Wednesday, November 24, 2004

First snow of the year; odds and ends

When I got Mandy out of her pen to bring her in this morning, she stepped out into her first snow.  She didn't think she was supposed to potty in the snow, evidently; so it took a while to get her to do her business.  She really wanted to play in the white stuff, but I didn't want to stay out, and the chain we use to tie her out was buried out of sight in the snow.  Her opportunity came later when the girls went outside to play; Natalie dug around and found Mandy's tie-out chain and stake.

I looked out the window when it was first starting to get daylight and saw Blue, my horse, bucking and cavorting in the snow.  He'd already settled down by the time it was light enough to take pictures though.

Since the grandkids were here, I made cinnamon rolls.  It takes about four hours from start to finish, but that's no problem.  I'm always up by four AM.  The kids enjoyed a breakfast of warm cinnamon rolls and egg nog (could we possible GET any more fattening foods?).  Cliff opted for coffee with his rolls.

Deer season is over here, so all of you who were concerned about my getting shot as I ride or take a walk may now take it easy.

Now that we have pigs, I save any ruined food for them.  Pigs eat anything:  moldy bread, clabbered milk, dried-out food people have left on their plates.  Cliff and I ate at Pizza Hut yesterday, and it was all I could do to keep from going to the other patrons' tables and saying, "Hey, are you going to eat that crust?  I could take it to my pigs!"

Since Cliff got paid early this week, I sent off the payment for our first propane bill of the winter:  $375.  We only use the first floor of this drafty old house, so we're not heating a lot of space.  I'm hoping that just one more fill-up of our 500-gallon tank will get us through the worst part of winter.  It usually takes about 3 tanks-full a year.

I prefer butter to margarine, especially for holiday baking.  However, the price of butter is out of sight.  Even on sale, it's $1.99 a pound here.  This year my family will get holiday goodies made with margarine.  They won't know the difference, but I will.  Up until about10 years ago, I had at least one milk cow, and made all my own butter.  I'd love a Jersey calf to raise for a cow for my retirement years, but I don't want to be tied down to milking twice a day.  I have a plan that may work.  I'll talk about that another time.

 

 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Man Mo...was counting on a pic of your snow.  We have quit a bit here in Kansas.  Highest drifts are over 7 inches and lowest are about 3.  So I'd say we got a good 5 or 6 inches.  Anyway, I just know you're enjoying it, as am I.  Thanksgiving blessings to you and your's.  Boo

Anonymous said...

Ahhhh.  I must be getting hungry again.  Those cinammon rolls look awesome.  

Anonymous said...

Getting caught up...have thoughts of "time share" cow in my head. Any close neighbors who would want to share milking chores/cow output? LOL