... and I had on my little knit cap with it... the hood is not with it, but it reaches down and zips over my boots, and is so very warm!  It was 15 degrees out this morning and I worked up a good sweat for an hour doing chores. 

I'm going to ask Keith to make a trip to Cabelas today to get me a face-mask pullover hat... and some glove warmers, and then I'll be set! 

Thanks, Mary Frances!!!

I'm trying to get around to everyone's blogs here in the last few days to read and catch up on all that's going on. 

I'm  also trying to sit down long enough to look at the seed catalogs, but I have a confession 

to make... I'm not as eager this year.  

I know there are certain things we grew last year that we did not take advantage of, and 

things we have grown that we no longer need to grow.  I am going to take a hard look at 

what I buy to plant and start from seed this year. 

Yes, the catalogs are SO enticing... but we need to hark to what we actually need and use, too. 

Have a great week, everyone, and thank you all so much 

for all your comments! 

Farm Assistant Abby, waiting patiently in the cold this morning.