Saturday, November 22, 2008

Saturday stuff

Ed will be home tomorrow, and I am very glad about that. Though I am keeping busy just doing my "normal" stuff, I miss him not being here and really miss his help. Especially this weekend, we are in a big cold snap here in Maine, and right now have a good douse of "January weather".. not that we're not used to weather like this, just that it has come a whole lot earlier than usual. Water has been the big project of the weekend. That dandy water carrier that Ed made up last fall is frozen tight, so I am lugging water 10 gallons at a time from the house to the barn. Which is fine and is working OK.. but four horses ... two being drafts.. can suck up a lot of water in a short amount of time. Duke especially seems to be a big drinker and can drain a bucket in a matter of minutes!!! Aside from the fact that the buckets are freezing, I simply can not wait to have electricity in that barn and be able to plug these buckets in!!! I worry about Mocha the most, she seems to have a hard time breaking the ice in her bucket.. the big guys grab hold and let the buckets slam against the stall walls.. but Mocha either can't do that or doesn't know how, because I have been breaking the ice out of her bucket. She also seems to not like it that cold... "they" talk of a warm up on Tuesday, back into the 40's.. I so hope they are right, we could really use a little weather break right now. In the meantime, it's lugging water and breaking ice... I don't know what more to do.

The guys didn't get as far as they hoped with closing in the building. All last week, they fought against the wind, and a couple of times, I nearly held my breath as they were getting big panels up. The cold hasn't really helped either.. it's hard to work fast when you are chilled to the bone. I know they are anxious to close it in.. that way they can work out of the wind as well. But, they are making progress and the house is beginning to look like a house.

Being Saturday, our dump was open today... it's open on Monday, Wednesday and Saturdays this time of year. For some reason, making a dump run isn't any big deal, and that's kind of funny in it's own way. See, when we lived in York, there was curb side service on Wednesdays... so all I had to do was pull the trash buckets out to the road. But it always seemed like such a project!!! For one thing, you had to get it out early or you might miss the truck. If you missed, then you were stuck until the following week... and I can't even tell you how many times, I "forgot" it was Wednesday, and went flying out when I heard the truck at the end of the road.

When we moved here and I realized that I would have to get the trash to the dump, I was worried about that, loading the trash, driving to the dump, making sure I knew the days and hours it was open, I didn't think I could handle that... especially since I had "such a time of it" just with the curb service. But, it's turned out to be really quite ok... I usually go on Mondays... the dumb is quiet and really it isn't that far from the farm. The drive out to it is a pretty one, going past a number of farms, and small ponds. The dogs have gotten into the habit of making the dump run with me and they love it. The "dump man" always has cookies for them and they get so excited as we turn in. And the "dump man"... what a funny guy he is. He has a long white beard... and sort of looks like a troll.. but he has the best laugh and always something wonderful to say when you pull up. As I said, he loves seeing the dogs, and they no longer bark and guard the truck, but eagerly jump to the window for their treats. I also see alot of "town folk" at the dump and often run into neighbors who have questions about the progress on the house or how the horses are doing. So dump runs have kind of become a "thing that do you". I didn't take all the dogs on today's dump run (didn't have time to go last Monday) only Moxie was with me, (it was almost too cold to have her in the truck, but she insisted on going), the "dump man" was quite disappointed to only see one dog in the truck, and told a few others that were there..."she's the gal with the six dogs!!!"



The last thing I want to "blog" about this evening is my popcorn popper!!! I feel a bit guilty that I haven't spoken of it before. See, popcorn is one of my favorite treats, but I like "real" popcorn. I mean the microwave kind is fine in a pinch, but I like the kind made in oil. I had been making it on the stove top, but I either burn it a bit or don't get the portion right making either way too much or too little. So, Ed went online and found me this wonderful popcorn popper!!! You put a little oil in the bottom, a rotating arm pushes the kernels around, and when its done, you flip it over and have your popcorn in a bowl. It make the most wonderful popcorn with the best taste.... and I nearly have a popcorn feast every evening!!!


It's also a favorite of the dogs.. so I always have to make enough for them as well, we usually finish the bowl between the seven of us!!! and with that in mind, I think I will go and pop us a bowl right now....

don't know how to play...

My blog friend, nuzzling muzzles, had me on a list of "tagged folks" with regards to telling six random things about yourself... the trouble is, I don't know how to play this tag thing.. but I thought it would be fun to share those six random things. People who know me personally probably know this stuff... but maybe not... so here goes..

1. Ed and I met when we were in the second grade. All thru school he was my "big brother" if you will.. he was the guy I called when my little car broke down (even though I had a boyfriend at the time) he was the shoulder I cried on when that boyfriend turned out to be a jerk... and we never went on one date until we had graduated from high school. Even that was a fluke.. he was "free" and I had just become "free", so he invited me out, and well.. the rest is history!!!!

2. Both our daughter's were born on their due dates... Kassy was October 1st and Sadie was Feb. 29th (leap day).. I am one of those women that you all "hate".. I was in labor with Kassy for three hours and with Sadie for 45 minutes (nearly didn't make it to the hospital!!!)

3. I have always wanted to be a dog trainer (though I thought I would train seeing eye dogs), and always knew that one day I would live on a farm

4. I lived in the town that I was born in, until three months ago!!!!

5. I have been raising and showing cocker spainels since 1981... so I know the breed quite well.

6. and when I am not "playing with my animals"... I love cross stitch, quilting and knitting, and one day would like to learn how to spin. My favorite sort of days are either being in my barn, or sitting by the fire with a cup of cocoa, a good movie and a project in my lap...

so, there are my six "random" things if you will... that was a fun idea....