Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

For some reason, winter just doesn't want to end this year. Our temps are still, for the most part, below average. It's supposed to get up to around 70 on Thursday, then it's supposed to be in the 40s over the weekend. At this time of year, our temps should be in the upper 50s. I'm hoping that next week is better. That will help me become more motivated to do stuff. I cannot remember a year when we've had to burn wood this much. We've gone thru close to 5 cords! And since normally, we're around 3 or 4, that's a lot of extra wood. No wonder I'm tired of doing it.

They had to push Bible study to Thursday for this week, and I'm glad. It's supposed to rain on Thursday, so I wouldn't be able to do anything at the farm. So, I should be able to do some stuff at the farm. I know I have 2 fence posts that need to be replaced. And, I want to move a couple of other posts. One is for where I'm making a gate into my area. It's not quite wide enough for the mower I have now, nor the manure spreader. I didn't have either when I put the post in, and I haven't had time to do it. The other is one of the posts I use for when I divide up my pasture. I'm wanting to make a round pen in my field, and the only place I can do it is in the one corner. And one of the posts needs to move. I measured stuff yesterday and this is the only place that makes sense for doing it. Other than that, I'll be digging more dock and doing normal chores.

At home, I'll be doing more stuff both inside and outside. I'm feeling more normal today, so I hope I get a lot done. So, my list for today is:

1. Clean kitchen
2. Iron shirts
3. Normal farm chores
4. Posts
5. Dig dock
6. Clean field (I want to have it pretty much done by Thursday so if it hasn't really started to rain when I get there, I can dump the cart)
7. Firewood
8. Goat pen
9. Garden
10. Yard (that includes any work I do to flower beds)
11. Dishes

That's enough for today, and I need to get started.

Well, I got all of my list done. I did take a few computer breaks today because I was beat. But, I kept plugging away until it was all done. Of course, I still have more to go to get caught up, but when I look at what I have done so far this year and compare it to last year, I'm happy.

Oh, and I only did 1 of the posts. There was only 1 up where I could get it easily. The rest are down in a field. Next time I dump my cart, I'll grab one. And, I didn't move the other 2 posts. It was cold out there and I was freezing! I'm still freezing. I'm going to bed soon.

Yup, well below average temps :-( My body worker was here from FL last weekend and my riding instructor arrives this weekend, so if course is going to be cold!

Is winter ever going to end? Every time we think it's over, we get more cold weather and snow! I looked out my window this morning, then opened my window to be sure it wasn't just the light. We had some light snow overnight. I'm back to burning wet wood because I haven't had the time to get in the woods and get more. I'm trying my hardest to get stuff done in the garden so I can plant it but the weather is just not cooperating. Hubby is STILL driving me nuts, he's still getting drunk, but at least he hasn't screamed at me lately. I have clothes in the washer and don't know if I should put them on the line or not. But, I think I'm going to try them on the line. I need to get busy, so here's my list for today.

1. Clothes
2. Normal farm chores
3. Work
4. Feed store
5. Work on cleaning field
6. Firewood
7. Yard
8. Garden
9. Goat pen
10. Feed animals
11. Dishes
12. Housework

That's enough for today, and I need to get busy.

After the lousy start to the day, the weather did get better. And, I did get most of my list done. I wasn't able to work on my field, and I didn't do any house work. But I got more of the goat pen cleaned, some of the garden and part of one of the flower garden weeded and did some firewood. I don't have a fire going right now, but will probably need to make one in the morning

I should have chicks by the end of the week and most of the seeds I started are up! I'm hoping to repot them into larger containers and then starting flowers

I'm not going to be able to do stuff outside today since by the time I get home, we're supposed to have showers. And hubby is supposed to get done work at a normal time, so we're going out for dinner. I'm thinking lobster. But, I have a lot to get done first. So, my list for today is:

1. Dishes
2. Clean kitchen
3. Laundry
4. Feed animals
5. Bible study
6. Doctors' appointments
7. Errands
8. Go out to dinner
9. Take care of animals at home
10. Trash

I need to get started. If I have time, I might do some work w/my seedlings. I want to get some into bigger containers.

I had a nice dinner. It was for my birthday. DD and her fiancée couldn't make it, but my son and his SO came. And while I didn't get done as much of the laundry and the dishes as I wanted to, I still got some of them done. I was going to work on repotting some of my seedlings, but didn't get to it today. So I think I'm going to work on that in the morning. I don't have a fire going tonight, didn't have one last night either. I'll make one in the morning. Normally when I'm messing w/the fire, that's when I work w/my seedlings now.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It's going to be in the 50s. And while I need to feed horses and clean stalls for EH, I don't have anything at the farm that's really pressing. I'll be working on cleaning my field, and then I'm going to work w/Misty and if I have time, I'll ride her for a bit! I don't want to get on her w/out working her in the RP so I know if she's going to listen to me or not. I'm hoping I can work w/her again tomorrow. Then they're calling for rain on Friday, Saturday I'm making Easter dinner at my parents' house so I won't have time, but if hubby works on Sunday, I'll work w/her some more then. I have a lesson scheduled for Monday! I'm so looking forward to it. But I don't think Misty is. I told her all about it, and she walked away.

Silly horse!

Yep, it was funny the way she did it.

Didn't have time to get on yesterday, I had to leave real early. But, I had a great day! Rather than working real hard to get my field all cleaned up, I only did part of it. Then, I stuck Misty in the RP and worked w/her for a few minutes. It didn't take long for me to see that she was listening to me, so I groomed her the best I could (she could really use a bath plus she has knots in her mane-I got some of them out), then saddled her up and rode her. Normally if she's been off for awhile, she can be a real handful. But, she listened to me w/out a problem! I didn't ride long, just for a few minutes, but I'm really hopeful that today we can do even more. I'm going to see about riding her in the riding arena since there's more room in there.

I'm pretty sure that one of my young hens has gone broody! So, I left her w/6 marked eggs. Today I'm going to get my broody pen set up, then try to find something I can put her and her eggs in in the nesting box. We have a special service at church tonight, so after church, I want to run out to the farm. It will be dark, so I'm hoping I can move her in whatever I set up, and stick her in the little house. I'm hoping that she won't really realize she's been moved. Any time I've tried to move one B4, it hasn't worked. I'm hoping if I do it this way, it will. Plus, since it's finally getting warmer and the grass is coming up, I want to put up the electric in my field so I can rotate the horses again. It seems to work well when I do that. The grass seems to come up better. And I also need to scrub my tank and refill it.

I was able to get more of the goat pen cleaned and more of the garden done. I'm working on hubby's area right now. He finally going to be done his crazy hours so I'm hoping if we work together, we can get it done on Saturday. Then, I can get the garden marked out and get early stuff planted.

I'm also hoping to get the greenhouse all cleaned out this weekend. If I do, I'm hoping to make a rocket mass heater for in there. I just don't really have enough room in the house for all the plants I want to start, at least not if I want to start flowers. So, if I can start them in the house, then move them to the greenhouse once I have them repotted, it should work out.

It's also finally getting warmer. I'm not using much wood. I haven't had a chance to get the woodshed cleaned out, but that's going to be getting done. Then I'm going in the woods every chance I have B4 it gets too hot and/or buggy and getting as much wood home as I can. I'll be piling it up, then cutting it as I have time. And, I'll be able to ride my bike today! That will help me save some gas. In fact, I'll be able to ride it on Saturday and Sunday as well. They're calling for rain tomorrow and on Monday, I need my truck. After that, I'm not sure of the weather. It depends on which forecast you look at as to what it's going to do.

I'm going to make a list for today, I'm just not sure what all I'll be getting done of it. I need to be sure I leave enough time for getting to church on time. So for today I plan on:

1. Clean bathroom
2. Laundry
3. Normal farm chores
4. Ride Misty
5. Set up broody house, put up electric in field, scrub and fill stock tank.
6. Goat pen
7. Garden
8. Yard work
9. Dishes
10. Church
11. Move broody

I didn't get all of my list done. Other than messing w/my plants, I didn't get anything done B4 I left. And, I was at the farm later than I'd planned on, so I didn't get stuff done at home. But it was an adventure at the farm.

B4 I left, I looked around for something to put in the nesting box where the broody was so I could move her easily. I finally found a box that was almost the same size as the nesting box. I also took along some tape. When I got to the farm, I tore off the one flap, then tapped the other 3 so that they made 3 sides of the box higher. Then I fed horses and went and checked the chickens. I found the wrong hen in where I had the broody. And, she was NOT happy. So, I got some shavings in the box and was finally able to get in there an collect eggs leaving just the ones that she was supposed to have.

Only problem being, she wouldn't go in the right nesting box. And the hens that hadn't laid kept wanting in that box. So I waited until they were all done laying. I also took some empty kitty litter jugs and put them in the other nesting boxes so that she could only go in the one. Then I took the feeder out and shut it all up. She was calm and quite happy when I left.

Church got done earlier than I was expecting, so I drove around some since it wasn't quite dark enough. I finally decided it was dark enough. I already had the broody house set up w/food and water and something blocking the door. I had taken a towel w/me, and was able to get that over the top of the box and in front where there was no flap. Then I very carefully picked up the box and moved it. She didn't make a peep, and didn't act upset in the least! So, I'm hoping she'll be good. Then since it could rain tonight, I put the feeder back in the coop and left.

Oh, and I didn't ride today. It was super windy out. I'd ride in weather like that at EH's, but not at the farm. There's too much loose stuff blowing around. She was spooking some in the field and I figured it wasn't worth the risk. And, I didn't do the tank. There's too much water in it for me to dump and scrub.