Saying Goodbye to January, 2019

Bye, Felicia. 

That's how I feel today. 

We really have nothing to complain about, we, in the mid-American part of 

the lower forty eight, while our northern and northeast cousins are in the throes of a 

terrible storm. 

This is the kind of weather that drove Keith (in the winter of 2013-14) to give up

on the country as he fell more ill.... and convince me it was time to move to 

"the big house", where we lived until he died. 

You can see the vestiges of our last snow were melting on Sunday, when I heard a sound on the deck and went to look out the window. 

I saw two naughty ewes on the deck, who had pulled the chain on the 

pasture gate (I had forgotten to loop and "lock" it), and made themselves at 

home in the yard. 

I let them stay for the afternoon, they actually grazed for several hours. 

Yes, in the cold. 

I have made a decision that no one will be eating or drinking on the deck in the summertime. 

I am tired of the constant mess, and I can put the water somewhere where it will stay cool all day. 

I am moving a finch feeder to a spot next to the side deck, where I can sit at the kitchen table and watch the finches feeding, and the mess will go down to the ground, where they can clean it up.  The finch feeder hanging now in a flower bed will come out, and will be unused and kept as backup. 

I am spending a fortune on wild bird seed, and it has to stop. 

She IS the queen of all she surveys. 

Unfortunately, the Queen had to have some blood drawn 

last week, as I monitor her pretty closely at this stage in her life.  

We are starting Tramadol daily now for her aches and pains. 

Thanks to Dr. Becker and Ashley, at Bethel Animal Hospital, where I have taken my 

pets for over 30 years. 

We were very lucky that for much of January, the hoses were able to be used, and flowed 

freely, or somewhat freely... they did spit ice cubes a few times.  Last year, all hoses 

were drained and hung by this time, but this year, I was able to use them more. 

I just realized that I did not get a picture of the truck and trailer, but on the 23rd, I had 

Casey from Reynolds Lawn and Leisure, in Shawnee, Ks., come and work on 

my John Deere tractor.  I was so glad to hear that it is in excellent condition at 

six years old (maybe seven!).... and good to go for another season.  He did a complete 

tune-up on site in the trailer that he pulled, and I was so glad to know it is in good shape.  

Chris, my oldest grandson, was here for two nights from Garnett, and got the barn 

straightened up, and the mower was moved in there until spring. 

Ooops... just realized this is a bit of a blurry picture, 

but the ancient shop lights were removed from the barn, and 

my nephew Brandon hung these new LED lights for me. 

He also re-wired all the circuits, and made sure I am good to go to 

get my seeds started in two weeks.  We had coped with 

dingy old shop lights since we bought the place in 2005, 

and Keith replaced very few of the bulbs in them.  It was depressing 

going in the shop/barn  and as you can see, it became a repository for things

stored. 

On the 13th, a business hauled away a huge pile of junk that my grandson had readied for them... and since I took this picture, Chris has gotten busy and done even more cleaning.  We stopped 

that day (the 23rd) because it was terribly cold. 

In a couple of weeks, we will work on it even more, donating some things and 

junking others.   The shoplights have to be hauled away, and all the bulbs that were in them. 

I hope to have a wide open space and be able to walk in, find what I need, and walk out. 

I have a LOT of gardening things in there, and am eager to start seeds this year. 

I also had them haul things from the Dierksen storage building, and it is in much 

better shape.  I am still going through the boxes and bins in this building.  

Chris cleaned it up, too. 

Yesterday was the first time the ducks did not want to get in water. 

It was four degrees below when I took this picture, 

with a "real feels" of twenty below.  They half-heartedly 

fished for their lettuce, and then went back under the 

porch where I had put straw for them.  No chickens were 

let out. 

The black bucket in the back froze clear across the top, for the first time. 

It was a miserable day, and in the afternoon, we had an 

unexpected snow squall that thankfully did not drop 

too much snow. 

I stopped at Orschelns and bought another bucket similar to the 

heated sheep bucket, which has never frozen.  It is a little 

taller than the one you see here, but was open this morning. 

Beautiful hoarfrost around it this morning!

It was seven above, and I had to go out three times to get all the chores done, coming in to 

warm my hands up. 

Beautiful frost and reflection in the other bucket, too. 

There was not even this much open yesterday morning, it was seven above this morning, and only eight below real feel. 

I have permanent farm hair (took this while I was 

photographing the buckets).  (gosh, pretty good scowl, too)

Jester has the right idea!