Short Days

The days are short; the nights long. I don't do early and cold all that well so milking is way after dark at night to try to keep it close to twelve hours between milkings. A change in the routine is that husband usually does the hogs now, and shuts up the chickens, usually while I'm milking. The few chickens that I was never able to run into the coop are mostly dead now -- we found feathers of one and a wing of another. This time of year things start getting hungry. We've got a good flock though and the coop will keep most safe.

Most of the potatoes are still in the garden and we noticed that the deer had gotten some of those today. Dug the rest of that bed and put in basement. And we've got two dogs tied in the garden to try to discourage the deer. Another dog is near the bees as last year a bear ate our bees. Bears are supposed to be inordinately afraid of dogs. I hope moreso than deer.

It seems as though I cannot even get the basic work done in the day. Part of that is length of day, part is amount of work, part of it is cold (so time is spent standing by the stove getting warm), part is this blog no doubt. I like to write. I don't want to whine though so I think I will go stand by the warm stove and eat more chocolate.

Husband got the small hothouse covered in new plastic today. He tried to get tires on my truck Thursday but no go there. Farrier was here Thursday too.

Supper tonight was particularly nice: beef soup (our beef) with lots of things we had grown in it (parched corn, beans, dried tomatoes) and some we did not (grains), fresh baked whole grain bread with fresh home-made butter, and raw carrots fresh pulled from the garden. Carrots are one of those veggies that are really different grown organically and eaten fresh -- the carrot taste rather goes up your nose, which I suppose some might not actually find pleasant. And for desert (served to me by daughter #1 while I sit at the computer), chocolate ice cream that I made yesterday.