Monday, January 07, 2008

Ahhh, Life.

Life here is settled into a comfortable winter routine. The day starts with letting dogs out. All except Jasper, that is, who would rather have a few more minutes in bed. The kettle goes on, and if Mike is here, on goes the coffee maker too. Boots, jacket and gloves go on, and Jasper is finally roused from his repose. Next a quick trip to the hayshed is in order, to make morning breakfast offerings to Buck and Rupert. Tucker will race up to the fence and bark at Buck, and then Rupert. Then the dogs come back in, except Gillis, who is rather deaf and slightly addled, and tends to follow his nose, and has to be retrieved. Dog, cat, and human breakfasts happen, and if it's a work day, a human goes to work (that would be me) after first searching for, and then utilizing a lint roller to remove dog hair from work clothes.

Around lunchtime, if it is a work day, the human comes home and lets the dogs out, and bemoans the fact that Jasper has once again covered the living room window with dog snot (life isn't always pretty, you know!) Dogs romp and frolic outside while hay offering #2 sails over the fence to Buck and Rupert. After human lunch time, which dogs observe in minute detail, there is generally some sort of walk, which involves more coats, boots, jackets, and lots of kleenexes, because my nose runs like crazy in the cold. If it is an "on property" walk, the hounds are unleashed. If it's an "off property" walk, lots of leashes and planning are involved.

Some time early to mid afternoon it will be time to light the woodstove. If Mike is home, there will be a difference of opinion as to when it should be lit. (I'm always freezing, and he's cooking...and so what if the house is 26 degrees inside?) The "let's light a fire" conversation ends in my favour approximately 80% of the time.

Four p.m. is oat time. Not four-oh-five. It is also time for hay offering #3. (About this time it is time to help people get their vehicles out of the ditch too. We've had three vehicles in two weeks in the ditch in front of our place...what's with that??)

Wood gets carried inside from the woodshed after most hay offerings. If kindling is being cut, about 25% of it must be retrieved from various dogs before it is chewed into splinters.

Dogs are fed, humans are fed, woodstove is fed, we bundle up one more time to feed Buck and Rupert some more hay, and then it's time to sleep and do it all over again tomorrow.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds as if your enjoying it though.

Ruth said...

An idyllic life, if you ask me!

Anonymous said...

Debbie and I met today at the Brew Pub and raised one in your honor. We looked at the calendar and your birthday is on a Saturday. We figure it would be fun to come up your way and maybe spend the weekend at Hills Guest Ranch if Mikey will babysit the hounds and rest of the animals!