Cold in the Barn

I love tiptoeing out into the sheep area of the barn with my coat over my jammies. It's 6 F. on the milk room steps. The little space heater is chugging away in there, keeping the pipes from freezing and giving a little warmth to the kitties who like to hang out. I suspect half my paycheck will go to the electric company soon, the other half hay. Chickens are laying eggs so we can eat pancakes. Matt constructed a quasi scaffold to add sections to the wood stove chimney outside. I bought three more with my Riverkeeper money to hopefully get the smoke to rise up instead of filling up my apt. The barn roof is metal and is very slippery. With this blizzard coming tonight I was hoping to get the stove operational but I don't want a crippled husband, either. Only one lamb so far but the other ewes are lining up. All quiet this morning...have to get to the post office, then pick up hay. Yesterday Sister Grace called Matt to say meet her in the driveway. She gave him enough cheese and cold cuts to last for days. They had a party in the convent and way too much food. He will eat the meat and I will eat the cheese. Can't waste food these days. Breeze was flat out this morning. I thought, oh, let me stroke those ears I've been longing to touch...well, he bolted up like a shot. Guess he's feeling better!