Beautiful weather -new project

 How can you do 3 things at one time? Well, I am discovering it is very hard to pull off.  We are having an unusually warm spell of weather so I am taking advantage of it to work on a little chicken coop for the new Brahmas that I traded for. Of course it ended up being two roosters and one little hen -instead of the two hens and one rooster I had hoped for . They are one of the largest of the breeds of chickens but also known for their gentle natures -EVEN - the roosters , and after my experience this past summer with a concussion from a rooster I am really hoping this is true.

Now we all know I am NOT a carpenter , so I am really struggling with the assembly. It is 8 x 4 and I am using mostly reclaimed supplies except for the plywood and that cost me 138.00, which was my Christmas money. I had trouble from the get-go even placing it because Crystal did not want it close to her drive way because of maybe sliding into it in bad weather, but my lot is small and it had to fit in there somewhere? Next I carried 6 cinder blocks down to place it on and tried to level them up as best I could but was working on some big tree roots. Then I had an old pallet that I had tore out of a shed that fell down and I drug it over and placed on top of the blocks. It was heavy and gave me a fit-but it was too short so I had to add 2 1/2 feet more onto it.

I found two more pallets and placed them on each side . They were also old and you could not drive a nail into the oak boards so I tried drilling the holes first and snapped my two drill bits, burnt my finger on one when it snapped in the wood-ouch. (dumb thing - or maybe dumb me- smile)

Once I got them attached they wanted to LEAN and that is why I placed the two pieces to help support them to keep them upright. I will eventually place slates of some kind on them to turn them into a ladder to get up to a nest box.

Crystal had picked up that glass panel and I had told her I could not use it because it was too heavy for me to lift-but I finally got smart . It took me quiet a bit of heaving and hoeing and struggling and I even dropped it once and thought I had broken it -but once I got it up at the wall I could not lift it ???? So I slide it out and built a little edge that I could Lay it over on and then lift it up in place! Wow! The things we can accomplish once we set our minds to it?? Now the little coop will have plenty of light and no raccoon will be able to get through there.

 This is the front side of it , so yes I have a long way to go. Roof f, sides , doors, nest box and praying that I can complete this before the weather changes. My poor ole brain keeps shutting down on me as I really do not have the knowledge needed to do this and of course supplies.  I was so tired when darkness fell and I had to get in my wood and lock up all the chickens that I thought I would just fall over from exhaustion.

This was my nosy Speckled Sussex who was supervising next door. She is a real boss!

 Of course Indy was one of my favorite consultants! After 9 months we are a great team and I love him dearly. No more "bait-dog" days for him , I pray.( Those dark spots on his ears are actually scares and missing parts to his ears . ) I hope I get to stay around long enough to take care of all of my lovely charges that I love so much. What a lovely day and then I came in and did the exercises that my physical therapist has taught me for back problems and it helps SO Very much so we can continue on in our adventures.

A Steady Day

The day just rolled steadily along. I woke up pretty early considering I get up about every 3 hours through the night to put in firewood. I took my vitamins and filled the stove and fed the fish and the birds in the house and cleaned their cages. The one in the sewing room I had to clean out the seeds from the floor and carry outside to throw in the chicken lot for them to sort through and then fill up the bottle to take back in. While I was out there I fed the donkey and ended up making a run through all the chickens outdoors which takes an hour, when I Hustle.

I hurried back in and then wrapped some presents and went to sewing on some caps, when Crystal arrived on her day off and we had a cup of coffee. I asked her to move the wood truck down to the pile I had cut near her greenhouse where she was working on a fence. It took me about an hour and a half to move the wood down the hill to the rest of the pile and fill the truck up full.This was all the smaller stuff , like branches that would not need to be busted and then I moved it up to the little woodshed I had fixed to keep this out of the weather and give it a chance to dry out some? It took about an hour to unload and stack it in there and then I moved a small load of small stuff up to the house that I can burn through the day time as it will burn very fast.

I next walked up to the chicken building where Crystal had parked her truck last night when she had carried some plywood home for me and we were both too tired to unload it last night. I want to build  a small coop so I can lock the Brahmas up in at night to keep them safe from the coons at night.

I looked at that plywood sticking UP in the air above the tailgate and pondered how in the world could I unload it???? She had told the boy not to put it in over the sides because she did not want her truck scratched. It was taller than I am so I could not reach it from the back??? So, I looked all over and found a board that I could stick up under the plywood sticking out and then I eased the tailgate open. So far- so good. My next move was to ease the board at the ground and let the plywood settle to the bed of the truck. It did good until the last 3 feet when the board got away from me and went flying but the plywood still hit the bed with a bang and I dodged the board as it went flying! ~still smiling~

I would drag them off of the truck one at at time and roll them over a barrel to all on their sides and then drag them to a post where I could lean them upright. They about beat me to death. This getting older and more "puny" is the pits. There was a small shed in this lot that I want for these chickens and it was falling down , so I went to tearing it down for the lumber inside of it. It took a lot of banging and dodging as I struggled to get the roof off since it was twisted up on itself from a big wind lately. I wanted it in tact so I can use it on the new roof for the new coop. Finally I had it all disassembled . I was getting ready to start banging apart the one piece of the little wall which I had used a big pallet board for years ago and I studied the boards on it -only to notice that each small board had 6 nails in it. I knew I would shatter then if I tried to take them off so I decided I would just leave them intact and attempt to use that for my main floor-thus saving me a ton of work.

The weather was just so darn nice and my hands were not freezing due to the mild temperatures and i was so grateful .. I only wish that dark did not have to come so soon. If only I could have had a few more hours???????????? Wish, wish, wish.

But dark was upon me and I locked up the chickens and headed to the house and carried in wood and took a shower and fixed me and Crystal some supper. We were both starved and ate like little pigs... Thank you Lord for providing for us.

She left and I went to work sewing a few more Christmas presents and now it is bed time . I did make a few of the crocheted kitchen towels above. Everyone seems to enjoy them as everyone who cooks needs a towel sooner of later. I love to make gifts that are useful....

A Funny Sewing Project

I had treated myself to these suppose to be very warm gloves made of some kind of special yarn because of the problems I am having with my hands freezing while doing outdoor chores?

I got them home and they were very soft but when I tried to retrieve my hand from them I noticed that there were two layers of them and the inside layer wanted to come inside out with my hand????

Not good - I had had a pair that did that one time and it always took me an extra 20 minutes just "Fiddling " with them each time I took them off so I could put them back on????

How to overcome my dilemma? I got the needle and thread and poked the needle in until I felt it with my finger and then made several stitches at the end of the fingers and So far it is working on my one trip outdoors? I have noticed that since they are some kind of knit that the threads are grabbed very easily with the wire on some of my chicken cages????? Live and learn - plus, this week has been very mild and I have not found out how they will act in the Cold that I wanted them for?

One time last year I found a cheap pair of fleece gloves and they were absolutely Wonderful. Very lightweight and comfortable -but they wore out much too fast. If I would have known that maybe I could have bought several pair -but that would not have been possible because that was the ONLY pair I found in the pile at the store like that?????

I have really enjoyed this pretty weather all this week but I did not get to enjoy it much because I stayed indoors after chores wrapping Christmas gifts -so far 20 hours worth. Most of it was wrapping all the grand-babies and greatgrandbabies and a couple of young friends small children ... I am so very grateful for all the work I have put into it all year long or I would Never pull it off. I still did not do as good as I would like but at least most will know that I appreciate them and send them love.

I wish I could have covered all of my blogger families as they enrich my life so very much and mean so very much to me. I have been so very blessed to have found you- I love all of you dearly. So, if thoughts mean anything - I do carry you in my heart and send you much love.

Not Enough Minutes in a Day

I have decided there are never enough minutes in a day. They just fly by way too fast and the older you get the faster they go - OR- the slower we go - I have not decided which yet?????

The deer hunters arrived at my house at 6:45AM  so I rolled out of bed too and started my morning . It was cold - 20 degrees when I ran out to feed the donkey and saw Crystal coming down the hill dragging her first deer.  She was just as calm and matter of fact like she had done it all her life.

I told her to cut me a leg off and bring it in and I would de-bone it. Doug use to do it outdoors in the building but my hands just will not take the cold. While she did that I gave all the outdoor critters fresh food and changed out their frozen water.

As I was de-boning the leg Cory and his son-in-law Timothy came in from hunting. Plus, Doug's brother's two grandson's popped in and said hi. Cory sharpened my knife for me. That is one job that I just cannot pull off. My husband always kept them sharp as razor blades and it makes the work go easier.

I barely got everything put somewhere in time to run to Cory's house to eat Thanksgiving with everyone in Cory's family. It was nice to get to see all the grandkids and great-grandkids.  Of course the meal was delicious. Cory had cooked the turkey and a canned ham outdoors in a cooker and Ashley had fixed a lot this year. It amazes me to look at these children that I have watched grow up and now have babies of their own. That time just flew by too fast.I wish Doug was still here to see them all and give them a hard way to go like he always did. He was always the social one-

I got to see Cory's building that he had gone to W.Va. to get and it had got blown off his trailer by an extremely high wind . He is putting it back together now.
They also have the most beautiful aquarium in the living room and it has the most beautiful frame around it. I loved their little tree frog that they had saved from a mishap outdoors and right now he is the cutest little fellow. Tracy also has her cockatiels and they are so very pretty and have two babies.

I had to leave so I would not have trouble driving near dark but made it home in time to do my evening chores as I kept saying I would finally get in the house and get a big cold tea and put my feet up-then I remembered to have to bring in wood -then I discovered Crystal had a laundry in so I drug it outdoors and hung it up on the clothes line while I put in her second load of laundry. I discovered I still had some deboning to do and then fed the pups their supper. Then the second load of laundry was completed and I had to hang it outdoors and feed the donkey his evening meal. I headed for my drink and saw the big bone in the bowl so I carried it up and gave to Crystal's coonhound . Man- was I ever going to get that drink? My head was starting to hurt and I noticed that there was a trail of smoke all around me that did not look like it was coming from my chimney?? So, I hiked up to the top of the hill and discovered it was from my chimney and it would do straight up in the air and then settle in a long tail along the entire crest of the hill??? Almost making it look spooky.

OK, no danger so I headed to the house and this time I have found my drink and completed these butterfly magnets that I am adding to my Christmas projects.

Absolutely Beautiful Tuesday

I worked inside this morning until it warmed up near lunchtime. Then I headed outdoors for chores. I even carried the two lady hens out and put in a metal run one way and the other direction I carried out the 3 Brahmas that Charlie let me have in another little doggie fence. They enjoyed the beautiful sunshine we had today and had lots of fun playing in the dirt.

I cleaned out the chicken house and carried the littler down to the garden -then got the black plastic and finally got it put down on the half of the garden that has the bad weeds to it - so maybe when Spring comes it will not be such a battle.

I headed back in the house  and worked on some more projects - like these cute ( I hope people think they are cute) little butterflies...

My back is complaining today and I have done my exercises - I guess it just wants attention. ~smile

Monday Drupes

I think even the pups have the drupes today as they discuss who should have the pillow? I am absolutely plum wore out. We worked really hard yesterday cutting and busting the firewood and I think it just got to all 3 of us. Crystal is hobbling around with something in her leg and Dakota , who is 19 now says he can barely move. When he asked me what was wrong with me and I told him it was a combination of the arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue , the house , the outdoor chores and Definitely the COLD WEATHER - he looked at me and say, " O- Old AGE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But I have not "Exerted" myself too much today - only doing the outdoor chores, carrying in the firewood , feeding those two helpers , washing the dishes , right now making the cornbread to go with the beans for our meal and completing this baby cap to go in the charity collection. Even my fingers are sore- lol ~

Saturdays

Just fly by like the rest of the days. I had to run to town this morning to pick up my littlest chihuahua's heart medicine . I took Indy and Dais with me because they enjoy riding. On the way home we passed a little walk trail so I stopped and we went around one turn. They had a ball smelling everything and by the time we arrived home you can see how they felt. A little like me-" There's No Place Like Home". But the rest did not last long , then we ate and off to do the outdoor chores. The weather was still very nice and I appreciate that so very much.

I even got a couple of my chicken runs cleaned out and carried the litter down to my garden. I uncovered my baby kale plants because it is calling for heavy rains tonight and they will enjoy a good drink.Then tomorrow night down below freezing so I will Have to remember to cover them back up .

Crystal shot home and dropped Dakota off so he can keep the fire tonight and bring her dog in the Tiny house. I thought I would be smart and run down and cut some on the tree again but my eyes went plum bad and I did not see the limb close up on my bar and I could not get it free. I tried prying with a log but could not budge it so I will have to wait until Crystal comes home tomorrow to take her saw and cut me free.

For some reason my TMJ is showing up again and starting to hurt? The only thing that stops it is a trip to the acupuncturist, but with my undependable eyesight I do not want to even think about the hour drive????

Managed   to get another baby cap completed. My bag is starting to hold quiet a collection.

It was another beautiful day for this time of the year. I was just so tired from being sick with that stomach flu since Saturday??? It has sure taken the "stuffings" out of me. I wish I could just sleep all day long but was expecting Charlie to come by and pick up some chickens to take to the chicken sale tomorrow. He said 10:30am so I rolled out of bed and got all the chores finished . Then I went about catching the chickens up and that took about an hour. I moved 5 little hens out into the coop with the run so now they can get fresh air and dirt to scratch around in. Maybe now I will not have to trim their toenails???

10:30 came and went so I sharpened the chainsaw and climbed the hill and went to work. I try to be very careful as sometimes the branches are hidden by other branches and can let you have it. So far I have only had two close calls this go round. Rolling them down the hill is a job too. My back really complains about all the lifting and twisting, but it is good exercise. I cut until the light was getting dimmer and then came down and fed the chickens in their transport cages and gave them all water.

Two of my little hens were complaining that I had put them in the lot with the others so I went over and opened the gate and scooped them up in my arms. You should have heard them talking to me telling me how bad I was to them, so I guess they will spend the winter in the building and I will carry them out on pretty days . I really am attached to these two gals-they are very pretty and so loving.

I fed the donkey and then took all the fed bowels from the transport cages and carried them down to the driveway so Charlie would not have so far to back up in the dark. He finally arrived very late and I was glad he now had the birds to take to the sale.

I got a hot shower and ate a bite and now I am absolutely BEAT - Bushed - Compoot!  lol

But I have finished another baby cap - Yea!  See how time just flies off and another day is gone.

A Beautiful Thursday

It was in the fifties today with a steady wind blowing. It would have been perfect to work outdoors but Crystal and I are still fighting with this stomach flue that hit us last Saturday. It has been miserable . I just wish it would "GO AWAY". It makes you feel so darn bad that it saps all of your energy.

I did get a late start and do the morning chores. Then Crystal and I got together and loaded her truck down with a load of bigger wood that I cannot lift by myself. We ganged up on it and got it up to the room where the little wood buster is stored. That way I can cut on the ones that are too long and see how far I can get when she is working.

She had to go the her doctor because her hands are giving her a fit. She is dropping things all the time and has pain . They suspect carpel tunnel but could not set up the tests because her boss had not sent the insurance information ???

While she was gone I filled up my chainsaw and went up higher on the hill to the top tree that Cory had laid down for us. I work on all the branches and then rolling them way down the hill to where we can get them. Looks like I have half a truck load started but dark caught up with me. I am so tired. I am trying to work on this wood while the weather is nice and my hands do not freeze......

I did get this baby cap made for the charity for next month. Yea!

A Neighborhood Sewing Group of the Sewing Guild

Our Sewing Guild meets once a month, but within that group are smaller neighborhood groups and the Mad Hatters are one such group. They meet to have fun -make a quick project in one session and have fun doing it. I have wanted to see them in action for 6 years now.

So, today Lynne took me to one of their meetings. It was a treat to spend time with a smaller number of the ladies . When you get to meet them on a one to one it is just extra special.

This was their project for the month. It is called a Kitchen Scarf- you cut your kitchen towel in half and sew it onto a fabric "scarf" that is in the center that you wear around your Neck/shoulders so that your towel is always close at hand as you work.

Our leader said her daughter got her the first one for 18.00 and she observed it to make her own pattern , which was much nicer than the store bought one. But I just cannot decide which I prefer -this type or the towels with the crochet tabs at the top that you hang on the doors??????

But it was a fun project and gave you an "excuse" to look at Fabrics! lol

I Was So Mad At my Phone

Because I went to the Sewing Guild and took pictures of our wonderful program and then could not get the phone to add them to the blog.Darn it . I will have to remember to take the camera but it is a heavy little dude and I wanted to keep my purse as light as my shoulder could stand it. It was a wonderful presentation of a lady born in the late 1800's when men were designing women's clothing and how she came onto the scene and changed the styles from being so boxy. She took rectangles and changed how they were sewn together to make beautiful drapes that accentuated the female form.  Instead of using darts and zippers she added fabric pieces sewn into the style of the garmet to make it hug the body . She was the first designer I had ever been drawn to her lovely works.

Crystal and I both got some kind of stomach flu today and it ruined the day for both of us. I did manage to do all my chores and cut on some more firewood, as my son had laid down two trees for us to work on.  I was so tired when I came dragging in the house and took a shower. My grandson Dakota was here with us and I fixed him the catfish that Ashley had given me. He is the only person I have met that loves fish like his PawPaw did.

I managed to make another baby cap for the charity next month. I wish I had more time to pour into the event.

Interesting Day for Butterflies

It was a very cool , damp day . My friend Joyce had a friend of hers drop off a bundle of Dry Hardwood for me . I am amazed at the difference in how seasoned wood burns although I did know that . But, I have never been able to convince anybody in my family the difference that it makes. Joyce pays a small fortune for her wood and I have wished I could cut enough for her too -but she only uses the nice stuff. I am still hoping that removing that chimney cap will help my problem with my chimney.

After Richard left I sharpened my chainsaw and went out and cut on one side of the walnut tree that has been down since Spring . It is hard work by ones self because you are cutting and moving the branches by yourself. ( not like when DH cut and I piled all the branches and kept the path clear for him so he could work ) Then when I refilled the saw I went on the other side and that was when I noticed that Crystal had cut a few pieces for her stove for the greenhouse and I realized that was probably what this tree was for , so I cut most of the branches on the opposite side until I got to the top part of it and realized the mound I was standing on was spongy??? Where was all those "butterflies" coming from around my feet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BAD EYES - not butterflies - Ground Bees!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness for the cold and the  dampness as it slowed them down enough for me to escape unharmed!!!!!!!

So, yes, I Love the butterflies on this page so much better than the ones my eyeballs thought they were seeing!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Butterflies

It was a funny day- After morning chores I started on the wood pile once again. It was calling for rain so I wanted to get everything accomplished that I could before the temperatures drop on Thursday night. When the temperatures drop it makes it very hard for me to work out in the freezing weather because of my hands.

It stayed dark and overcast and you expected the sky to fall any minute. I would load a few of the logs up on my little two wheel dolly and then drag them up the hill to where the wood splitter is at . The ones of them that are too long I was cutting down to the 20 inches that fit on the splitter.

I was getting good and tired when my buddy, Joyce showed up with a salad -what a wonderful excuse for a break and to visit with a friend. I always consider friends to be a gift from God and it was a great honor to see her. We had a short visit and she took off and I went back to my wood . Just a few trips up and down the hill I noticed it was getting awful dark??? I wondered if a storm was coming as I kept working until I could barely see?? So I gathered everything up and took off and fed the donkey and shut up the chickens . By then it was dark and I still had to gather the trash up and take it to the road??? FINALLY I realized it was where the time had changed over the weekend and I am now an hour shorter on daylight , so it gets dark at 5:30pm instead of 6:30pm??? GRRRRRRRRRRR

I came in and took a shower and heated up a big bowl of my bean soup and it was SO GOOD. I fed the pups so we could all eat together. Crystal came in from work and popped in for a moment .

I cleaned up my mess and then the pups had a conniption . I went out on the porch with the light and the had bayed a opossum? So, I just left them to tire themselves out while I went back in to work on another crochet project.

This time it is butterflies???? Of COURSE I still have to learn everything the hard way. I had completed these two little guys and found a roll of that magnetic tape. So I cut it in sections to fit ont he back of the butterflies. I found my glue gun and attached them and let them dry. Then I thought I would just store them on the fridge until I had a collection of them for Christmas gifts, but when I put them on the fridge - THEY just FELL off! The magnetic tape was not strong enough to hold them- GRRRRRRRR! I like to NEVER got them UN- attached to the tape so now I have ordered a set of button magnets and they should arrive next week, so maybe I can get 26 of them completed as that is the number of magnets . I think they are cute and make me look forward to SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL.

Boy's Slippers

It was a lovely , rainy day today so after I did the morning chores I came in and ate and worked on this crochet project which is a pair of slippers for a young boy. I wanted them to be different from the pom-poms on his sister's slippers so that was why I added the jingle bells????

Boys and men I have a real problem making gifts for as I do not know who to reach their hearts, so they will have something that is useful - that they can enjoy?

I did fix the venison roast in the crock pot last night that my granddaughter gave me and it was really good. I feel bad eating meat but some think that it will help my eyes because I am missing some of the vitamins that only meat can carry?? I do know that we have "way" too many deer in our area and they destroy our gardens and any fruit we try to have and with a large majority of the deer having 2 or even 3 babies the problem is getting worse. I love the deer - they are beautiful and graceful animals -but you cannot just "Wish" them to stay out of your food. ???

I made a cranberry pie today and of course made another blunder.  See, last year was my very first time every having one and I had found the perfect recipe -which I politely LOST. Boy was I mad at myself so I downloaded a recipe and the first one I made last week turned out with WAY too much bread in the pie. So today I found another recipe and I cut out a LOT of the dough part, but this recipe called for way too much pecans. Now I LOVE pecans and thought that would really be good -but in the end there were more pecans than the cranberries and the nuts over-ruled the cranberry taste???? It is good -BUT! So, this recipe may work with a few alterations.

I am doing the exercises every day that physical therapy has taught me for my back and neck and it is helping a lot- It is hard work and I get discouraged and feel like I do not have the time to do them , but I have found to make them work you have to be consistent.

A beautiful start to the week

I sure was glad that I got all my chores accomplished this morning because my granddaughter and her husband and the great-grand-baby came and brought me some deer meat as Tim had got a deer. Then we all went for a long walk back in the woods. It took us a couple of hours and it was a beautiful walk.

When we got back me and the pups were covered in teeny tiny Ticks. It was horrible. But Crystal and I got to busting firewood and everytime someone saw a tick they got it.  Crystal had to leave in a hurry to go help a friend so I did evening chores and came in and bathed the pups and ME. I got about 15 off of just Daisy.

I completed another pair of children's booties and I think I have found a pattern that I really do like and it is easier to measure for someone's foot???? I now have a pair for the 5 year old and the 7 year old and need a pair for the 9 year old now.

A neighbor came and brought me a bag of turnips so I am just thrilled to death with them...... I LOVE turnips.

My back is hurting a little but it did REALLY Great today on our walk as I was able to carry the great-grand-baby quiet a bit on our walk and I normally would not have been able to do that - so my physical therapy is helping tremendously. 

Saturday Rain

SO, after morning chores I worked in the house. This time shelling the last of the beans from the garden. These were called Dragon Tongue Beans and I had never planted them before. They beared plentifully and I thought were quiet funny because when you cooked them as green beans -they turned bright yellow , and everybody I shared them with liked them. They got quiet large but the large beans did not get tough. I found these on the vines as I pulled them up so I am dehydrating them so I will have a start for next year and maybe get a mess to taste as dry beans???

I completed another baby cap for the charity from the left over yarn from those other booties.

Then I decided to experiment on a second pair of booties with the same pattern -only a different stitch - And- I do not like it???????? So, I will be ripping it out and going back the front post stitch instead of the double crochet stitch???? I was just not for sure how comfortable the first stitch is because it leaves a ridge on the inside of the bootie???? Decisions, decisions, decisions?????

Bone Tired

The days are much too busy and not enough time in the day to accomplish everything you would like to pull off.

I got all my chores and cleaned out my chicken runs in the building because we are having absolutely beautiful weather here . Then I spent 5 hours cutting and busting firewood and putting it in my car and taking it to the house and stacking it up on the sidewalk and some in the house as it is calling for rain .

I was so pooped but I hustled to the garden and picked the last of the Dragon's Tongue beans. I am hoping to dry them out and have them to plant in the Spring as I only had about 24 seeds this year to plant and they yielded plentifully.

I have not got them shelled yet and I need to work up some more of the apples. I did get some beans cooked so I can turn them into a soup I want to try. I am on a soup kick . The last two days has been a cauliflower and potatoes soup and it was really good.

I also got this pair of children's slippers completed and am satisfied with this  pair. I think they are cute. Now I need to do a wee bit size bigger . Ho-HO-HO!

Last night my pups and I went outdoors at midnight on a mice patrol and something went tearing up through the woods beside the house. The pups took off after it and Indy chased it up to Crystal's tiny house and all around. Thirty minutes later I got him in the house and then they were off again chasing something all around the house for a good thirty minutes. They were too fast for me to even get the flashlight on them around the house but I could see eyes up in the woods?? So, I do not know what all the commotion was about. Maybe deer in the woods -or maybe the bear who stole my trash???  Maybe a raccoon in the yard???  I just hope it is a little quieter tonight????????????? ~smile~

This Is My Dilemma

Yesterday the chimney stopped up and the smoke was coming back in the house. So, today when I got home from the doctor I drug the heavy ladder over to the chimney and worked to get it up in the air and level. I am scared to death of heights so I Prayed a lot -telling God I could do this. I took a brick up with me tied to a long cord and a screwdriver for the cap. I even carried a flashlight up with me and managed to let it slip out of my pocket on my jacket and going flying down off of the roof. ( SO VERY GRATEFUL it was not me !) I finally got 3 of the screws out of the cap and twisted it around so I could drop the brick down many, many times breaking up the creosote . There was still a lot of the sticky stuff clinging to the inside of the chimney but I knew i could not get the monster brush down and back up so I was pretty happy with my result. I left the cap off so I can see IF that might be helping the chimney to stop up so fast???? I came in and cleaned the pipe inside the house and cleaned out the ashes and then started a small fire to see if smoke was going to come back in the house and it looked good. I was happy to have pulled it off and not got killed doing it?

Well, the story gets better- I left the ladder there as it is SO DARN heavy I thought I would just leave it there for 3 weeks , which is the time is has taken to stop up again? (to see if leaving that cap off helps)  Well????? Crystal popped through the door and asked if I have someone on fast dial to unstop the chimney?? I told her no - that I had already cleaned it out. SHE had come home and climbed the ladder and took the monster brush and got it stuck in the chimney!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say I was shocked. So she called our sweetest of neighbors and he comes down and brings help and two men get it unstuck and give the chimney a good rub down! Now it really is clean.  Bill Burton is a real hero in my eyes and I just adore him. He is the one who pushes the snow for me in the driveway in the Winter. He is the one who was on the rescue squad and cut my youngest son out of a car wreck when his wife lost control and hit a tree . He is just always helping anybody.  He gave me a hug and it took all my will power not to break down and ball. 

He has land in front of me-a small mountain . I asked him if he had noticed a feed sac half way up the mountain and told him it was my trash bag and I just saw it today when I went out to the doctor. I thought the trash men had picked it up -but a bear had picked it up and it is halfway up his mountain.????? Hum???  Don't know IF I will tackle that or not????