Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[WIchickMama]

Good morning, wow I had a lot to catch up on! Our youngest has been sick with a virus that settled into her lungs and with her chronic asthma it has been a long road-we upped the steriods and added a neb and are finally to the point where she can talk without coughing!

It is so cold here. I am dreading going out to feed/water the chickens, it is days like today that I am glad I don't have any other animals but I would really like a couple sheep and milking cows, it is on my goal list for 'someday'. Temp says -8F feeling like -25 and I don't even think the winds have really started yet. I will probably put down some more straw/pine shavings on the coop floor (they have about 5 inches now) and really give them a place to settle in for the long haul. I am really only worried about the 8 week old chicks but they have two mamas taking care of them so they have been able to cuddle under someone.

No big plans here for Christmas, gone are the days where we meet up with family so we just will have a day at home. We will head out the property for a walk, we will bake cookies and grill some good food. We will let each girl choose a movie to watch and likely go to bed early!

I hope that everyone stays safe and warm over the next couple days, fingers crossed no one loses power

 

[Callender Girl]

Glad to hear your youngest is doing better!

I truly suspect I would rarely leave the house until spring if I didn't have critters.

It will be a quiet Christmas here. I like your family plans.

 

[jvls1942]

minus 8F this morning.
Annie called Bob, he is going to come plow us out
Sat morning. I am not about to go riding on Ollie
in single digit temperatures.
Our tv service is still out. we can get three channels.
I miss the news and weather reports. even if they are
wrong..
I am so thankful that we don't have any critters.
we do have two cats, now. they stay upstairs in the
garage. I hope they are not pooping up there.
our guest list is up to 12 for Christmas dinner.
with a possible two more. we never know for sure
until we sit down to eat..

 

[Callender Girl]

Hope your guests can make it and that the cats aren't making big messes.

This is the worst weather I can remember since I came out here. I have three sets of gloves, hats and ski masks that I rotate, coming in every few minutes as they get wet.

This morning, I was in the basement feeding the alleged mouser-cats and I noticed sudden, dripping water by one door. Before I could get upstairs, I saw another "leak" and a third one. I was terrified at what was happening upstairs.

It didn't take long to figure it out. Poor George, who tends to pee when he gets overly excited, went outside this morning but refused to stay out long enough to go potty, In fact, he hadn't peed since yesterday morning. His bladder couldn't wait one more minute!

In this old farmhouse, the wooden floor is all that's between me and the basement. There's no insulation, no subfloor, so the basement was getting the overflow that George produced as he ran from one end of the dining room all the way to through the living room.

I was so relieved that he finally relieved himself that I couldn't get mad at him. I just grabbed a bunch of towels.

Hope everyone stays safe and as warm as possible. I am preparing to go out and take care of critters.

 

[jvls1942]

poor George..I hope you didn't get any drips on your head.
he sounds like me when my water
pill kicks in.
minus 13 here now. sure glad I don't have critters.
I think I will make potato rolls today. they should be
OK on Sunday if we reheat them. I mainly want to
turn the oven on to help heat the house.

 

[jvls1942]

Yesterday I made a single batch of rolls. (24)
Today I am going to make the dressing/stuffing.
Bob should be here is a bit to plow us out.
Then Annie will probably head into town.
Her day isn't complete until she drives to town
and she hasn't been able to for three days.

 

[Callender Girl]

I haven't been to town since Wednesday's appointment and see no need to go again until next week. Still no idea about Christmas meal; it's just me, and when my sister gets here Monday or Tuesday, I will defer to whatever she wants to eat.

I have never in my life been so happy to see such cold temps and still-lively winds -- because both are a GREAT improvement over the past two days. We could get up to 5 degrees today (after minus 11), and already the winds have dropped to "ONLY" 18 mph; they were gusting at about 45 mph. Snow has blown into every coop, even the ones where it never happened before.

I had to dig out gates and critter doors before I could hand out feed and water, and there's plenty more to do -- as soon as my feet thaw out. I learned a great technique for crossing the frozen land: I make toeholds, like I'm rock climbing, and if that doesn't work, I just scoot down the 3- to 4-foot "glaciers" on my butt.

I'm feeling much more holly and jolly now!! The blizzard warning is over, and the wind chill warning expires in about four hours!

 

[jvls1942]

have I mentioned lately how glad I am to not
have critters to take care of when it is cold out ?
we are plowed out. Annie is making a list.
all I ordered was Tom & Jerry mix.

 

[jvls1942]

merry christmas everybody

 

[Callender Girl]

I'll second that -- Merry Christmas, everybody!!