The Joy of Living in Vermont in Winter Time

I hate winter. Big news flash, huh? I have made that abundantly clear over the last year. Not only am I allergic to dust, hay, horses, chickens, etc. I now find out that I am have asthmatic allergic reaction to ~ insert drum roll here ~ COLD. No way. This is so unfair.

So, here I am last night, trying to bend over and clean Tommy's foot to see what is making him limp, with my scarf hanging down in my eyes, my glasses fogging up, and Tommy sniffing at my butt. I hope you all are laughing right now. I wasn't at the time because I couldn't breathe because it was only 17 degrees in the barn. I was also interfering with his dinner. I would think that if you have 4 legs, you could eat plenty fine on three. There was a small protest until he figured out three were better than two and kept munching on.

Tommy's foot is fine, as far as I could tell, but cleaned it well and put some kopertox on it just in case. Don't know if it smelled funky as I couldn't smell anything if you paid me. Could smell the kopertox after that spilled on my glove. Yuck. Bleck.

I'm headed out in a few minutes to soak his foot in epsom salt and warm water, then will dry it really good and do my famous dressing on it. It consists of putting a cushioned pad in a diaper then duct tape it, wrapping it all up on his hoof. That helps keep whatever is in his foot wicking away while keeping it completely contained and dried. If this doesn't work in a day or so I will have to call out the vet to get a further evaluation.

I do know it is not founder, or a nail or staple or anything like that. It looks good except maybe a little bit of thrush around the frog.

I'll bring my inhaler with me (which I totally don't get, by the way ... why would I use an inhaler to open my breathing passages when I don't want to inhale more COLD air????)

This is why I dream of South Carolina this time of year. I am working on getting everything ready to head south next month, but not sure that I'm going to get it all together for as soon as I want it... but it WILL happen!

Out to the barn... too bad breathing is so mandatory to live... gasp... gotta stop laughing, also, as I run out of breath.....

Back from the Dead

Well, back from the dead. Up and working on the computer today. Not going outside if I can help it - ran out for just two minutes to let the horses out and sneak the eggs away from the chickens. Left the chickens inside as it is way too cold out. It was only 17 degrees at 9 am when I went out. Have the wood stoves cranking out the heat today. Love living in a house that has almost no insulation.

At least I have my voice today - still coughing up a storm. I need to move some place that is much warmer than here - or get a covered walk way to the barn. My bones ache and my lungs are killing me. Only 4 more months of this crappy weather to go :(

If there were only one strain of flu...

I've been on the couch all day. I'm sicker than sick. So much for the H1N1, flu and pneumonia shot. I got the only strain they don't immunize against. Bleck.

Eating chicken soup and drinking hot ice tea.

Going to lay on the couch and watch my head explode every time I cough up a lung.

Prayers, but no phone calls. Lost my voice, too.

Argh. Hope I feel better tomorrow.