Had the morning off yesterday. Although Saturday isn't Sunday, it sure was nice. The guys went off for cow hay and to hit a machinery auction and to try to buy my Christmas present from the boss***, so we women had the day to ourselves. Liz kept the cows fed and I worked on the wood stove. There are times when that is a miserable and thankless task, but on a day like yesterday it beat housework all hollow.
Alan takes care of the stove for the most part, but he tends not to shovel out the ashes. Not something you need to do every day with an outdoor stove, but sooner or later it must be done. They were at least a foot deep.
These outdoor wood-burning critters are supposed to be inefficient, but if you burn them right when it is time to clean them out there is nothing left but incredibly heavy, dense, mealy powder. I swear every shovel full weighs twenty pounds. Yesterday there was a sluggish fire of gigantic maple blocks burning so I had to clean around that, and I was pretty pooped when I got done. However, the sun was hammering down hard enough that I soon shed my fleece vest. (You know you are a farmer when your vest says "Today" on it and rather than being a Zen statement it is an advertisement for mastitis medicine). It was actually warm enough for just a turtleneck and jeans, which is a mighty fine thing. After the shoveling I scavenged some apple up in the orchard and got that sullen fire fired up so to speak. (I didn't use any of my precious fat wood, as I didn't need to but last week I build a fire from scratch with it -just three little pieces that I broke off-and it was fantastic. I had a fire that was woofing and snarking up the logs in about five minutes! Thanks FC, again.)
It was a fantastic day to be out. Our resident mocking bird was hard at work teaching the cardinal how to sing his song. Clouds of blackbirds were nattering around in the box elders up by the old hop house. There were geese and killdeers and robins. Chickadees, titmice, and goldfinches. It was just warm enough to work hard, but cool enough to be comfy. The grass is actually turning GREEN! For the past two years spring has been so late that there has been no grass well into May. As we are buying feed seeing the land green up lifts my heart plumb up. No bugs yet either, although I slathered on plenty of OFF! to dissuade ticks from visiting my vulnerable ankles. I hope today is half as nice.
***The boss promised me one of those waffle deck plastic wagons for Christmas, but couldn't find one during the winter months. He is still looking, but they are just not in the stores yet. I love something like that for hauling wood and garden dirt and hay and all. Can't wait until he finds one!
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8 comments:
I hope your sunday is as nice as your saturday was. I know your days off are few and well deserved (although cleaning that stove sounds like real work to me) Your photos, as usual, are gorgeous! I can almost smell your flowers if I close my eyes and try hard. :0) No flowers here yet but we hit 50 - woohoo....I can see bare ground and perhaps hints of green grass under the fence lines! Thank you God....it has been such a long winter.
Have a great day!
Deb
I love the crocus pictures it gives me the yearnings:) Hope you get your Christmas present soon.
You're welcome! I used a few sticks yesterday to start my charcoal for BBQ rib cooking. Hope you get that wagon soon!
Oh heck, I'm going to FC's for ribs! LOL
Dang, it's nice to see some color besides white, isn't it? Perfect pics of your new sproutlings. Canon would be pleased. :-)
Those wagons are pretty cool. I've seen a version that when you dump it, the wheels come together making it easier to empty. Have a great weekend and enjoy the sun!
I love your post, I could picture you, busy as could be in your turtleneck! It's amazing what a warmer day will do for ones' disposition. I actually didn't have to light a fire last night, and we were too warm, even the dogs slept out last night. Spring is here!
Thanks for the great pictures.
Deb, thanks, we did get some gardening done. Congrats on the green grass. It is so good to see!!
Linda, they will get it for me soon as they can I guess. I can't wait either as they are getting busy outside and not so good about bringing me wood. Hot water for showers and a little heat is kind of nice and it is hard to bring in enough wood with the wheelbarrow.
FC Thanks, I had to get a fire going on a bad windy, wet day so I used a little and boy did it work great. Saved me a lot of standing in the rain lighting matches.
STeve, yeah, that Florida food does seem inviting. lol The guys were just telling me about one of those dump ones...they sound pretty cool, but I suspect the plain ones are probably a little lighter. We had a big old fashioned wooden one that we bought to haul Liz around when she was a baby. I used it all those years for so many things. The side rack broke off eventually and I used it as a flatbed. However, it has been commandeered to serve as a portable base for our biggest barn fan so....lol
Nita, thanks! I am much enjoying your photos of west coast spring. That sun photo was superb!
I had two ticks over the weekend... it's been warm but tonight we're supposed to get a hard freeze!
Rurality, oh dear! Poor you! I simply hate and fear ticks! Supposed to freeze here too over last night. I am just itching to get planting, but it needs to warm up a bunch first.
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