2012

I have a tale of woe, but that is for a later post, for now I’ll try to catch you up on everything that has happened in the last two months, or at least what I can remember. Rudy has managed to stay away from hospitals, so my Father decided it was his turn. This time they put in two stints (about time). I recently talked to my Father, and since they changed his medication he has been getting dizzy (from lack of sleep), and finally took a spill himself. Mother is usually the one, and not to be outdone she took one too. He did a good job of it, splitting open his head, but no concussion (thank you Lord for that). He is buying us a 394 gal tank (Christmas present) that I can keep at the house so if we get into water issues again I can keep that water heated, and siphon it out as needed for the horses. Most of my time the last two months has been divvied up between hauling water, hauling ice to make water, and cutting wood. He also bought me a chain saw for Christmas only I can’t start it so it’s going back. I was going to take it back to the repair guy today, but the jeep wouldn’t start, and since it snowed last night I wasn’t too keen on taking the Fiero (gee I wonder why?). Anyway Rudy said I could use the reciprocating saw, and by gum, and by golly it worked. I now have some good wood in my pile instead of just small starter logs, and kindling.

April still hasn’t gotten full use of her hand yet so we really haven’t done much with the horses, besides I’ve been so depressed, and tired (wood cutting & water hauling) I haven’t felt like doing anything else. I did identify one water issue, the bathroom toilet was constantly running so that didn’t help our water supply. I have that turned off now, and even with the neighbors here I still have water. I even did laundry the other day without it taking all day. I put insulation around the pump house pipes as best I could, and I made a box for the pasture water faucet out of cardboard, a large plastic bag, and R19 insulation. If it works as well as the cover I made for the barn water main we should be in like Flynn. I put some insulation in the box in the barn, but that faucet is leaking so I don’t think it will be a problem anyway. I am assuming that our neighbors have turned off the pump at the dirt tank, and that is why we still have water. They left for a while because their pipes froze (city folk), and I didn’t notice a drop in water once they came back. Hopefully their water usage will be minimal for the winter.

Taggot got run over by April when she came over to feed for me while I was in Roswell (Father was in the hospital). It split his abdominal wall open so his bladder, spleen, and who knows what else was being held in by his skin alone.  The vet said it would be 6 – 8 weeks recovery time, but try to tell that to Taggot. It’s been less than two, and he’s back to his old self driving me crazy. Pena has some sort of fungus (I think) on her leg, and the little ones are filthy due to my water problems. What other wonderful things have been happening? The truck died out on me for a while, but it turns out that the last time Rudy drove it he had to use the pliers to start it, and it is now out of kilter by a quarter turn. Not knowing this I had actually been leaving it turned on draining the battery. I’ll find out when I go to get hay again whether the battery is truly dead or not. We’re hoping for not, but since I don’t want to have to put out for another battery I’m not in a hurry to find out. What I don’t know can’t hurt me philosophy.

On a good note the Mercantile started carrying compressed alfalfa for $10/bale. The only problem is they ran out so I paid $12/bale for grass the last tome I got feed. I only bought 10 bales hoping they’d get more in before I had to buy more hay. Jeri is not pleased, and has a whole pile of grass in his stall. He gets no more food until he eats what is already there. After three weeks they finally got the compressed hay in, and they raised the price to $12/bale so I’ll feed half & half (half grass, and half alfalfa) to everyone except Jeri of course (spoiled). I prefer feeding half & half anyway. I just liked the $10/bale price, who wouldn’t?

Everyone else if fine, and putting on some weight. Star has grown, she’s now 14.1 hands. She looks like a smaller version of her Dam with her graceful long neck (not too long), and long legs. I may just have to keep her forever. We’ll see what the new year brings. We could sure use some good breaks for a change, but that I suppose is too much to ask for. Let’s at least pretend it’s not, and somehow 2012 will be the bearer of happier days.