We have made it through most of this winter with not much going on except for painting the parlor and the usual holiday celebrations- with just one little hitch...we could not find our angel. Now I know many of you will think- oh it's just a tree topper- get another, but she was not JUST a tree topper. Miss Angel has been with my family for many years. She has watched many a gift get opened, she has been the first angel my youngest son and neice got to place on the tree, she has been there for 16 yrs celebrating with us. Our family is rather fond of her to say the least- even Tom got upset when she came up missing and he is not normally sentimental. She was eventually found (in a closet that my Austin said he knew for a fact she could not be there) and took her place in time for Christmas.
We went and picked out a pre-cut tree this year, not something we usually do, but I was working lots of overtime, so it was all we had time for. Tom and I met at a stand by his work and we found the perfect tree after walking through and discounting trees one by one. The light shone down from Heaven on this tree and we knew it was it :) Austin and I decorated it this year and I think it is the best tree we have done to date.
The rest of the winter has mostly been chores, cleaning and cooking. The woodstove we put in this fall has served us well. We have cut our heating cost dramatically! Here is a photo of it- an old Fisher stove after my son finished installing the tile work and we got it in place. Of course the pipe was added after the photo was taken and the mess cleaned up.
I did prepare for the guest bath remodel. I have all the materials now except for maybe a couple pipes and fittings. The claw foot tub was taken to get sandblasted and painted and is sitting in the hall waiting to take its place. Austin will be starting on that next week. I also bought an electric fireplace for my bedroom. The master bedroom is going to be the last room to get redone, but I fell in love with the fireplace and it will heat the room in the winter and provide some ambience for romantic evenings in the other months with the heat turned off. But our time of relaxing in the evenings will soon be coming to a close. Spring is on it's way!
We are starting some of the seeds this week and we have already planned the garden and our gardening calendar. Faline and Billy Jean (the goats) are due next month. Sadly, we lost Fawn this winter when she choked on her feed. I do hope to get at least a couple doelings to expand the herd. Faline looks pretty big. Wondering if she may have triplets. I will be milking this time, so another project we need to get done is the milking stand. I can't wait to make homemade yogurt and cheese! I am also starting to study the chick catalogs. We lost quite a few chickens this fall to predators. That meant a lower feed bill for the winter, but now I will have to replace some. I have decided not to buy more cochins. I still have a gold laced trio I will keep, but that will be it for them. I find the Brahmas and Easter eggers are much hardier and do well over winter. I do want to try the Salmon Favorelles again, even though they appear to be a delicacy to predators. I think they will be wonderful all purpose birds if I can keep them safe. I will also get some Royal Palm poults and try those again (another predator fav when young). We are good on ducks and Bourbon reds so will not be ordering any of those.
One big project we have planned this year...setting up a large pond. My friend moved to Florida and she said I could have her pond if I wanted to take it. Austin, Chris, some of his freinds and I worked for several weeks moving everything back here. Brutus really got a work out! I hope I can make it look half as good as she did. Here is a photo of it as it was at her home. Yes, we got the bridge and the deck and arbors too. Only thing we did not get was the trees and about 5 large boulders. I need to find out where my septic feild starts and ends before we decide where it is going. Ideally I want it off the back deck, but if that is not possible, I am OK with it being out front too.
No comments:
Post a Comment