Just when I was beginning to think all the snow would be gone, being almost the middle of April, I can't believe we got another dump of the white stuff last night. At least it wasn't as much as the weatherman was predicting but still enough for me to grab a shovel and clear a path to the vehicles and the woodshed. Actually, I'm a little concerned about our firewood supply, it's like the gas gauge on the truck, which usually hangs around empty or just above. Winter, winter, winter - begone! Scat - and take all your beautiful, sparkly snow flakes and shiny ice with you!
However, one good thing about the snow, I get to see Snow Star a little more and a few of the other lighter coloured unicorns prancing about the lower meadow when they don't think anyone is watching. Moonshine Willy looks a little out of sorts since it snowed. I saw him down by the apple tree yesterday evening and it looked as if he was checking out the limbs to see if any green buds had sprouted - I know he's really looking forward to spring when the apple tree is in full of blossoms and tiny apples start to form. I'm anxiously waiting as well, even if it does mean that bug season is just around the corner.
I've been going to the cattle auction at Beddell Settlement every Monday; checking out the prices of the small heifers and steers; Black Angus and Charolais being my favourites. Thinking about raising our own beef because at least that-a-way, I know how healthy they'll be fed and me and the family will be fed later on. However, I have to admit, as much as I think raising our own beef is an excellent idea, at 71 years of age, when I start thinking about driving fence posts into the ground with a 20 pound mallet and stretching wire to keep the little critters penned in the pasture, building a shed to keep them and their food dry during inclement weather conditions, my aching arthritic bones begin complaining something fierce. I'm pretty sure I can hire Justin, who lives up over Green Mountain a mile away, to give me a hand. He's a good, strong, young feller with a strong back that doesn't shy away from work. I've hired him a couple of times already and he's worth every dollar he earns and I don't have to keep an eye on him, which is something I respect and appreciate - gives me time to help him or do something else that needs doing.
I muck out a chicken coop on a regular basis, which is about to need another cleaning and you have no idea how much crap 100 chickens can produce, the straw floor is like a woven carpet of pure, unadulterated gooey shit. It houses about a hundred hens and a couple of frisky roosters; seems like they're forever planting their big feet on the back of some hen and having their way with them. I've noticed a few of the hens are beginning to get a little broody and since the majority of them are heritage hens, I'm considering letting a couple of them sit on their eggs and maybe, just maybe, I'll purchase an incubator. Instead of raising Meat Kings or some other type of mutated chicken for meat, I figure, since our birds are dual purpose, we could use some young hens, and the roosters, well, I figure they'll look good on our kitchen table when they're roasted to a juicy, golden brown.
The heat is cranked in the studio since the fire went out overnight and since the warmth is beginning to make me a little sleepy, think I'll stop pounding on this keyboard, head into the house and grab me a cup of fresh brewed coffee before continuing with the bedroom renovations upstairs; been wainscoting the bottom of the walls the last couple of days, which I expect will take me a few more days to complete. I'm not sure if I have enough tongue and groove pine boards to do the whole room but even if two of the walls are completed, I think the room will look just fine. Not sure if I will stain them or just clear coat them with Varathane but either way, it will give them a more finished look. I'm also planning on priming a large canvas for the next unicorn painting - should be a beauty if it ever gets finished - cheers, eh!
No comments:
Post a Comment