Friday Morning update

Good morning, everyone just thought I would do a quick update while I have some spare time. 

Team Blue River did not have such a good trip. The day my son came here to pick up hubby, he was hacking and coughing bad. He thought his lungs were irritated because he had been chewing something and it went down the wrong hole but by the time, they got to Blue River hubby was starting to feel a cold coming on and I was already starting to sniffle here. Well it has been just over two weeks and we are still hacking, although today is the first day that I feel like I am starting to have some energy again. It is a nasty little flu bug and I finally broke down and went to the doctors the other day as I thought a cold should not last that long. He checked the old ears, throat, chest and said " it is a just a cold my dear", so I guess I wasted a trip in for nothing. He said that this bug has been lasting people well over two weeks and just to drink plenty of fluids and some whiskey. Guess he was looking for a laugh, which I did give him, until a coughing fit started.... ha ha 

We are finally in the plus numbers today and it is +6 out there right now. Quite a difference compared to last week when we woke up to -36 one morning and -39 the next. Talk about a shock and let me tell you how many grumpy people there were over that one. We were dumped with ton of snow last week and now my trail is completely buried and cannot go for my walk every day. It is over my knees in some spots and being sick, I did not have the energy to try to wade through it. Poor dogs really miss the walk every day as well and Mojo gets so silly and tries to encourage me to follow her out in the deep snow. Will make it up to them once this crappy snow goes.

This morning I went out to the barn and cleaned the horse side out, put fresh straw down and emptied the water and filled it with nice fresh water. Took five buckets to fill and can hardly wait until we can put the big bucket back in there and fill with a hose instead of hauling by buckets. Still this year has been so much better having the barn to go in and get out of the wind and elements. I did not get the coop cleaned as it creates so much dust and did not want to get that in my lungs right now. I do have breathing masks but still it gets in there. 

I lost another chicken in that cold spell, I think it was my pet. The one that followed me around and loved me to pick her up. I guess they only live so long and am down to four now. The little white one makes me laugh every day. On warm days, I do not lock them in their coop so they have the run of half of the barn. I keep them out of the horse side simply because I do not want them to be stepped on by the horses. Anyway, Whitey as we call her loves to go up high and every night I would go out to lock them up and she would be sitting on top of the hay bales as pleased as punch with herself. It usually takes me about five minutes to get her down from there as it has been getting too cold at night to leave them out. Last night when I went out there, she was sitting on the top of the post and looked like she was settled in for the night. I left them out all night as it was going to be above zero all night so she probably spent the night up there.  

After I cleaned the barn, I brought the girls in and groomed them all. Poor Mystery is just shedding like crazy and took probably about 10 lbs of hair off her. When I was all done, she went, rolled, rolled in the snow, and seemed so much happier. Think it gets itchy with all that dead hair. I have to share this with you all. When I finished grooming her, I still had the brush in my hand and I lifted all four feet and brushed out the snow from her hooves!. Yes even the back feet!!! I was so happy. I could not catch this pony when we first brought her home and if she saw me with a halter, she would run from me. No one could lift her back feet without her kicking at him or her. Now she follows me around even when I have a halter in my hand, and seems to love the attention she gets. Sure, a different pony then when we first got her, she is finally starting to trust and even hubby can walk up to her now and pat her. 

Sammy has spring fever and wants out and picks his way across the ice on the deck, is out for ten minutes wants back in and then ten minutes later wants back out again. Finally, I ignored him and left him out for about a half hour now he is in his cave sound asleep. Guess he just needed a longer time out. 

Well I will sign off for now as have to run to the dump (big outing), then come home, and do the tank. I have been doing a 20 - 30% water change every couple of days to help with the ammonia and will be glad when it has finished cycling then will only have to do it once a week. The twenty gallon is finally at that stage now and it took probably about 8 weeks for that to happen. 

Chow for now.