Time for a Change

Woke up and thought oh, I can linger here a little longer but Nature had other ideas.  Once I am up the dogs are alert for any activity that looks like I might be taking them out.  I wish I could "let" them out, but Cooper and Bertha need leashes.  Planning on a dog yard but it would have to be quite tall and would probably need electric around the top.  My dogs can jump like deer.  I also want an outhouse and the Amish neighbor family has three for sale in their yard that would do very nicely here.  I could use it when I'm around the barnyard and visitors would not have to come inside.   For years when I asked carpenter spouse for an outhouse he would say here's the pick-axe, when you get six feet down I'll build you one.  He was confident that would never happen.  I know an excavator right over the hill, the same one who put in my septic.  Problem solved.  I put new batteries in the kitchen clock, changed the time on the clock and my watch.  Everything else is digital.  The weather report says warming up today but sure doesn't look it, with the sky dark gray above the snow. It was warmer but still damp and chilly yesterday.  I prefer cold and crisp it's so much healthier for the animals.   I've been fiddling with the fire and it's going nicely.   I play a little game with myself in the morning.  I try to start the fire with whatever coals or warm ash left over from the night.  I did stoke it around two so I managed to get a flame with newspaper and kindling.  Spouse has been great about getting wood and kindling inside for me.  If I had to tote all this wood I might be tempted to reach for the thermostat.  I think I touched it once this winter, to turn it down after spouse got sick and turned it up.  With all the hot water I use, the oven in the milk room to keep the plumbing from freezing, and lights, my bill is still ridiculous.  I don't know how people live.  Speaking of living, I have to continue working on my taxes today.  I see Darryl Lanning, retired Oxford business teacher and tax man, tomorrow after school.   When I tally up what it takes to run this farm I am floored.  It's up to me to make it all worthwhile.  I am sewing every day, and I love it.  When I sew I forget about everything.  Two totes went out the door yesterday, to a friend I went to St. Elizabeth College with in New Jersey.  What a thrill to send them to her.  Will I have enough for Sheep and Wool?  It's all up to me.  My sick sheep is coming along little by little.  She wiggled through a board that was pushed out by the sheep straining to get at the pig slop when I was carrying it to the pig pen.  She didn't know what to do once through the hole and got chased by Thor and Knut who knew she was not where she was supposed to be.  She jumped into the duck pen, went off her feed she was so upset, and got sick. Same thing happened to another old ewe before spouse got the board back up.  Only took a week.  I thought, oh, she has a friend and I can spoil them both.  Sick sheep is standing up, turning around, but still not eating.  I thought I saw some powder from cracked corn on her nose so she is thinking about it.  I am blending oatmeal, apples and molasses and making her drink it three times a day.  No more shots, I've stabbed her enough.  If she wants to live, she will live.  She's a purebred Bluefaced Leicester.  I would hate to lose her.  Thankfully, this is the only sheep or goat casualty of this very cold winter.  I've heard El Nina will give us a warm one next time.  One can only wait and see.