A Winter Afternoon

All quiet here.

Things are quiet here this week. Mike and I are both working Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Besides Molly developing a fascination with unrolling and shredding toilet paper, there's nothing much new.

The thermometer declared that it was minus 25 outside when I left the warmth of my bed this morning. The woodstove is radiating a cheerful coziness, and I have Heart Healthy Flax/Bran/Apple/Carrot/Raisin/Nut Muffins in the oven; they're smelling heavenly.

Buck is looking brighter. His wound continues to drain, and as it has become very cold, he's developed serosanguinous icicles at the exit site. Not so heavenly.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all from all of us here in the Cariboo: Mike, Karen, Buck, Rupert, Lucy, Gillis, Jasper, Molly and Misha.

Buck is doing well, his wound is draining - Brian said it will for up to a week. He spent some time in his house yesterday, which is a first!

In the Bleak Midwinter...

There's an old, beautiful Christmas carol that's been in my head for a few days, and more so early this morning, being out with Buck in the biting wind:

In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, long, long ago...

Bad Luck, Buck.

Poor Buck.

Mike went out to feed the boys this morning and came back in to say that Buck was bleeding. We went back out, and found that he had a large gaping wound just where the body meets the left hind leg. We applied pressure to it, which helped a bit. Brian, our vet came, sedated Buck a bit, and began investigating the wound. I held Buck, and Mike leaned mightily against Buck's right hindquarters to help keep him from wobbling over . Brian had his whole hand inside the wound, which extended approximately 10 inches up, and pulled out some spruce twigs, so obviously Buck injured himself on a very sharp branch. After irrigating and partially suturing the wound, Brian gave Buck some IV antibiotics, and will come back later with some tetanus toxoid and oral antibiotics.

Buck is now back in his pasture, sleepily eating his Christmas eve hay.

Winter Solstice

All fixed

Got the rock chip repaired this morning. "$15 if you have cash; $16.95 if you don't" . I love Cariboo commerce!

Small rant

My new windshield lasted 5 weeks. There's a big chip near the bottom that will definitely spread unless I can get it repaired ASAP. Damn. If "Inferior Roads" (as I so fondly call them)wouldn't spread rocks and small boulders on the roads, and tried sand and gravel instead, I'm sure ICBC and CDI would have many fewer windshield claims. Someone should do an analysis of the cost to the government of spreading suitable stuff on the road and see if it offsets the cost to ICBC in windshield replacements. I'm sure they spend and absolute fortune replacing windshields in the north. Okay, rant over. Going to bed now.

Jasper

Not a new photo, but it's seasonal and it's one of my favourites.

On our way to the mall...

We went up to Williams Lake this morning to do some Christmas shopping. Here are a few shots taken en route:

Saturday Morning

Morning sun on aspens.

Frost on the shed window.

A chilly minus twenty degrees here this morning. Molly is doing well, and has ignored all vet-issued instructions about no jumping, climbing or running for two weeks. She's definitely a bit slower and sleepier, but she's not going to lie around quietly to recuperate. I tried leaving her in her travel cage for a few hours, but she was distressed and howling, and very much happier when let out.

We have some snow plowing to do today, and are going into town for a few things...otherwise, it'll be a quiet "stay inside and stay warm" kind of day.

Snowy Friday Morning

Plenty of new snow this morning...very little accumulation on the metal roofs, due to the strong westerlies that are blowing, but there's maybe five inches of new stuff underfoot. We're getting the winds now that pounded Vancouver Island and the lower mainland overnight...but they're not as strong.

The tall leaning dead pine has an appointment with the chainsaw very soon. If the wind had been blowing from the east, I'm pretty sure it would have come down by itself.

Snow games! The dogs love to play in the snow, but they're always happy to come back inside to warm up.

All is Calm...

The house is strangely quiet this morning. There's no black streak zooming back and forth at high speed. There's no one tormenting the dogs, or climbing the door frames. The tablecloth hasn't been pulled off since yesterday. Molly is at the vet, being spayed this morning. That'll slow her down...for a day or two, anyway.

As I had to be in town relatively early this morning, I took a quick shower before going out to feed Buck and Rupert. Things were a bit more frosty than they have been recently when I went out, and when I got back in, my hair was crunchy! I hadn't looked at the thermometer before I went out...it was minus 15! Note to self: Wash hair after feeding horse & donkey.

The knee is a bit bruised, but fine.

Ouch!

I slipped on the ice this morning at the Subaru dealer when dropping the car off for service. Now my right knee is sorer than my left shin, which I managed to hurt a couple of weeks ago. I should go and take my calcium - one needs strong healthy bones here, it seems.

Happy Birthday, KB!

It's my oldest and dearest friend's birthday today. For years, Karen, Nancy, Debbie, Barbara and I have gotten together on each other's birthdays to celebrate each other, and our friendship. We've done some interesting things...and had far too many laughs to count. I'm not able to be with them today due to distance and logistics...but we talked on the phone as they were pouring the first Bailey's coffees of the morning. They're preparing to invade several wineries in Langley. Have a great day! 

On My Own...

Mike is working in the Kootenays this week. He left early this morning and will be home on Friday, sometime. So it's just me minding things til then. Last night was wild and windy, and I see there's a wind warning up for today too. This morning I lifted a small aspen off the fence in Buck's pasture, mended the electric fence, re-secured a couple of tarps, and filled the woodbox in the house. Being a nurse is on the agenda for this afternoon. Gotta pay the bills.

Happiness is a warm coat...

Buck has grown a spectacular, luxuriant, soft, fuzzy winter coat. He's been a Cariboo horse for all his 15 or so years, and lives exclusively outdoors at his own preference. He's very well equipped to stay warm in the coldest weather. I've increased his food by around 20 percent for the cold months as he needs extra calories to help keep him warm. He's looking great.

Only four more months of snow, Rupert!

Winter really isn't Rupert's favorite time of year. He's made a few trails in the snow, but mostly hangs out in or near his house. Last week when the wellhouse did its version of Old Faithful and temporarily flooded his house, he wouldn't go back inside. We've discovered that we can get free wood shavings at 100 Mile Wood Products, and he now has a luxurious bed about 8 inches deep - much more to his liking! 

Wednesday afternoon pics

 

You know you're in the country when...

You know you're in the country when the postmaster helps you stick stamps onto your Christmas cards - even though she's "not supposed to"! Thanks, Audrey.

Full Moon Rising (4:45 pm)

 

Treat Night!

It's treat night on the farm! In the cold weather, every few nights we give Buck and Rupert a warm bran mash. Tonight's menu features the addition of apples, minerals, and "horse treats" for Rupert...and for Buck, who doesn't much care for apples...there are carrots, minerals, oats and "horse treats". They enjoy being indulged, and I think it makes me feel warmer! 

@#$%&*!

When I got up this morning, there was no running water in the house...and there was a geyser in the wellhouse which in turn had created a river running through Rupert's pen. Once the pump was turned off, the immediate crisis was over. Luckily Mike wasn't too far away, and was able to come home and restore order and water...my hero!