“I would say happy new year,
but it's not happy; it's exactly the same as last year except colder.” ― Robert
Clark
 |
| That's the door which leads from our living room to the back porch. That's the lock. On the inside! |
The cold is taking its toll on us. The long commute is longer, work days are less productive. The goats are puffed and shivering and despite thick bedding and carefully mounted infrared heaters, it is negative 2 degrees in the barn this evening. We're loading up the expectant does with extra hay, as ruminants create body heat by ruminating! So far they all seem to be handling the weather ok, moving a bit slower, for sure, but eating and drinking and hunkering down without difficulty.
The chickens are locked up tight with a stray starling who is pooping more than any bird ever should. Grrr...
We're unsure at this point of the status of the beehives. They are self sufficient and bat their wings furiously to maintain temperatures within the hive. Opening it to check on them would be catastrophic so we wait.
Remember Rog's post about the homing pigeons? The not-so-pleasant surprise eggs? Well, three to four weeks had passed and (presumably) momma bird continued to lay on the eggs, well past their schedule 17 day hatch cycle. Assuming the eggs were dead, we planned to clean out the roost box when we cleaned the coop the following week. The warmer weather had momma bird showing more activity and she leaned, venting a pretty large well hidden baby bird and one unhatched non-viable egg. I was both disappointed and a smidge happy, trying hard not to stifle Rog's excitement.
Within a week it was fully feathered out, gangly with an oversized awkward beak and a little clumsy.
Twice we recovered the little bird from the floor of the coop and returned it to its nestbox. Its wings never seemed quite right, its leg strength seemed excessively weak. Unfortunately the little pigeon would be our first loss during the cold spell. I didn't celebrate - I swear!! Rog's disappointment was contagious. What a terrible time of year to hatch a baby bird, it certainly didn't stand much of a chance. One thing that homesteading / farming on any scale will always remind us is that life is cyclical and death is certain. Despite our best efforts, nature often wins.
“Many years ago I resolved
never to bother with New Year’s resolutions, and I’ve stuck with it ever
since.” — Dave Beard
 |
| This one I just might! |
“May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early! " ― Aleister Crowley
Number 1 Resolution: Be more efficient. Energy efficient, time efficient, chore efficient. Whatever. So with the colder weather the house gets stuffy. Namely things like comforters, throw blankets, etc, particularly when you share your house with 3 dogs and a misfit cat. So I've always observed our Amish neighbors hanging laundry in the cold snowy weather and wondered - how does that work? Why not hang it by the stove? I decided, they're far more traditional than I, it must work. Cold air is dry, laundry is wet, maybe it evaporates quickly? So I did it.
 |
| A freshly washed down comforter. |
 |
| Turns out it wasn't so efficient after all. I peeled it off the line, stiff and frozen, brought it inside and dropped it on the floor to preserve my fingers. It stood. On its own. |
It took 2 cycles on 'high heat' to dry it. One to thaw, one to dry. Energy efficiency? Failure, despite good intentions.
“The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. The drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you’re married to.” ― P.J. O’Rourke
 |
| Pucker up! |
“Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to.” — Bill Vaughn
We made it to midnight and had an excellent dinner with friends. The pups were not entertained by our brief, chilly fireworks display. However, Luna made a resolution to work on her table manners in 2014.
 |
| ...no elbows on the table...forks from outside in...drink on right....bread on left..... |
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one,” – Brad Paisley
Next resolution. Finish the book that's now been hanging over my head for a few years. I blame my friend for inviting me to a writers workshop two years ago last May. I have a bucket list full of unrealistic life goals, one of which was to write a book. So thanks Momma J- totally your fault that I started it in the first place and took it off my bucket list and put it near the top of my 'to finish' list. A little over halfway done...I think!
“New Year's Eve, where auld
acquaintance be forgot! Unless, of course, those tests come back positive.” —
Jay Leno
Yeah...no test needed. The oven timer is ready to pop! Hoping for a break in the weather before the first of the month. The more active the girls are, the easier the births will be. Have I ever mentioned that trying to rearrange and deliver a stuck baby goat is like fishing for raw chicken legs in a bowl of warm jello? The fun never ends around here.
“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
I might have to make a new resolution if birthing season doesn't progress smoothly.
Last resolution: Stop being afraid of this!
I think I'm well on my way with this one. We cleaned and reorganized stalls last week, which meant moving and relocating the beast. I caught her and haltered her like a pro. I was feeling so smug that I petted her a few times - she's realllly soft. Dense, fluffy and satiny. And she didn't seem to mind one bit.
We took this opportunity to do a little zinc treatment to her underbelly, she handled it like a pro. We heard her warning call for the first time too, when Kaelyn got a little close in the side yard. It resembled a car starting with a little horse mixed in. It scared me but I think Kaelyn rolled her eyes.
Lastly, please send some good vibes towards Hemi the kitten, he's not doing so hot. Injury led to a bad infection and prolonged illness to food refusal and we're wondering if he'll pull through. He's inside in the warmth and we're giving it our best effort! He's really stinking sweet. I thought Luna was comforting him but when I looked over a bit later she was cleaning dried egg yolk from him face.
One item from my 2012 Christmas wish list is becoming a reality! More to come. . .
