Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

I just found an updated local total....73 inches.

We had over a 100 inches several years ago. It felt like it started snowing Christmas eve and snowed through April

We've had rainy years like that, but thankfully not the white stuff. We are getting cold as I speak after a high of 78 today. Just got the meaties settled outside and looks like I may have to bring them in again. Joy, joy - stinking totes in the breezeway again, lol!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Well, well, well - we are a mere 50 degrees colder today than we were yesterday! Can you say OMG -what's up here? Just another reminder that WE control nothing here, lol.

I did bring the stinkin little meaties back inside at about 10pm last night. It was either do that or worry about 'em all night and maybe lose some anyway. So, now they are tucked in their little tote all snug as a bug in a rug.

Cooked up a frozen, boudain stuffed chicken last night. I had found them on sale at half price a few months ago and bought a couple of 'em. My goodness they are sure good. I've still got Savoy cabbage in the garden so I plucked a head of it and sauteed it up with some bacon and onions. If you've never tried Savoy cabbage I'd say go for it! I hadn't ever eaten any until I planted it in the fall. It's the really crinkly dark green kind of cabbage, but when cooked it relaxes, loses the bright green color and just tastes mild and fabulous. It will be a staple in my garden from now on.

Disbudded the baby goats yesterday. I can't even tellyou how much I hate doing it - but it's gotta be done anyway. They had just decided a few days ago that I was not the evil baby-eating monster, and had just gotten to where they'd come up to me for scritches. Well now it's a whole 'nother story and I am evil personified. They high-tail it when they even think I'm looking in their direction. Poor girls...

 

[FarmerJamie]

Single digits all day today....*sigh*

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Ah geeze FJ - I got nothing but sympathy for ya! As I was puttin ' on my 12 layers of clothes this morning I was thinking about those of yall who deal with sooo much worse ! But, this is just about allllll I can take!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

G'morning.... Any day I wake up above ground is a good day, right? I'm trying to convince myself!! Houston took a hit this morning. It's not as bad as it could be I'm sure - but nearly 40,000 folks without power - trees breaking and falling on houses and cars because of the ice load... glad I'm a bit south of the worst of it.

I'm taking a day off today...was feeling a bit poorly this morning. Sore throat and ear ache thingy - same thing DH had last week...go figger! I did sleep in a bit and then took a therapeutic dip in the hot tub. Sittin' in there resting and breathing steam for about an hour seemed to open up the sinuses and really helped....but now that I've been out awhile I'm stuffin' up again. Sooooo - from my vantage point I'm wondering what's so wrong with spending the afternoon in the hot tub?

Gonna have to find a break in the rain and bundle up to go feed the critters. I only plan on going out one time today so I'll be out there awhile when it finally happens. I'll put out lots of hay and hope it lasts 'em most of the day and into the evening. Critters are barreling through the hay now. My last round bale is barely a memory and a bump on the ground now. It's a shame because a couple weeks ago we had some nice warm temps and everything started growing...pasture was greening up and hopes were high that I wouldn't have to keep feeding hay much longer - but with several more freezing nights lately that idea got kicked in the butt... ugh.

Spring break is next week so I'm keeping fingers crossed that it'll be nice. It's so wet right now that I don't know if it can warm/dry up enough to really do much in the garden. Guess I'll be getting a late start again this year - except for the tomato plants I put in a few weeks ago. They're still growing well (except for the one that died) so maybe I'll get some early 'maters this year....at least hopefully, maybe before the bugs come out.

Guess since I'm home I should actually cook something for dinner tonight. We've about exhausted all the left-overs and all the fresh veggies in the house - except for some cabbage. I found some fish in the freezer so I'm thinking fish tacos. I have tortillas, fish and cabbage so it sounds like a fish taco night to me. But, this weather is makin' me want somethin' sweet. I very rarely bake cuz of DH's diabetes.... maybe I can concoct somethin' anyway. I know there's some grated zucchini in the freezer - maybe some zucchini bread made with Truvia to cut the carbs and calories....and if I throw some mini chocolate chips in there.... heck, everything's better with chocolate!

 

[SSDreamin]

I do feel for ya FEM! Such a drastic downturn in temperature is very hard - the whole time I lived in TX I argued with my family up here "But, it's a very damp cold, so 42 degrees here is just like 20 there, honest!" Not to mention, the drastic drop/heat up/drop again is very hard for the body to deal with.
Now, having said all that, I'll gladly trade with ya! Come on, just a week - I really need a break! Just one week where I can look out my window and not see a wall of white

 

[hqueen13]

Lol SS I hear that! A damp 42 chills to the bone and it is hard to stay warm and comfortable at that temp. But then anything below 45 is a challenge to me. Scary enough though that I've gotten somewhat used to the cold. I don't know how to dress now because my usual patterns aren't working! But I guess that's what happens when you spend weeks with a high of 15 and a low of 0...

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I agree!! Baby goats were shivering, my old terrier was shivering, I was shivering... We musta had at least 3 or 4 inches of rain between last night and all day today. Didn't stop raining til about 4pm...ugh! Spring break is next week and it'll prolly be too wet to do anything. Crud!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Rain? What is this thing of which you speak? Precipitation one doesn't need to shovel? Novel concept.

Two March record lows sent in a matter of minutes last night: 1* before midnight as a record low, shortly after midnight 0* broke the record. Maybe 41 by the end of the week?

 

[Denim Deb]

That damp cold is hard to deal w/because it penetrates no matter how warmly you're dressed. I've had days when I'm almost too warm when it's been in the teens or single digits and other days when I've been dressed the same, it's warmer out, but damp and I've been cold!