Winter Weather and Water.

 Winter Weather and Water.

 

Ok, Lake Wichita froze overnight. The chicken water bowl—the unheated one—froze solid and would not drop the ice out when bonked. Just poured hot water on top of the ice cake in it. The heated bowl in the other coop is still ok, but the hens like the middle coop better for drinking and eating. It is darker in the front coop. Guess the white Christmas lights would be better instead of the colored ones. Maybe tomorrow. Not going to mess with it tonight. Have had about all the cold outside that an old body can endure for one day.

 

Talked to Jennifer. They have frozen pipes in her house, so Gary had to turn the water off in most of it. Dang! Something all the time! At least they don’t have it as bad as Angel’s daughter Zina. The cold made one of their windows just break in two. Had never seen that, but one of her friends said his entire windshield broke with the cold. Never had heard that one either. Guess we should all just be thankful for the blessings we have and don’t realize are blessings.

 

Talked to Sterling today and confirmed that Arkansas is still on the map—maybe frozen on there, but there. He said he has enough propane for another week. Hope he can get it refilled soon. Plenty of wood out in the workshop, but no beds out there. He was staying busy and staying out of trouble by painting more planes and bird houses. Whatever it takes!

 

My dogs should be tired. They kept me awake off and on last night. The folks over in the old church house must have had a major water blowout behind their house. The city water folks were out with their big truck all lit up and flashing. Maybe it was flooding part of South Kemp or something. Heard something that sounded like someone beating on steel drums. That may have been a backhoe digging that frozen dirt. Anyway, they have up barriers and signs on their street.

 

The folks across the street had more than a few cars coming and going, but at least no one was yelling and carrying on otherwise. Hope the house is still in good shape when the young couple get home on Christmas Day.

 

Talked to Carol Thonton. Her neighbors let their dogs run loose and they come over to her fence. Her whippet jumped the fence, and they killed him. Feel so sorry for Carol. It is hard to keep an animal from jumping the fence in the first place, but he was probably thinking he was protecting home. And the people who let their dogs run loose should have their butts kicked at the very least. If that had been Carol out there instead of a dog, it could have been so much worse. Truly hope she turns that over to a deputy. Adopting another dog may come soon, but she is still hurting over this one right now.

 

Not many eggs today, but the hens have totally eaten one head of cabbage and worked another over pretty well. The broody hen is just still sitting on that plastic treat ball. Crazy critter! Know they will all be happy to be able to get outside again, but the grass is lying down in the front yard from the ice, so it won’t be any better in the back yard or side lots. Even the wild birds are having a time of it. Threw out some bird food next to the Nandinas where they sometimes roost. Opening the coop doors tells me that they have discovered a warmer place to roost. Thompson thinks he has to chase them out each time, but he has no idea that they go straight for the workshop. It is easy to tell where they have been by looking down and seeing all the funny little white droppings. Sigh

 

Wish it were as easy to go to sleep and curl up somewhere as the dogs make it look. Thompson is in the recliner draped over one arm. Sylvia tried draping herself over the Papasan chair today and flipped it over. Oh well. So, now she is on the two dog beds over in the corner. Would really like to put her in the crate tonight and have Thompson sleep on his dog beds in the corner of the bedroom. They both have a tendency to crowd, but it IS cold.

 

Have been following this older couple on FB who write about the silly stuff that happens out on their farm or on their neighbor’s farm. Today it talked about how cold it got so that the neighbor let all the chickens in the house to stay warm—including the rooster. The old man wanted to know if a crockpot would work for a rooster as all the hens had settled on all the chairs in the house so that only the kitchen counter was left for the rooster. If it did not behave itself, he thought he would just put the temp on high on that crock pot and slip the lid down on Mr. Rooster. It made me think of my friend up in Paducah. BillyeRuth had two of the meanest roosters. One attacked me and got his tailfeathers kicked for all his efforts. Those two roosters went home with a guy that night and were no longer out there attacking my friend! By now she has probably raised more of them! Sometimes, even if you buy “pullets,” you get a cockerel or two. I won’t kill chickens any longer, but know how. Just won’t do it. Thinking of my friends across the lake who bought enough poults for an entire flock of turkeys! Good grief! That is a lot of feathers and a lot of work cleaning that many critters up to sell for food. Only dressed one turkey in my entire life. Never again. That sucker was like dealing with a body! BIG! HEAVY!

 

Have totally stayed away from anything that resembles news other than the headline that said the president of the Ukraine had spoken to Congress. Noticed that the weapons they have given him are useless against the drones. Don’t we have something that will take those out? Putin is not messing around. He plans to hit them again with everything he can scrape together, even if he has to get folks out of Siberia!

 

Apparently, the stupid virus from the Pacific area is still around to give folks fits. If it is not RSV or some other letters of the alphabet, you can still make use of those masks your sister sewed for you. Have an appointment for January 3 with a home health nurse. Such fun. Have been asked to wear a mask. Not really a problem. It only takes less than an hour for one of these health visits, and the nurse answers questions if a person has one. Eventually, folks like Patty are going to need someone to come in to take blood for tests that are ordered. She can still drive, or someone can take her, but it would be much easier if the nurse came to her. We will see if that ever happens.

 

Know nothing of any depth or real interest, so will just remind you to be thankful for what we have: health, food, shelter, love, and peace to a great extent. How wonderful each is!

 

Rest well and warm, my friends. Remember that you are loved.