Housekeeping...or Not

Part of the kitchen sink barricade 

Housekeeping around this place has become a horror that I literally have nightmares about. I am not exactly Susie Homemaker at the best of times, but dogs, people, stuff....there are a lot of them living here and they have a lot of the latter, which results in quite a mess.

And water! Plus the objects needed to move it. With the cows gone, all the barn water lines promptly froze. Not much to do but turn off the water and haul what the remaining animals need.

There are four cows, four horses, a large flock of chickens and guinea fowl, and a buncha bunnies.

They all need to drink a lot of water every day, so Liz and the boss and Becky haul a lot of water every day.

FROM THE KITCHEN!!!

Yeah, those barrels in the pic used to contain stuff for the milk house. Now they move water from here to the barn. And there are chicken waterers, bunny bottles, pony pails, all kinds of water containers drug in and out every day, several times a day. 

I have to wait my turn at the sink to do dishes, as the waterline that feeds the cold water is a little frozen and it takes a long time to run all that water. (This is actually a fine excuse to put off my least favorite job.) All of the smaller animals buckets and bottles must thaw too, some at every heat register, kitchen and dining room.

There is always hay in the sink. On the floor. Everywhere. And sand from sanding the walkways gets tracked...lots of that too. Sawdust and wood chips from the stove ditto.

I have pretty much given up on any semblance of tidiness, opting instead to sweep the sand and hay back out the door a couple times a week, just because it makes me feel better, not that it makes any lasting difference....

Add in the mountains of outdoor clothing and mounds of boots, gloves galore drying everywhere there is heat, and you have the perfect recipe for disaster. These are the times when being nearsighted has its advantages.