Woke up this morning to a huge bang, couldn’t wrap my mind around the sound for a moment. It was thunder, on Dec 27 with 2 foot on snow on the ground. Now we have rain, pouring at times, what a mess. Ah, Michigan. I want the snow to melt off the driveway and walkway but the road is becoming a river, and will probably be a skating rink tomorrow.
I think about the weather, trying to remember it from when I was a kid. I don’t think I remember thunderstorms in the winter and from my recollection lots of snow on Christmas was not common, usually we just had a dusting to an inch or so. However we did seem to have more snow later in winter than we normally have now, but this year may be more like the old winters.
This is the time to reminisce about the good old days. I grew up in the fifties and sixties. I had a large family and Christmas was always fun. We didn’t get tons of expensive stuff but we always had presents. How my Mom and Dad did it I will never know. I tried to remember my favorite Christmas gift of all time but I really can’t think of anything truly memorable. I always asked for a pony or horse but never got one. I did get lots of Breyer plastic horses as I grew up.
Our current Christmas tradition is to drive down to my moms on Christmas eve, have a potluck type meal there then be at home by ourselves Christmas day and have our kids visit at different times in the following days. I used to love being at my Moms for Christmas but the growing families have stretched that tradition to the limit. My parents added an addition to the house just so they could host large gatherings but we have out grown the addition. Thirty some people were there - many bratty kids included. The noise and confusion are horrendous. A kids table was set up but the kids just went wherever they chose and pretty much did what ever they chose, including pushing older people out of the way.
I don’t know if it’s this generation as a whole or just the way some of my relatives raise kids but today’s kids have no respect for anyone. I know I was mischievous and a bit odd as a child but I would never have pushed an older person out of the way, taken their seat, took all the tomatoes in the bowl, told an aunt to shut up, told my mom to shut up or hit my father, some of the behavior I witnessed. Bring back spanking I say.
I do have to say that my own granddaughters are well behaved, polite and helpful and I am not being prejudicial here. I have to commend my son and daughter in law for the way they have raised them. Of course they have been raised in a stable family with two parents, something most of the other kids in that mess haven’t experienced. Most of the older nieces and nephews are also polite and well behaved and I had a couple of pleasant conversations with them. It’s the fourth generation that’s been ruined.
We really need to rent a hall next year, especially if families continue to expand. Poor mom needs to have more time to talk to everyone and not be burdened with a big mess. I am a big proponent of tradition but sometimes they need to change. Ah Christmas, sometimes I wish I could just close my eyes and have it all done with.
Living the dream
Visiting grandmas farm.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Winter, Bah Humbug
I so know why the ancient people in the northern hemisphere celebrated the winter solstice, the longest night- shortest day of the year. It meant that now the days start getting longer- hurray! There will still be a lot of dark days but they are getting longer- no matter how slowly. Lets just get this part of the year over with and gone.
This has been the worst December that I can remember for snow fall and cold. Global warming - bring it on, I’ll take it. I am wading through snow to my waist here to do chores, you get a path made and the wind blows a drift back across it. My knees and hips are killing me. We paid a guy to plow our drive and the next day the wind drifted the snow across it deep enough it was to my knees.
We live in Michigan, I should be used to the snow, right? Let’s just say we have been spoiled the last few years, both by lesser amounts of snow and a neighbor who shoveled our path to the barn with a little 4- wheeler thing- its too narrow between the fence and where our cars are parked for a big plow. The neighbor is gone now. We have a snow thrower- but it wasn’t used in several years and Steve couldn’t get it started this fall. It has a pull start that makes it very hard for either of us to use too.
The road in front of our house was plowed, but it drifted over too. We live near a corner and its worse on the North- South road - pick ups and 4 wheels are getting stuck there. Wind chills make the temps feel way below zero- not a fit day for anyone. As soon as they plow the roads I’ll have to pay to have the drive plowed again. And it looks like we are going to get another round of messy weather tomorrow and Christmas Eve. Looks like the family Christmas get together may not happen for us. It’s an hour and a half drive. I no longer take big driving risks.
My little horses haven’t made many trips outside the barn- the snow is up to their bellies. The tom turkey stands just out side the chicken door but I don’t think anything else ventures out. The poor duck at least has the shelter I made him but that is where the worst drifts are between the barn and the pond gate and I have a hard time getting food to him.
Last night I crawled through a back bedroom window to get into the back yard. The dog door had so much snow piled up against it the door wouldn’t open. All the gates to the yard had huge drifts in front of them and I would have had to wade through tons of snow to get back to where their door is. Outside the window snow was to my waist but it was a much shorter trip. I cleared the snow away in front of their door and a small area for them to potty in. Then I scrambled in a very undignified manner back through the window. We have no door that opens into the back yard but that is going to change this spring!
I just keep thinking that in 3 months it won’t seem so bad, when we get the spring equinox and maybe we will get lucky and get a January thaw- of course we will probably all drown then! And we will be getting stuck in the mud instead of the snow!
This has been the worst December that I can remember for snow fall and cold. Global warming - bring it on, I’ll take it. I am wading through snow to my waist here to do chores, you get a path made and the wind blows a drift back across it. My knees and hips are killing me. We paid a guy to plow our drive and the next day the wind drifted the snow across it deep enough it was to my knees.
We live in Michigan, I should be used to the snow, right? Let’s just say we have been spoiled the last few years, both by lesser amounts of snow and a neighbor who shoveled our path to the barn with a little 4- wheeler thing- its too narrow between the fence and where our cars are parked for a big plow. The neighbor is gone now. We have a snow thrower- but it wasn’t used in several years and Steve couldn’t get it started this fall. It has a pull start that makes it very hard for either of us to use too.
The road in front of our house was plowed, but it drifted over too. We live near a corner and its worse on the North- South road - pick ups and 4 wheels are getting stuck there. Wind chills make the temps feel way below zero- not a fit day for anyone. As soon as they plow the roads I’ll have to pay to have the drive plowed again. And it looks like we are going to get another round of messy weather tomorrow and Christmas Eve. Looks like the family Christmas get together may not happen for us. It’s an hour and a half drive. I no longer take big driving risks.
My little horses haven’t made many trips outside the barn- the snow is up to their bellies. The tom turkey stands just out side the chicken door but I don’t think anything else ventures out. The poor duck at least has the shelter I made him but that is where the worst drifts are between the barn and the pond gate and I have a hard time getting food to him.
Last night I crawled through a back bedroom window to get into the back yard. The dog door had so much snow piled up against it the door wouldn’t open. All the gates to the yard had huge drifts in front of them and I would have had to wade through tons of snow to get back to where their door is. Outside the window snow was to my waist but it was a much shorter trip. I cleared the snow away in front of their door and a small area for them to potty in. Then I scrambled in a very undignified manner back through the window. We have no door that opens into the back yard but that is going to change this spring!
I just keep thinking that in 3 months it won’t seem so bad, when we get the spring equinox and maybe we will get lucky and get a January thaw- of course we will probably all drown then! And we will be getting stuck in the mud instead of the snow!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
winter is here
It’s definitely winter around here. The wind is howling, temperatures are in the 20’s and snow is on the ground. It’s sunny but miserable out. I don’t like winter- at least when it’s cold enough to freeze the hose to the barn. I hate carrying water to the barn, emptying frozen buckets and trying to keep the poor animals warm. I also hate having to put on 6 layers of clothes and being too bulky to walk.
The old white duck has finally came up to the shelter I made for him by the gate to the pond. I though I would give him a few days to get used to being there then I would go and catch him. But now I can’t get the gate open there. By the time I scraped away enough snow he will be long gone. I just keep putting food and water over the fence.
Even the turkeys have given up sleeping on the barn roof . I know it’s got to be boring for the chickens and turkeys to spend most of their day inside, our inside coop isn’t that big. I did see the turkeys outside for a little while on Friday. They came over the pen fence and were sunning in front of the white barn door. Today I threw a bunch of hay I swept off the floor in front of the hay stack in their coop for them to scratch through.
There’s always one hen who doesn’t want to stay with the rest. I have a new Henny- Penny now. She is always in the front of the barn, she goes over the outside pen walls and comes around into the main barn. She will run in the coop when I open the door to throw treats in but that’s it. She eats cat food with the cats and helps herself to any chicken feed or horse feed that spills. She has been laying in a corner by the hay. When I am in the barn she follows me around clucking just like Henny did. Henny re-incarnated I guess.
We put up the Christmas tree. It’s on a small table to raise it off the floor and so far, no doggie problems. They did steal some decorations out of the boxes while the tree was being decorated but have left the tree alone. They all just want to sit on someone’s lap and cuddle. Some prefer my lap, others prefer Steve’s. When we are both sitting in the living room its doggie heaven. When I am in here writing they fight over who sits on Steve.
Last Monday when I went to the barn, Sarah, one of the kennel dogs was carrying something in her mouth. I though it was a rat, then I saw the eyes. It was a tiny little screech owl. I was quite upset. I can’t imagine her killing an owl in her kennel. There isn’t any food in the outside run for either a mouse or a owl to want. The window to the barn loft is right over her kennel run. I am thinking maybe the owl flew into the window pane and fell into her pen. I got to look at it closely, I have never seen a tiny owl like that and I didn’t know we had them around here. I have seen Great Horned Owls when I have been out at night, those are huge in comparison to the screech owl. It was about the size of a pigeon.
The bird feeder has been quite busy the last couple of days. I have noticed a change in visitors there, even since summer. Of course some flew south but I haven’t been seeing any of the big woodpeckers, just the Downy’s . And we are going through a lot less suet. That seems odd. And I have been seeing a lot more Blue Jays, which were scarce for a while and less Chick a dees. I haven’t seen Evening Grosbecks either. I wonder what caused the change.
Oh, I long for spring. And it isn’t even Christmas yet.
The old white duck has finally came up to the shelter I made for him by the gate to the pond. I though I would give him a few days to get used to being there then I would go and catch him. But now I can’t get the gate open there. By the time I scraped away enough snow he will be long gone. I just keep putting food and water over the fence.
Even the turkeys have given up sleeping on the barn roof . I know it’s got to be boring for the chickens and turkeys to spend most of their day inside, our inside coop isn’t that big. I did see the turkeys outside for a little while on Friday. They came over the pen fence and were sunning in front of the white barn door. Today I threw a bunch of hay I swept off the floor in front of the hay stack in their coop for them to scratch through.
There’s always one hen who doesn’t want to stay with the rest. I have a new Henny- Penny now. She is always in the front of the barn, she goes over the outside pen walls and comes around into the main barn. She will run in the coop when I open the door to throw treats in but that’s it. She eats cat food with the cats and helps herself to any chicken feed or horse feed that spills. She has been laying in a corner by the hay. When I am in the barn she follows me around clucking just like Henny did. Henny re-incarnated I guess.
We put up the Christmas tree. It’s on a small table to raise it off the floor and so far, no doggie problems. They did steal some decorations out of the boxes while the tree was being decorated but have left the tree alone. They all just want to sit on someone’s lap and cuddle. Some prefer my lap, others prefer Steve’s. When we are both sitting in the living room its doggie heaven. When I am in here writing they fight over who sits on Steve.
Last Monday when I went to the barn, Sarah, one of the kennel dogs was carrying something in her mouth. I though it was a rat, then I saw the eyes. It was a tiny little screech owl. I was quite upset. I can’t imagine her killing an owl in her kennel. There isn’t any food in the outside run for either a mouse or a owl to want. The window to the barn loft is right over her kennel run. I am thinking maybe the owl flew into the window pane and fell into her pen. I got to look at it closely, I have never seen a tiny owl like that and I didn’t know we had them around here. I have seen Great Horned Owls when I have been out at night, those are huge in comparison to the screech owl. It was about the size of a pigeon.
The bird feeder has been quite busy the last couple of days. I have noticed a change in visitors there, even since summer. Of course some flew south but I haven’t been seeing any of the big woodpeckers, just the Downy’s . And we are going through a lot less suet. That seems odd. And I have been seeing a lot more Blue Jays, which were scarce for a while and less Chick a dees. I haven’t seen Evening Grosbecks either. I wonder what caused the change.
Oh, I long for spring. And it isn’t even Christmas yet.
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