Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[Denim Deb]

I'm home and I'm freezing. I got stuck at the farm. I got down the lane, but couldn't back into the parking area, plus I was slipping and sliding going down it! And, I don't have 4 wheel drive. RU is away, so she couldn't yank me out w/the tractor. I called PT to let her know NOT to come down the lane, plus I was going to have her help me get out. I figured I could pull the truck out easy enough w/the tractor, but I needed someone in the truck to steer it. She said she'd be late, but would be there around 12:00 and would give me a hand then.

I get my horses and CL's fed. It's not raining, plus they had said on the radio that the rain was pretty much over. So instead of sticking the hay in the hay nets, then sticking them in the stalls, I just peeled some off of the RB. My chickens had gone into their pen overnight, and now they didn't want to come out of there. I had 3 come out, but that was it. They're STILL pooping in the nest boxes, but it doesn't look like as much. If I had a way to block them off at night, I would-at least until they get used to using the perches.

Decided I was going to try and get my truck out. I've been having a problem w/it not wanting to start, and then once I get it started, it doesn't want to keep running. Hubby keeps saying it's an easy fix and he's going to fix it. Well, he hasn't done so yet. I was able to get it to start backing up, but it wouldn't stay running. Figured I'd wait for PT and hope that she could do both the brake and the gas at the same time-I don't know how coordinated she is, and wasn't sure she'd even understand what I was telling her.

Go in the tack shed and start to clean it. Hubby was supposed to finally finish it this year. He has the windows and keeps saying he's going to put them in. I'm still waiting. And when that was done, he was going to drill a hole to run a propane hose in for my heater. I've been using the little cylinders, but they get expensive. Well, the windows aren't in, so that means there's no hose for the propane. I had part of a little cylinder there, so I got the heater running. Managed to get it a little warmer-and ran out of propane. I finished cleaning out the tack shed-it looks much better, then took a bunch of stuff that needs to come home out and stuck it in the truck. It had rained more, and I was seeing the stones of the lane. I figured if I could get the truck to run, I could probably back out now. It took me a bit, but I was finally able to get the truck to keep running, and I was able to back down the lane. I parked it in RU's driveway. I was glad I didn't wait for PT cuz she didn't get there until about the time that I was ready to leave!

Fed RU's horses, then went over and gave Stormy his 2nd feeding, and started to bag feed. My phone rings. It's RU. She's calling to tell me she didn't get hay out yesterday. There's no way I was doing it then. I was freezing and couldn't stop shivering. I'm going to have to get to the farm early tomorrow, and do it then. We could get more snow tomorrow!

I was going to go to a couple of stores, but said forget it. I came right home. We need to get a few things from the grocery store, so I'm hoping hubby will be up to going out when he gets home. And while we're out, I'll be able to get the rest of what I need to finish this gift. I've finally warmed up, and will stay inside now until he calls. Then I'll go feed the goats and bring in wood.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm waiting for our 2nd snowstorm in a week to get here! I can't remember the last time we had 2 snowstorms in a week, let alone in December! It's rare to get snow this early in the winter here. Hope it isn't a sign of things to come. Bad thing is, I have my appointments. Hubby thinks I should cancel. But, they're only calling for 1-3 inches. I'd rather go today and get it over with rather than wait a week and maybe have even worse! So my list for today:

1. Make chocolate chip banana bread (done)
2. Clean bathroom (done)
3. Practice piano (done)
4. Feed animals, put out hay
5. Feed RU's animals
6. Put out RBs for her horses
7. Clean feed stall (Didn't get it done yesterday, and will only be time permitting)
8. Feed Stormy, bag feed, take care of chickens
9. Go to appointments
10. Stop at a couple of stores
11. Feed goats
12. Make and eat dinner
13. Do dishes

If I have time, I'll do some w/the tree. It's going to depend on when I get home and how tired I am. If not, I'll just work on a Christmas gift. I'll also be taking it w/me to my doctors' appointments. It will give me something to do while I'm waiting.

 

[Denim Deb]

Couldn't get the hay out. I don't know why RU didn't put it out B4 she left. But, it was too wet where she has it stored. I almost got stuck w/the tractor. The horses were all looking at me. I felt bad. It's going to be down in the teens tonight, and I don't know that any of them-beside my horses have hay. But, w/the cold, I should be able to get hay out tomorrow. I'm thinking of taking some long straps down w/me. That way, if the ground isn't firm enough yet to drive on, I should be able to use the straps to put around the bales, then back up to where I can get them. Plus, I won't be there by myself, so that will help.

Hubby's making dinner. But of course, he's drunk. So, he's driving me nuts. I may not get the dishes done. It's going to depend on whether or not he goes right to sleep after eating. I'm going to spend the evening working on that gift. I was able to get some done this afternoon. People that saw it liked it, so that's good.

 

[Denim Deb]

It's cold out there! I am not going to be doing more outside than I need to today. I'm not even hanging clothes out. For the next 3 days, any laundry I do will be put in the dryer. And it looks like I'm going to be breaking out my Carhartt overalls to wear as well as some heavier socks. I've found that normally, if I wear them in a pair of muck boots, my feet seem to stay fairly warm. And as cold as today is going to be, tomorrow is going to be even colder! (We need a Brrrrrrr smilie!) Since I am going to be spending most of my time inside and since I still need to work on both my tree and the living room, in the afternoons, I'll spend time working on one, then when I get tired of that, working on the other. Mornings will be regular housework. So, my list for today:

1. Wash a load of shirts (they're washed and in the dryer right now)
2. Clean kitchen (it's 98% done. When I do dishes, I'll get the rest of it cleaned)
3. Take out trash (done)
4. Practice piano (done)
5. Go to bank and gas station
6. Feed animals, put out hay
7. Feed RU's horses
8. Get out hay
9. Clean out run in
10. Feed Stormy, bag feed, take care of chickens
11. Do dishes
12. Work on firewood
13. Feed goats
14. Work on living room and tree

Hubby might be going out w/the kids this evening. If he does, I'll be able to do more. I'd love to have the tree all done by the time I go to bed, but it takes awhile to decorate. But, it does look nice when it's done.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm not decorating the tree tonight. It's a prelit, and one of the strings of lights has a bad plug. So, I'll get a short string of lights tomorrow. I'll probably get it all decorated on Friday or Saturday.

It took me a lot longer to get done everything for RU than I was expecting. First off, I found 4 minis out. They keep getting out, and we have no idea how. I was able to get them to follow me into the round pen. There's a gate from that into CL's field, so that's where they are.

Then, since they had no hay, and there's RBs stored in the one field, the horses in that field ripped down the electric to get to it. PT gave me a hand. She chased the horses out and opened gates for me. But, she didn't have time to help me get the electric back up. That took awhile. They broke some of the wires and I have no idea as to whether or not the electric is actually working. I didn't have time to check it.

The horses in the one field needed water as well. But all of RU's hoses were frozen. This cold snap kind of caught us by surprise. I have 2 hoses and had drained them, but apparently not good enough. They were also frozen. So I took one of them and draped it over my truck out in the sun. It thawed out, so I started to fill the water tank. I didn't fill it all the way. I filled enough so the horses have water, then found a part of a barrel and filled that w/water. There's a baby donkey in the field, and it couldn't reach the water. It was trying and I felt so bad for it. But at the same time, I didn't want to be there any longer. I think he appreciated the water.

By the time I got all of that done and got home, it was around 2:30. I didn't have time to make my soup. And, I didn't have time to do the wood like I wanted. Nor do I know that I'll have the time tomorrow. So, I just brought some wood in.

I was able to get a little done on the living room, but not as much as I wanted. Some days it seems like I'm never going to get all caught up.

 

[Wannabefree]

LOL EVERYBODY I have talked to this year seems to have a prelit tree that has a strand of lights out

 

[Denim Deb]

I'll never get another one. It's just not worth the hassle.

I'm finding myself looking forward to having Christmas over. There is just so much that I need to do and hubby's complaining that I'm not around on Saturdays. (Last Saturday, I went for a bird walk, then had Nature Club w/no kids, then fed the horses then came home so I was around, just not early. This week, I'll be around early, but then have a ladies' Christmas party to attend, then have to do the horses. Next Saturday, I have breakfast in the morning, then a Christmas party in the evening. I've been around on Sunday afternoons, but he hasn't been. And this Sunday, I have to play the piano for my Dad at the nursing home. I would have gone out w/him at night, but almost every evening, he's been out or working late. I would have rather gotten any shopping he wanted to do for Christmas done in November.

Today's not supposed to get out of the 20s, so I'll have to give those horses more water. I'm hoping I can get to the farm early enough so I can take care of them B4 leaving for Bible study. They talked about having choir practice afterwards, but don't know if we are or aren't. I'm hoping not. I'm going out this evening to make a wreath (or 2). But I want to leave early so I can run to Wally World first.

I'm not planning on doing much housework today. I need to get that gift finished. I have most of it done, but I'm not going to be home much today. I should be able to finish it tomorrow. Then I can mail it on Saturday. So, my list for today:

1. Iron some shirts (done)
2. Wash 2 loads of laundry and dry in the dryer (one load is in the dryer, the other is in the washer)
3. Practice piano (done)
4. Feed animals-including RU's horses and give them water-put out hay
5. Go to Bible study and maybe choir practice
6. Feed Stormy, take care of chickens and trim some off of the white pine (I'll take that w/me tonight for the wreath making)
7. Work on firewood
8. Feed goats
9. Eat and make dinner
10. Dishes
11. Make a wreath or 2
12. Collapse

 

[Denim Deb]

Today promises to be another busy day. I'm already looking forward to bed tonight. I got to bed late last night, but still woke up at the normal time this morning. I'm thinking if I wake up tomorrow early, I'm going to roll over and go back to sleep. So, my list for today is:

1. Work on Christmas present (I'm done all but the finishing touches!)
2. Make chocolate chip banana bread (done)
3. Practice piano (done)
4. Feed animals and put out hay
5. Work on cleaning field (I'll have to add to Mt. Manure)
6. Have horses teeth floated
7. Feed RU's horses, check their water
8. Feed Stormy, bag feed and take care of the chickens
9. Work on wood
10. Work on cleaning out truck
11. Feed goats
12. Make and eat dinner
13. Dishes
14. Work on trimming tree

I'm thinking, as long as nothing comes up, I'll be able to have my list all done. And tomorrow, I should be able to mail out that gift!

 

[Nifty]

Great use of the new bulleted / numbered list on the new system! Don't you love how easy that is???

 

[Denim Deb]

I was kind of rushed when I did it, so I didn't really take much notice.