I Was Warned

I knew it must be cold when my pillow was frozen to the wall of the trailer. Holly, who I usually "encourage" to sleep between me and the wall had moved - smart dog. I flashed to the time when I paid good money to ski in this kind of weather at Killington, Vermont - the coldest place on earth I thought at that time. (Every time I kneel down in a lambing pen I am reminded of my ski career.) Funny how age changes your perspective on how you spend your energy and body equity. Matt had done the wee hour check for me and the monitor had been quiet. I push the dogs off me and slide out the bottom of the bed. Pull on the gear and out the door. There it is...no wonder my pillow was frozen - it's minus 20!!! Okay, okay, so I was warned I would freeze my a-- off here. Am I sorry? No - not at all. I love it here. I am sorry I wasn't better prepared financially to weather the first winter. I would have been if FAMILY nonsense had not interferred. Okay, so here's the deal, in case the reader is wondering why a mature, college educated woman would think she could move a farm to the wilds of Upstate New York with no job and no money. You see, I inherited my mother's house in NJ along with two brothers. One brother, the first born, has always lived in the house and doesn't want to move. He WON'T move. The bum has always lived there and my parents paid his bills, even his phone. They were crazy about the guy. Don't ask my why - he is college educated, never married, and is not mentally impaired to my knowledge. He is just a selfish bastard. I delayed moving here a year after I bought the farm to give him time to find another place to live, time to sell the place, get my share, etc. Didn't happen. I needed land for my sheep so I cast our fate to the winds and took off. If I didn't find my BOCE job we would be eating the sheep by now. Family stuff - tacky, tacky, tacky. Every family has got something but mine defies belief. Don't even get me started...