We have a toasty 54 degrees currently, and the snow banks are beginning to falter and fade. At least my hens have found some new mud to explore. Earlier this morning they had microwaved English peas with carrots to keep them happy. Had to let the veggies cool before putting them in reusable pie pans so that they would not flip the pans upside down. It did not take them long to clean up all the peas and carrots.
My neighbor across the street may soon begin to crow or cackle. Have been boiling eggs for him because he has no food in his house. His mom usually buys food for him, but he came over this morning and needed something to eat, so he got three big cans of sardines, clam chowder (cooked and in a bowl), and boiled eggs. It is not exactly a bacon cheese burger--which sounds so very good at the moment--but it will keep him going until his mom can buy groceries for him. She lives out at Lake Arrowhead and will have a time of getting into town. Not sure if any of the grocery stores have been able to restock, so there's that. My pantry has been thoroughly stocked for some time now, and the freezer is full of stuff as well. Not opening the freezer kept everything frozen during the power outage, so that is not even a concern.
My daughter-in-law thought she had about ten loads of wash to do, but Jennifer said she had even more as she had not been doing laundry on a daily basis lately. Sitting here thinking that my house probably smells like a dog--and guess who does not even give a rat's back leg! Told Lance the story behind the band name: Three Dog Night. It seems in some parts of the country, it is not unheard of to get so cold that no fireplace could ever keep the cabin or home warm. So, ya just pull up another dog. You know it is cold when it is a three-dog night. Michael McNeel was the drummer for that band. He now heads up something called the ICS--inner city slickers. Getting children from the inner city out to the farm with some horses and folks who have a positive attitude.
Guess my dander has been up more than just a bit about all the comments made about Texas weather and power infrastructure. Just a warning to anyone who thinks that Texans don't give a care about their neighbors--no more true here than anywhere you will find folks. As far as what the future holds, who knows. We can always find someone to blame for anything that suits us. Did find a very helpful site that told what kind of things to do when faced with an unexpected crash of utilities or whatever. Some of the suggestions were new to me, and some were just good reminders. But the attitude with which they were presented made me smile and appreciate the author. Shtuff happens, no matter where you live. And unnecessary political comments are about enough to tick off the calmest Texan on earth.
Back in the late 70s, our government had a policy of not selling things to Russia. It ticked off some of the Caterpillar stock holders because Cat had just developed one of the finest pumps ever made by man. It could pump frozen crap out of the ground and through pipelines in Siberia without even missing a beat. But Cat could not sell those pumps to Russia. Think eventually the pumps were sold to Germany who sold them to Russia or something like that, but how much more good could those sales have been had politics not been at play. Same with "winterizing" the freaking windmills. Those suckers work in Antarctica, so there is no reason the ones here could not have worked. Eventually the problems will be worked out and will not happen again--we live in hope. But meanwhile, most of us are just happy to see the sunshine and let the blowhards blow. Wind has its uses, even when not blowing on a windmill on a Texas plain.
Have thought about "preparedness" more than three times this past few days. One of the biggies about heating was NOT using some things inside the house. Propane and charcoal have to be controlled carefully. As long as we have natural gas--even at elevated prices--that is still our best method of warming our homes. Electricity is great for cooling homes--which is the main problem in Texas. The only preparedness that has not happened on this hill is a tornado shelter. Years ago we filled in the cellar because it flooded every year--well, except for drought years. It was more dangerous in some ways because of the scorpions, snakes, and centipedes that liked that damp place. Nowadays they make storm "rooms" that connect to the house. Not overly sure just how much good one would do in a direct hit, but at least it is not as likely to flood above ground. You wouldn't think a cellar would flood on top of a hill, but such is the water level from Lake Wichita that water rises more easily than one would expect. Oh well. Will talk to someone who knows about that sort of thing soon and see if it is a viable option for this place.
Just went out to check on my girls. Eight of the older hens were already up on their roosts in the little coop. Think they are ready to call it a day. The Black-laced Wyandottes were still out and about, but the Marans were wanting to see my hands--their attitude: "Got anything for us?" Silly hens!
Gathered eggs a bit ago and found something that looked like it came straight from a dinosaur! The picture is on FB, but not sure if it can be transferred here. Anyway, it made me realize that my girls were really stressed these past few days! At least they are not as bad off as the sea turtles that have been hauled in to the rescue places down in South Texas. Kinda hard on sea life to be hit with this kind of cold weather.
Talking to Jennifer and told her about the lambs that Granddad Pollard used to have to bring in to be warmed on the oven door. The lamb had to be dried and warmed before he could take it back to the ewe. The little ones just could not make it in cold weather. And the calves would sometimes lose their tails or parts of their ears. Texas is just not made for beasts who do not have shelter in some years. But lately many of the folks here in WF have asked what to do about frost bite on their hens. Mine would have been put in the bathroom if it had been necessary, but their coops were in deep hay and not in any wind. That's not to say that the ice did not load down the top of the coops or the snow did not blow in everywhere there was a tiny crack, but still, they were basically safe from freezing or frost bite. Critters don't have a say in such situations, so it is up to the farmer-owner to take care of them. God knows my grandfather had a hard row to hoe with breaking ice on the stock tank during the horrible winters years ago. Yet it was the heat and insects that were really hard on livestock. Go figure.
Guess my thinking is pretty narrow minded at the moment. Give me a couple of days and maybe something will strike me as amusing. Meanwhile, the couch has been stripped and cleaned, the living room vacuumed, and plans made for going after chicken feed by Monday or Tuesday.
Ronnie Talley continues to improve from the covid mess. Connie and Rebekah should be here in WF within a day or less. And we can still pray for those whose water pipes are still frozen or burst. May God bless those who have suffered and are suffering still from this mess. Meanwhile, please take time to check on any neighbors you might have who just need to know that someone cares.
Sleep well and stay safe, my friends. You are loved.
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