Friday, January 01, 2016

Happy New Year, and all that stuff!

So, what is it with me and blogging, or, more accurately, not blogging?  In three words, "I don't know".  I can't say I have writer's block, exactly, I have written at least a dozen or so blogs, in my head.  They just didn't go to my fingers, and out the computer.  In fact, when I was at the computer, I would just look.

Yep, the cursor is blinking.

Yep...  (sigh)   (crickets chirping.)

I have looked at Face Book, I didn't write much there, either.  I now have found that I know much more about some of my friends and family than I ever, EVER wanted to know.  Until I found some controls, I found out about the heavy right wing political leanings of one family member, the heavy left wing leanings of a friend, the ultra Christian leanings of another friend, found out another friend checks in with her coven online, via FB.  Yet another lets the virtual world know of his personal proclivities and choices, sexually.

Mr. Chatterbox, when you said I had a good seat in the asylum, you have not one idea how accurate you were!!!

I have been taking care of the animals, we had to finally remove several of the roosters, they had decided to get out of the pen and go, literally and figuratively, all around the house, leaving holes that they dug in one of the gardens, throwing dirt all about, or just... deposits.  I was sort of sad to have to do it, Cop Car was one of the first, and worst, offenders.  But, we have lots of chicken in the freezer now...
 
We had to take some wild turkeys to a local wildlife center, Husband had been walking up to check something for a neighbor, and some (censored) driver just blew through a small flock of turkeys crossing the road, with Husband in the road nearby!  Didn't slow, didn't look to see if there was damage, nada.  Husband and I took the two injured birds to a wildlife rehab place, and we found out they had pretty bad damage, but are recovering...  They were kind of impressed how we'd put them in a kennel deep with hay.  Um. Well, they like to hide, and they are used to grasses, figured it would put them a little more at ease...

After a ridiculous summer, with cracks in the ground that would catch feet, and nearly turn legs, (one crack in the back yard measured about 14 inches deep by about 5 inches wide at one point!), we are now getting rain.  Lots of rain.  All the cracks are closed, and our "half moat" around the house is draining a lot.  In fact, I have to be careful feeding the llamas, as the drainage by the feed area is more than ankle deep, and I really don't care to fall into cold, running water...  BUT, there is snow in the mountains, and we are not worrying about the wells in the area running dry.  So it all balances out...

Husband bought me raised beds for my birthday, so I will be setting those up for use in the spring.  I am hoping to have flowers on the side of the hill where the raised beds will be, to attract pollinators... And hopefully not too many deer.  Meh.

And 2016?  Major plans? Resolutions?  Nothing much.  I am going to scale back on one volunteer group I am with, I have come to the point I still like working on prep for the group, but it's been made clear to me that I am not "necessary", so I have decided to join with some other folks there, and let the proverbial chips fall where they proverbially may.  It will help the ones I am joining with, so they can have some free time, it will help me, so I don't have to lead or round up anything, and will, hopefully, stop the continual headaches I have each year, from pounding my head against what's turned out to be a very hard stone wall...

A-Hem.  "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,"  Yes, Mr. Einstein, I am finally listening.

I am seriously considering joining Nanowrimo, maybe then I will have motivation to get some sort of book like thing written, if I have a set time I need to do it in.  Maybe.  November is sometimes a busy month, however, so I am a bit gun shy.  But, what have I been told, I do my best work when I am under pressure?  So, maybe I need the internet version of a C-clamp...

And, I really need to sit down and catch up with all of your blogs.  CenturyDink is slowing our speed down to the point that we rarely get the speed we are paying for, and sometimes are at near dial up speeds.  So, we get on early in the morning, or late(er) in the evening, and that helps.  Some.

Rudee is doing well, if a little stove up, he is getting to be an old dog, and seems to have arthritis a bit.  He is losing his hearing, and I think might be getting a little questionable in the sight department, too.  But he's still a great dog, and we are working out the problems, to help him out as much as we can.

Ding, well, she has taken over the house, we have learned to cat proof what we don't want her into, and most of the time it works.  (I am SO glad cats do not have opposable thumbs...)  She and Husband get into mock battles, I find toy mice in the strangest places, she and I have conversations that would have me burned as a witch, in another life, and we all get along great.  Now if we could just convince her 4 a.m. is not the time to figure out how the door works...

The llamas are doing well, they will be shorn next spring, but now, the heavy coat they have is serving them well.  And eventually, when I have it made into roving, it will serve me well, too!

Lastly, Buzz is fine, fat (sorta) and so lovely fuzzy.  Her winter coat would put a mink to shame.  She loves being a barn cat, and except for one or two unwelcome visitors (guesses are either other cats or possibly raccoons), she has the run of the area, and seems to genuinely enjoy staying close, assaulting vermin, playing coy with Rudee, then getting scritch time with Husband and I.

So, here's hoping for a great 2016 to all, and may it be a happy one!












3 comments:

Sharon said...

Trying to imagine you eating Cop Car with a grin on your face.
Raised beds - thoughtful gift. How is your neighborhood bee population? Ours has dropped dramatically in the past several years.
Rain - happy to hear that you had some now, though it seems like feast or famine for you. Cracks that deep must have been pretty dry.
Aw, poor Rudee, getting old hurts no matter what we are, right? It's difficult to think about ...
Wishing you health and prosperity in the coming year!

messymimi said...

Thank you for the update, i've missed hearing from you. You have put your finger on one of the reasons i'm not on Facebook.

A blessed and beautiful Happy New Year to you and everyone you love!

Lisa said...

Happy New Year to you & yours!