Saturday, February 21, 2009

My Little Helper

One of my nephews called the other day. "Aunt Lynn, I want to earn some money. Do you have any jobs I can do?" He's 9, and quite the little worker. So, of course, I said yes. Not only do I have some help in getting some chores done around the barn, but I also get to spend time with him and visit with him.

I picked him up around 9:30. We got home and started in. We brought hay out to the field, spread it around, let the horses out. Then we cleaned up the back room. The tags from the grain bags are going to be turned in to New England Equine Rescues. We pulled all the tags off the grain bags that had been piling up all winter. We cleaned the stalls. We brought in hay for tonight. We made sure the roosters had food and water. We used a couple of old wire coat hangers to firm up the muffler and pipe on the old Ford truck.

We got in the house around 11:15, and he had earned enough money for the game he wanted to buy. We had hot chocolate and dried his outside gear by the wood stove until his Mom came to pick him up and take him to his sliding party. I had a great time and got to spend some time catching up on his life and the things happening with him.

It's a beautiful, sunny day. The temperature is only 33.1 but the eaves are dripping.

My new boss is at work, so NO MORE SATURDAY'S!!! Yeah!

My youngest daughter, Emma, has a basketball game tonight. Barn chores are mostly done, so tonight will be a quick run through the barn. Oops - forgot to go to the grain store. Guess I will have to do that in the morning. Good thing there are carrots in the fridge and a small amount of grain left for tonight.

Every day is one closer to spring.... keep thinking warm...........

Thursday, February 19, 2009

AAAHAHHHHH! Warm weather, Green Grass....

I'm in my t-shirt, on my trusty steed, Buddy, walking through grass high enough that if I were on foot, I would be lost in it. The wind is blowing gently, just enough of a breeze to make it cool and comfortable. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the water is flowing in the river next to the field. I smile as I turn my face up to enjoy the warmth of the sun. The gentle beat of Buddy's gait is soothing.

Beep, beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep, beep. Damn alarm. It always happens this way. Yawn. Stretch. Yawn, again. Sigh. Just looked out the window. It's still snowing. Ohy, vey. Makes me want to pull the covers up over my head and ignore the world until spring has sprung and all the snow is melted.

The snow is continuing, off and on, most of the day. My truck broke down. Walked the 1/3 mile home in 25 degree weather to get the truck that my daughter usually drives. Called the tow truck. Went to the gas station. Oops. My debit card and my checkbook are in the truck at the garage. Argh. Back to the garage. Back to the corner store to get gas, oil and antifreeze. Damn daughter. Head off to work. I would have been about 1/2 hour early, instead I was 5 minutes late.

Still spitting snow when I went home tonight. Made supper. Had a bit of an attitude. Out doing barn chores at 8 pm at 21.9 degrees. My hat and scarf are in the other truck.

Guess this is one of those days where nothing is easy and nothing goes according to plans. I truly wish I were back south and my horses were with me, and riding through the warm grass wasn't a dream, but a reality.

Going to go dream of warm weather and endless rides. If I don't answer my phone, guess you will know where I am.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

ARGH!

What the BLEEP! Couldn't it have done this mess while I was down SOUTH!???!?!!?

You guessed it - SNOW >:( Why I hate Vermont WINTER!

I'll show everyone the oohhh and aaaahhh pictures tomorrow, but for now it's just sludge and sliding around on the roads.

I'm so disgusted that I'm going to bed as soon as Top Chef is over with.

Sigh.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Forget Reality TV, Welcome to Reality, VT

Mom. Mom. Wake up. Mom. (Barking in background) Mom. Hi. Can I go out to lunch with my friends before they go back to school? Mom. Wake up.

Ugh. Sigh. Yawn. Stretch. Huh?

Mom. Can I go out to lunch with my friends? (phone beeping now, harmonizing nicely with the dogs continuing to bark in the background.) I let the dogs out and fed them. Can I go?

Ah, vacation must really be over.

Who cares if Julie stabs Nicole in the back, and Bruce is running around naked. This is REALITY. Forget the reality tv garbage.

Sigh. Here we go. ON with the layers. Darn? Have I unpacked my boots yet? Downstairs to breast feed the wood stove. Then the one in the living room. Then to the coffee maker - (DAD, MOM - I so miss you! I was so spoiled. Every morning I got up on vacation, the coffee was made.) Groan. My gloves are still packed. The temperature here at 10 am is 32 degrees. Whine. I wanna go back south! Let the horses out, scattered hay around. They look really good! Feed the roosters and uncover their cage so they can get some sunshine.

Back inside, coffee is done. Groan. Well, what did I truly expect? The dishes are mostly done. Looks like the dishwasher is clean but not emptied. Most of the laundry is still caught up - except for the small wardrobe in the recliner in the living room. My darling daughter loves to get dressed by the wood stove and leave her pj's hanging out for the dogs to sleep on during the day.

How insane am I - the girls are on vacation this week. The only one home last night was MJ - who got home around 12am from work. Daily chores must mean that they think about them once a day and only do them when they want to do something and the only question they are asked is "Are your chores done?"

Dogs must have really missed me as I can't go anywhere in the house that they don't follow me and lay at my feet. My snarly biting monster is sacked out on my lap and grumbles occasionally when I shift my lap - sorry to disturb your snooze.

So, the birds need feeding, the plants look like they are a little parched and the edges of everything need a little tlc. The barn, however, looks nice. My husband did some tidying up and fixed a couple of small things I had been asking him about.

My cold that was so close to being gone in South Carolina is back. I'm regularly coughing, again. Sigh. Wish I was like Samantha on Bewitched. I'd be materializing somewhere south where there is no snow.

Driving home over the weekend, I didn't hit any real accumulation of snow until I got into Massachusetts. What a bummer. The snow banks here aren't bad, after a week of 40 degree weather during the day and no more accumulation. But you know we aren't going to be able to slide by on that. You know there are a few more storms just brewing out there somewhere on the horizon. Sigh. Bleck. No worries about having to get the lawn mower tuned up here, yet.

Oh, to go back to bed and wake up in the warm, warm south. Guess that bubble is burst. I'm not kidding - I already marked it on my calendar. Next January and February, I am packing up one of my dogs and my two horses and I'm south. Already gave Hubby notice. With him or not, I'm gone. I have almost a year to save up and get things ready. Plans are already made in South Carolina. Something to look forward to!

Off to putter around the house, water the plants, feed the birds, clean up and unpack and wash laundry. Back to being Mom. Sigh. I haven't been gone long enough to truly miss all this. Wonder just how long that might take? Well, know it is longer than 9 days.

:)

:( Snow, cold, in Vermont. Sigh

Well, my vacation is over. The cold, snowy reality of Vermont is real, again. After hours and hours of driving, I arrived home to a wonderful, humoring husband. I visited the horses in the barn, settled my riding buddies in for the night (I brought home two roosters from South Carolina - Heckle and Jeckle! I'll post pictures of them soon!) And I'm cleaning out my email inboxes. Wasn't too bad, as I tried to keep up with them while I was south.

My dogs and cats were very welcoming - they are still snuggled around my feet while I'm sitting here at the computer. I'm headed to bed soon as I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

So, pictures and more updates will follow!

Sigh. Snow. Cold. Bleck. Double Bleck.