Watcha doing today?

[snapshotmiki]

Had fun last night and tired this morning.

 

Already walked this morning.
Going to help at cafe today. It will be his last day open for a month or more. He will be having surgery on one eye that has a hole in it.
Still need to do yesterday's chores : Roast garbanzos and give Bo a bath.

[Littlesister]

Miki, Glad you had fun last night at the Bazaar. I love going to them. DD, GGD and I went to one earlier in the summer. We had a great time. They are a lot of fun. 

 

Just finished lunch. Got a lot done in the office. But need to find another Good Will box. I am filling boxes up fast for stuff to go. I could have just had a yard sale, but it is just too much work to do that, and I just don't have that kind of energy. Plus, I need it gone like yesterday. So just dropping it off is so much easier and they will come out and help you unload it. 

 

 

[The WE2's]

Pulled out the roaster yesterday and with hubby's help we jarred up two canner loads of turkey chili.  One didn't seal so it's in the frig for consumption!  Washed, labeled and dry for the box and into storage.  We will enjoy it this winter!

 

[Jeepers]

Oh my We2 that looks so good! I'm going to have to make a pot of veggie soup to can this winter. I'm out. Right now I'm working on freezer meals. 

[Mt_Rider]

Hmm.....  Well, we're working on our SECOND FOOT of snow today.  This is what the High and Low map looks like.  (Highs rotate clockwise and Lows rotate counter-clockwise.  Which means with Highs to the North and South of Colorado  clockwise - - - and Lows in the East and West spinning opposite.... 

 

They've got us boxed in!  See all that blue (snow) !!!  Oye. 

 

Just sent an email to see if my ride tomorrow is still on.  I wouldn't worry at all about the snow but...we do circle 'round the high point on the ranch which involves hills.  No drop-off kind but steep in a few places. 

 

My goofy M had reached his head down to itch his leg and had somehow gotten the lead rope (loosely attached to the saddle horn with a loop)  wrapped around his nose.  He was suddenly FUSSING and I'm trying to figure out what's up.  OH, that must be uncomfortable!  I could reach far enough to fix it and he was much happier!  Ya just never know ....   

 

20*   ....not that cold (relatively...Miki lol ) but ....  just very white!   ....can't even see across the road right now! 

 

MtRider    shoo!  go away!  'Nuff already!

 

Edited November 8, 2024 by Mt_Rider

[blessedhomemaker71]

DH took our dog to the vet this afternoon.  Ears were all clear. No obstructions in the anus. They gave him vitamin B for something. They sent him home with pills to increase his appetite since he has barely eaten anything in the past  4 days. Thank you for praying!

[Littlesister]

Praying that the Vit. B and the pills they gave you for him works. Hope he will start eating and feeling better soon. 

 

I have made a huge mess cleaning out one room. Why is it that when you are decluttering and going through things you make a bigger mess. I am now working on one room at a time instead of trying to do a million things at once. I will be leaving the weekend before Thanksgiving to stay with DD for a week. Will come hope hopefully with a new start on the decluttering and getting ready for Christmas. 

 

WE2, that chili looks good. I have never made it with turkey but sounds good. I do have some ground turkey in freezer. Might try making chili with it.  

 

Mt. Rider that looks like you are in for a lot of snow. I was watching Ryan Hall last night and they said some places could get up to I think it was 60 inches or more. And it is getting very cold in places. I still haven't had my heat or air conditioning on. Been cool during the night and early morning but otherwise the afternoons are in the 70's. So, saving on utilities while I can.

Edited November 9, 2024 by Littlesister
Chilli

[Jeepers]

Still keeping your dog in my prayers @blessedhomemaker71  I would have bet it was an ear infection. Shows what I know.      

[Mt_Rider]

Oye, 60 inches?  In November?  I hope that's up in the higher altitudes than we are!!!     Last spring we got a doozy that was a LOT but I forget how much.

 

My "wedding cake"  (round picnic table out the back door that collects snow in round shape) measured around 28" mebbe (?), earlier this evening.  With some wind, it's iffy.  But my friend who lives less than 10miles away had 30" already this morning and it's been snowing very hard all day.  They're in a dry spot usually so they'll need all the moisture!  We've been doing well all summer with adequate rain      but began to get too dry this Fall.  Odd how two locations only 10 miles apart can be so different. 

 

Shoot, just looked out.  Another 2-3" since we were out there for duck feeding around 5pm.  Now 10pm and 20*  ...which isn't bad at all. 

 

Depending on when snowplow comes, will we even get out on the road....and what does that look like?  And what does the horse trail look like? 

 

MtRider  ..thankful that THIS storm (so far) does not come with severe blizzard wind and frigid temperatures!   

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, I pray that you don't get blizzard conditions and those freezing type temperatures. To me 20* is frigid.  We don't get that cold around here. But have gotten into the low 30's on occasion. 

 

One of those nights tonight. Just can't sleep. I hate that. I guess I just have a lot on my mind these days with getting the house together, working on the raised beds and such. Plans do keep your mind working. I am trying to work on a list of things I need to get done before the cold weather hits and that should be soon.  Need to bring firewood up to the house. And finish washing windows and getting the curtains back up. Seems like it is never ending around here. Plus, I still have mulch to get down. Not easy when it is just one person trying to get it all done. But I will get there.

[snapshotmiki]

@Mt_Rider, Yep!  20 degrees is cold to me especially with our humidity.  Praying for you and your ride?!

@blessedhomemaker71, I pray that your pup recovers quickly and fully!

 

Already walked, walked dogs and picked up Church parking lot.
Today, I will do the chores that I haven't done still. Roasting garbanzos, Give dog a bath and put up a small Christmas tree in my office. It's the only room that cat isn't allowed in and I want some semblance of Christmas this year!

[Littlesister]

Neighbor called me to go with her to a couple of farmers markets. So was gone for half a day. Got some fresh squash and cherry tomatoes that taste like real tomatoes. Been snacking on those this afternoon. Also got the garlic to plant. Will get that done tomorrow.  So, nothing in house got done today. But I did have a good time. We had lunch after the second farm market. That one was lined up on the sidewalks of businesses. Downtown Portsmouth. They had a lot of neat stuff.  A lot of the stands were the organic veggies. That is where I got mine. And the garlic to plant. 

I am tired tonight though. Hopefully I will sleep good tonight. We are going to go to a meat market she told me about in the next week or two. 

[Mt_Rider]

Thanks for prayers.  Today went very well....with one foul up-snowplow guy didn't show...???

 

DH and I (plus dog) loaded up for my afternoon ride.  Bright wonderful sunshine all day.  Much warmer but I bundled up anyway cuz it's winter - complete with 2 feet of snow everywhere.  Sheesh, we're ready for Christmas!

 

M is great moving thru the snow...big ole horse that he is - had no trouble.  Other riders: a mom/dad/young teen.  I'm the last in line - cuz I call out if something is going on.  The only thing was that most of the ride is going thru a forest of various pines/cedars.  And aspen, of course which are naked at this time of year.  The pine needles hang onto the snow and with the sun, those trees will be letting go of their little piles of COLD WET STUFF!  I didn't hear anyone give a squawk - after getting one of those down the neck of their coat.  But we saw many globs fall.  We went thru some areas that it was "raining" ....not blobs but a lot of drops - melted snow. 

 

I was grabbing some branches that we went under/near.  I let go or shook them after they were behind me.  I think M got a few on his rump.  But the path would be less drippy if they had a later ride.  They hadn't even plowed out the main mount/dismount arena so the wrangler was wading thu 2 feet of snow to get us mounted and lined up.  I'd ridden in snow out there but after it was cleared in the walking areas.  R was on his machine and doing that around the driving areas but he had a lot more to do. 

 

Beautiful day.  Wonderful ride.  The views were wonderful - all pristine white.  And the deer were moving around.  They're so used to the horses, they're almost pets.  Big racks!

 

After, DH went into get groceries while I took dog to play/sniff in the high piles of plowed snow in the parking lot.  Then she lapped up a whole bottle of water from a bowl we keep in the car.  Wanted more.  Thirsty work running all over (retractable leash) and sniffing.

 

We'd left money in an envelop on the rope to our pulley system - for the plow guy.  I've done that before.....but we got home and he hadn't been there.  Getting home just at sunset - meaning sun had been on that 2 feet of snow all day.  Slick as grease!  We stopped to put birds in duckhouse from their pen, and check water/food.  Then DH got the car - sliding all over the place - very nearly up and over to the top flat part.  Almost.  I think one or both of the front tires are on the top but the car was sliding sideways most of the way up.  Slides to the UP hill side.....not the treacherous DOWN DOWN DOWN to the pond side.  Doubt if going over that side would be survivable, actually.  That's why the driveway is canted so as NOT to slide that way.  But you get hung up on the safe side too.

 

Well, it was close enough and I grabbed the ice fishing (never used for that) sled and hauled two loads of groceries and other things to the foot of the stairs.  Used pulley for some and walked up the very heavy grocery bags.  The steps were dry!  I was a bit cold by then cuz of getting dripped upon during the ride.  Changed into dry clothes!  DH threw a frozen lasagna into the oven and ...pau already.  Done ---->   

 

And I'm finishing up all my email and news and .... DONE. 

 

...SUCH a nice ride today!    Reallly helped legs after a laborious week of snow!   

 

MtRider    (misunderstanding with plow guy - coming tomorrow)

Edited November 10, 2024 by Mt_Rider

[Littlesister]

Mt. Rider, glad you had a great ride, despite the snow. It sounds like you had a good day overall.  

 

I am going outside to plant garlic in a bit. Just waiting for it to warm up a bit more. Got down into the 40's last night but starting to warm up now.  With all the walking I did yesterday, my knee is not hurting. Tired feeling but not hurting. I hope that is a good sign it is healing. I have taken months but better to let it heal on its own than to have surgery.  Or at least I hope so. 

 

Got a few things to catch up on in the house that I will do in a little while. It won't take that long to get that done. Then I will just sit out the rest of the day and relax with a book. I need a break from decluttering for a bit. Slept better last night though. Did church on TV early this morning. Still not driving distance yet. The knee is the right one and it gets very painful with driving distance. Reason DD is picking me up to take me to her house for Thanksgiving this year. Don't think my knee would hold out for a 2 1/2-hour drive to her house and back. It will be a welcome break, and we will be out at the outlets the day after Thanksgiving knowing my daughter. I think I am going to pull out my DH's cane to take with me just in case my knee decides to stop me cold from taking a step without pain. 

[snapshotmiki]

Already baked cookies.
Church
Go visit dh's sister (with cookies). She is visiting from FL.
Decorate tree that I put in office
Make French toast and sausage for dinner.

[Necie]

Went to Shipshewana on Thursday. Had to drop off a couple of tables and stands at the market. Stopped at the stove store and got the rest of the pipe and stuff needed to install the little wood stove. Still need to get something for the floor/wall (heat protection). Stopped at 2 Amish stores... looking for shrimp. They usually have 2# bags of raw/deveined for ~$10. None to be found. 🤷‍♀️ Of course, I always find *other* stuff.   Deal of the day was artichokes— 5# bags (like mylar) in brine. Says 3# without brine. And *pizza cut*. ?? I’m hoping that means kinda chopped— like for toppings and dip. Anyhow, $3 a bag!! I got 2 and plan to can them in probably 8 ounce jars. 

 

Friday, went to the farm. Too windy to rake/burn leaves so we worked on the fences in the gardens. Yesterday we got some leaves raked/burnt early before the wind picked up. Then came home cuz they called for rain overnight and I’m not messing with wet leaves. lol 

 

Sitting around today. Crocheting and watching football. Lions aren’t on til 8:30, so if I get sick of crocheting, I might work on my lists... or maybe get up and DO something.... 😂

[Jeepers]

3 hours ago, Necie said:

Went to Shipshewana on Thursday.  

Jealous.  😏

 

I babysat last night. Slept in until noon today.    The old Gray Mare she ain't what she used to be.

 

I have everything pulled put of the lower kitchen cabinets in the middle of the floor...still. Everything. I'm relining the cabinets and trying to find the best way to store things in them. I'm either going to have to store things away in the garage or pitch some things. I'm leaning toward pitching. They don't have donation places over here like they did in Ohio. Maybe in a town 40 miles away, but I'm not interested in using my time and gas. I started this project last week and I'm still not close to being done.

 

That's on my agenda this week. Complete the kitchen and adjoining play room area. Play room will be easy. It's really just a nook off the kitchen with a little table and chairs and two 6- cubby cabinets. But boy are they filled and dusty!  

 

I'm going back to the lists to help keep on track. 

 

Pay bills

Finish kitchen

Clean play area

Unpack TV stand

Put protective things on back of DVD shelves

Hang a picture in the foyer

Try to put TV stand together

 

I still have no curtains up.  

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, you will get there. And now that you are living there with no trips back and forth to Ohio, you can do it all at your own pace. 

 

Necie seems there is never an ending job at that farm, but I bet it is a lot of fun there.

 

Got the garlic planted and hope it does well. This is my first time planting it.  I figured out the amount of garden soil I will need for 5 8 by 4 ft. raised beds, but not yet for the area around the patio yet. Getting with my neighbor soon to find the best place to buy it. She was saying it would be easier to just buy bags as buying a truck full and having it dumped on the driveway would require filling a wheel barrel and rolling it over to the boxes and then shoveling it in. Not the first time I've done that. More work, yes but cheaper definitely.  I want to get that job done soon. Just need to find a place that sales it by the truck load. 

It is starting to get colder here now, but still more at night. But the days are starting to drop a little more now. So winter is on the way. 

Worked in house mostly this afternoon.  Just doing some little things and taking it easy. Tomorrow is another day. 

[Mt_Rider]

On 11/10/2024 at 1:26 AM, Mt_Rider said:

(misunderstanding with plow guy - coming tomorrow)

 

Wellllll....tomorrow was today and it's come and gone and he didn't show up today either.  PAU already!!    (BTW..."pau"  - pronounced 'pow' ..is Hawaiian for done, finished ) 

 

DH and I spent a lot of time today, dealing with stuck car...expecting to be able to move it back down hill after the snow would be cleared and go up again successfully.     The snow was so deep coming up that I spent a lot of time digging it out from under the car.  I was on my knees.  DH did a lot around the car.  Trying our hill with a low car and deep snow that wasn't supposed to be there when we got home - didn't work.  Packed it underneath. Then sliding sideways doesn't help.  It's against the pile of snow from Thursday's plowing.  So that side still has packed snow but...will it slide to the right if I shovel....all....that...huge...packed....snowbank?     <----  anyone notice I'm using that lil guy a lot lately?  Hmph!  Nearly literal today!

 

DH walked water (in sled) down to ducks .  Walked back up...which is no easy thing with that steep driveway and plodding thru deep snow.  Ya don't want to use the same path - gets packed down and slick. Unless it's what I call a Tibetan Trail.....keep stepping in the same footprints - in very deep snow.  And since it's along the ridge line...just makes me think of the high country of Tibet.  Footprints helter-skelter just pack down the snow and much more likely to leave slick spots even after we get SOMEONE to plow it.

 

I also worked on getting sunlight to the "French drain" - dig/scrape snow off so it doesn't freeze up the roof meltwater.  Exhausted, I fell asleep later, unintentionally, but it was good. 

 

OH....yanno I told him to come plow and he agreed to today - afternoon.     THIRD NO SHOW!  No call.  Nada!  Well there's another "PAU ALREADY!!"   (yes, you'd hear the Hawaiian word and then the English word in today's Hawai'i.  )  Done!  Finished!  Need new plow guy!

 

So now I'm putting out the word that I'm searching for a reliable snowplow person in our area.  Trouble is....everyone has their own equipment.  We should have made payments on a 4-wheeler with blade.  Didn't really think we'd be here that long.....   As in, only til my folks had passed.  LOL  My mom's still here in her later 90's...  Well, she's in D.C. area and I'm glad.  But here we are - butt deep in snow in CO all these decades later.  Who knew?

 

Anyway, I'm wondering what's up with plow guy?  We've had him for quite a few years and he's never No Showed till last spring.  Dementia?   

 

OK...I'm up late and it's cold - cuz turn furnace down when we're under the blankets.....which is where I'm headed now!!!

 

MtRider  

[Mother]

4 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

Well, she's in D.C. area and I'm glad.  But here we are - butt deep in snow in CO all these decades later.

 I understand all too well.  We should be having life easier at ‘this time’ in our lives but circumstances and finances don’t always allow an easy change. I know you want your ultimate move to be Hawaii with your kids but would an interim change in lifestyle or even location be helpful to get you ready for that move?  At this rate, the way your winter is starting, you and DH will be so worn out by spring you might not have the health to make any changes. 

[snapshotmiki]

Already walked.
Finished laundry.
Decorated small Christmas tree that I put in the office because of cat.
Now we will go visit with DH's sister. Flooded yesterday so we put it off.
When I get home will clean baths and dust house.
That's enough for today.

[Littlesister]

Miki, you had an early start.  Enjoy the rest of your day.

 

Mt. Rider, Mother is right.  Your DH has a bad back and you are by no means without your issues as well.  You might want to think about moving somewhere, where you don't have to deal with all that snow and such. I know it will be hard but would be better for the both of you to find somewhere like maybe an apartment or rent a one-story house where they take care of the snow and such. Then you can decide when you are ready to move close to your children. You would be in a better position to pack up and move to Hawaii before something happens that you can't make that move. That one will be the hardest move to make. 

 

Was up this morning going through more junk to get rid of. I heard that all the Good Wills are closing down and going on e-bay to sell off what they have. Seems they can't get any help, and no one buys anything from them enough to keep them going.  I still have other places I can carry stuff to so not worried about it. I think they will be open long enough for me to get the rest of the clutter out of my house. They are the closes to me and the only reason I use them. 

Was outside this morning when a neighbor came over. He loves my raised bed area. He also is working on something for a garden. Rabbits in the summer are a pain. He spotted a dead rat in the area around the patio I am sure it came from either behind me or next door as they both have poison around everywhere. Seems the poison causes them to need water, and they went looking for water. Glad he was dead. So, I disposed of it. Yuk!!!   After he left, I went back in the house to see if it had gotten into my house. Nope nothing to indicate a rat or mouse had been in the house. So had to have come from one of the other 2 houses. He said they are complaining about them and roaches up on the other end of the street where he lives and wanted to know if I was having issues with roaches. Nope no roach issues here. Other than the one that came crawling out of a bag of potatoes I had just bought. So now when I buy potatoes, I empty the bag outside just in case.  Though that roach never got far as I got him. So now I need to go buy rat poison and borax just in case. I will catch them before they get me. With my GD, I am leery of putting anything down for that, but I don't want to take any chances. Will just have to be very careful of placement.  He said one of the neighbors has chickens and the rats got into the chicken coop. We have never had this issue before, and I know there is a lot of building going on. But what is going on and where are all the rats suddenly coming from?

 

Back to the garden. I was thinking, and this might be an answer for Mother.  I have several bags of mulch sitting on the patio. I was wondering if I could use that to fill the raised bed's part way and then put the garden soil in on top of that. I know it rots away in the flower beds but was wondering if it would work in the raised beds?  These beds are 8ft. long 3ft. wide and 2ft. deep. I thought they were 4ft. wide and 3ft. deep and they look like it also. But I went out and measured them.  Still, it is going to be a lot of soil to fill them up. I have 5 of them to fill. 

 

So, if anyone that does raised beds know if mulch will also work, I would love to know if anyone has tried it.  I have put the cardboard and sticks and some firewood but that will take too much of my firewood and I want to try to save it for the wood stove if possible. Only had enough sticks for one box. The other four would be firewood. But that mulch is just sitting there so was just wondering how it would work?

[Necie]

20 minutes ago, Littlesister said:

He said one of the neighbors has chickens and the rats got into the chicken coop. We have never had this issue before, and I know there is a lot of building going on. But what is going on and where are all the rats suddenly coming from?

Anywhere there is livestock and open feed or outdoor feed, there will be rats. It’s like a bowl of outdoor cat food attracting possums, raccoon, skunks, etc. Livestock feed will also attract those critters. And also chickens— for their eggs and meat. 
When we had goats and chickens, we also had all those critter problems. It is something that needs to be stayed on top of it.

[Littlesister]

I didn't know anyone had chickens in this neighborhood anymore. But someone does. Now I am not sure about others. The neighbor behind me does not have chickens nor does the next-door neighbor but both have dogs. They both also had food in the house and one in the garage they were storing up in there. And the rats got in and helped themselves. I now have everything that was in a box in glass jars. It wasn't much and the rice I had just taken out of the freezer and had that sitting on the counter waiting a few days before putting it in a glass jar. I did that when I first heard about a rat population happening in several neighborhoods.  I am thinking due to hard times, people have started to raise chickens. But they are not taken the precautions either. The ones that are not raising chickens seem to have something going on that is attracting the rats. next door they came in twice through her screened in porch. They chewed through the screen and got into the house.  I hate rats, mice and roaches and don't want them near my house. That was a surprise to find the one at my patio but at least it was dead. So that told me it came from one of the two houses that put rat poison down. They are finding dead rats in the yard now.  I am taken every precaution possible. So far so good. 

[Jeepers]

Necie, I've been having second thoughts about having a bird feeder in my yard next year because I didn't want to attract unsavory vermin. I wanted the birds for enjoyment but not at the expense of mice and rats etc. Plus it would have to be close to the house so I could get to it in the winter snow and ice to fill it.