Mud Season

I was so tired yesterday afternoon after combing at the farm all morning. I had a late start and even though I skipped graining my goats for later and just threw them hay, we were in the car three minutes later than usual. I no sooner started the car then a friend showed up with the Johnny's seed catalog for me! Ha-ones of those days!

Anyhow, I was in pj's lounging in front of the comp and heard a noise yesterday afternoon and we had company! The nice lady next door and her great-granddaughter came to visit. I had changed the phone number and they couldn't call first. Willow has missed her friend, so it was a nice suprise. Except I still had not gone to the dump and they were standing out front staring at my bags of garbage the coon had been into. The woodpile that was hiding the trash has been used this month, so it was quite an eyesore out there! I called them around back ,through the MUD (!) and cleaned off the table so we had a place to sit and chat.

I was very happy I had switched rooms with Willow 'cos the girls went upstairs and spent a great two hours making lots of noise and playing with tons of toys! The downstairs was another matter! A bit of a shambles with dirty dishes and needing to vaccuum. I need more visitors to keep me on my toes!

Anyhow, I did get the dishes done later and went to the dump today. Can't do anything about the mud around the yard, though!

Then, of course, things are always happening that set me back. The Firebird went out to water the goats this afternoon and Nicolas was out (again). Nic was out back in the woods yelling 'cos he couldn't figure out how to get back in! (I told boss I think he is retarded. I know that expression is frowned upon, but he is a goat)

Firebird coaxed him down around the fence and Nic couldn't get back through the gate fast enough! (I wonder how long he had been "lost"?)

That meant walking the fenceline. We had to dig some snow out back to free the fifth line-the sixth is still disconnected. I think he is jumping the fence, though, so we found a spot by the rock wall where we rolled some stones down to make a bigger jump if that is where he is getting out.

I had a nightmare about a coyote getting one of the goats last night, and trying to chase it off unsuccessfully. Not good! So, at least we have another line hot on the back line!

The whole front pen is inches deep in thawed goat manure. Really bad this year! I think I am going to tear that part of the fence down and put it up out back and then seed out in front. I also might just block them off there for the summer and seed it. It does make a nice winter pen and I can see the goats from the house. If they just wouldn't stand there and poop all day! Go out in the woods! LOL.

Misc

What a winter-when it's not below zero and freezing pipes, it's dropping a foot of snow on us! This last storm is supposed to leave 8-15 inches of snow by the time it moves out overnight. The saplings say we have about a foot out there now.

I just read that this monster storm has left a million people without power. Kentucky alone had 350,000 out. I predict this is just the status quo with climate change-and it could get worse.

I have been waiting for Exxon Mobil's fourth quarter earning reports to hit the net. I noted that last year they were released Feb 1, so a couple more days. I predict even larger profits for this quarter. Oil prices are down to less than 40dollars a barrel, but gasoline prices should be running about 1.25 a gallon at those figures, and it is 1.86 here at the local stations. That means .60 a gallon higher on the refinery end-so don't be fooled, the oil giants are not losing money at $38 a barrel.

Regarding the banking bailout, the feds are blacking out contract info as to what banks received deals. Not only has money been given to the banks outright with no accountability, but over a trillion dollars has been lent out at special rates. The rich get richer while the poor get laid off, kicked out, and sit shivering in the dark.

On a personal note, I was on two feet today! The goats were having fencing issues, and while the saplings have been stellar with the goat care chores, fencing falls to me. I was pleased to see how clean the goat houses were while I was out there fixing the electric fence, and disconnecting some lower lines in preparation for tonight's storm. That was before I knew we might get over a foot of snow. So I might have the Firebird strap on the snowshoes tomorrow and run the fenceline for me.

I tried like hell to get a boot on my burnt foot today. Even the giant moon boots were a no-go. Finally I grabbed a pair of sneakers and I couldn't believe I could get one on over the bandages. I put a boot on the good foot.

I went into the pens on crutches, and Moonie and Obiwan were scared to death of me! Kind old Caesar greeted me at his fenceline with a grin. Julius was a little nervous until I spoke to him, then buried his face in the hay and managed to step on my toes while I was working. Nic was oblivious as long as hay was in front of him. Derek and his Mom Daphne took a break from their hay and let me pet them.

I ended up having to go off-trail to disconnect part of the fence, and my toes were FROZEN by the time I made it back to the house! I guess the circulation isn't too great on the toes on the burnt foot. Plus, sneakers are not too warm!

Now I am worried with all this snow I will have to get on the goat house roof and shovel it off. I really don't want to get up there!

My foot looked a little irritated when I changed the bandages this afternoon, and it was bothering me tonight, so I tried to keep off of it tonight and went back to the crutches. The itching has started on the ankle and toes-I will be in agony when the rest starts to heal more. That's still too tender to be itching.

My house is a disaster! I haven't had the heart to ask the kids for much more than fetching and carrying with all the extra outdoor chores. I am hoping to vaccuum tomorrow and get to the enormous pile of dishes. I don't want the place a hovel on my birthday!

Hopefully by tomorrow my aversion to hot water will be wearing off.... :D