It's Going To Be a White Christmas!

Winter has arrived in NH. In the past several years we haven't had much snow but this year promises to be a good, old-fashioned, north country winter. If it's going to be cold, it might as well be pretty. We had planned to do our usual snow birding excursion, heading to somewhat warmer climates (not FL) to escape the cold and snow. But we also wanted to stay in NH for Christmas and head south on the 26th. Somehow, the thought of leaving this late into the winter season doesn't appeal to either of us. So we've decided to spend the winter at home. We may question that decision when we get into Jan and Feb. But for now, we're staying put. We've already begun talking about a trip to visit family in MO, KY, and SC in May or June. Besides, who would want to leave the beauty of this winter wonderland? Looks like Christmas already.

View from my deck

Next day after the storm

Just to show you how different the weather can be from one area to another, and how fast it can change, several days after the storm it was partly cloudy at our house. Not too bad of a day. Meanwhile, only 8 miles north we ran into this.

White out conditions only 8 miles north of us

Another reason we like to be out of here in the winter, as if the cold and snow aren't enough, is because if I catch a cold or the flu it many times develops into bronchitis, or worse. I haven't had that happen in the 4 years we've been snow birding. But too late this year. We had a visit from 2 disease ridden, germ-laden petri dishes in November, also known as great-grandchildren, ages 4 and 6. I think they brought every virus known to mankind with them. It's a good thing those kids are cute!

Even though they didn't appear to be sick, a few days later I came down with a bad cold, which developed into bronchitis, which morphed into walking pneumonia. That led to a round of antibiotics and prednisone. After hacking up my lungs for a few weeks, I'm finally over that. The upside is that I'm now immune to whatever this winter's viruses are. So, no sense heading south to avoid them. I might be on to something though - doctor visits and drugs are covered by insurance, the travel south is not. Although that's much preferred to being sick.

Not much will be happening while we're hunkered down for the winter. I have my crafts to keep me busy, and Jim has shoveling, plowing the parking area, sanding, and general winter work to keep our place open and passable. He also does all the shopping and errands because I detest shopping, unless it's online from Amazon. Our neighbor kindly gives us a quick plow in and out on our long driveway. We're so grateful for his help. 

I'll keep you updated if anything interesting develops. Until then - Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's, Happy Easter, and so on.

Summer Update

It's been an interesting summer here in the north country, and a very rainy one. I think today is a record - currently 4 days in a row with no rain! You'd think the pastures would be thick and lush, but with the lack of sun, the grass is slower growing. It's hardly able to keep up with the sheep and goats that are here for the summer. Wish that held true for the lawn. I've had to mow that at least 2x a week!

Since our freezer was almost out of home grown broiler chickens we decided to raise some this summer. I built a new chicken tractor which is an 8x10 bottomless pen. Jim's son wanted 12 and a friend wanted 10, so we ordered 40, which, with anticipated losses, would leave us about 10 or 12 in our own freezer. The hatchery usually sends an extra chick in case 1 dies in transit. 41 chicks arrived and none died as chicks. Only 2 died later on during the raising process. Jim's son came to help process them. They processed 29 the 1st day and Jim and I finished up the final 10 the 2nd day. 12 to the son, 10 to my friend, leaving 17 for us. That was way more than we anticipated. I did sell 3 so that leaves us with 14. Oh well, freezer is well stocked in the chicken department and we won't have to raise any more for quite a few years.

A month ago we had to say goodbye to our 17 yr old Doxipoo, Sammy. He started having seizures and we felt it was time. He was the best little guy, and Jim's best bud. He'll be missed by all of us.

Shaymus

Dora was so sad without him and was clearly missing her best friend. So, even though I said no more dogs, I began looking for a new one. Enter Shaymus, a 4 yr old something or other, probably a Terrier mix. He's a bit bigger than Dora, but still a medium size. He was rescued from TX where he had a face full of porcupine quills and was scheduled to be euthanized at the pound. The rescue group couldn't see his life ending that way so they took him in. He immediately had the quills removed and within a few short days he was neutered and updated on all his shots, tested negative for heartworms, and put up for adoption. He's a very laid back guy, housebroken, crate trained, and doesn't chew what he's not supposed to. So we're off to a good start. He's definitely not a picky eater, and we have to remember to move things back on the counter. Judging by his underweight, he was a street dog for a while so he's frantic when his next meal comes. That will calm down as he realizes there's plenty of food and he won't go hungry ever again. His tail is wagging most of the time. He's just a bundle of happy. And he's rocking the scruffy look. With his hair going every which way, I can't help but giggle every time I look at him. 

Dora and Shaymus, our own version of Lady and the Tramp

It's been a pretty busy summer with plenty of boondockerswelcome.com guests staying in our yard. If you've forgotten (or maybe didn't even know) boondockerswelcome is a network of RVers who offer their yards, driveways, or fields, to other RVers looking for a place to stay for 1 to 5 days. We love everyone who comes our way, but some are more memorable than others.

Our favorite this year was a family of 4 (originally from Omaha, NE), mom, dad, 2 kids ages 10 and 8, who are homeschooled. Having 22 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren, we've got the grandparent thing down. They don't visit us much anymore as the grandkids all have jobs, and the great grandkids aren't old enough to want to visit without them, or they are too far away for convenience. So when we get boondockers with kids we have so much fun. The kids enjoyed the farm and were especially thrilled with the month old chicks.

Mom is actually a published author and gave me a copy of her book "Wiklow". She's currently working on her 2nd book, which sounds like it's going to be fascinating. Check them out on FB at Beaming All Day.

Dad, Mom, kids, and Hobbs, who's an inside cat (not pictured).

Even though it's only mid-August, we need to start planning for our next snowbird adventure. It'll come upon us quickly. We have a few repairs to make to our travel trailer and we need to start thinking about booking campgrounds for the winter. We're thinking that we just want to stick with the Carolinas this year, which will allow us plenty of time to visit Jim's daughter's family in SC. One of our boondockers this summer has some land where they winter, about 1/2 hour away from where she lives. They've invited us to stay at their place for a few days so that will definitely be on our itinerary.

Back in the 603

We arrived back in the 603 last Thursday, a bit ahead of schedule due to streamlining our itinerary. (For those non-NH-er-ites, 603 is the NH area code so we sometimes affectionally refer to our state as "the 603".) We took the weekend to visit family and friends in the southern part of the state, then traveled the rest of the journey, arriving home in the north country today. The well company comes tomorrow morning to turn the water back on so, for tonight, we have pitchers of water from the camper, and buckets of pond water for toilet flushing. Since our heat also depends on water, we have a cozy fire in the wood stove.

We had very good weather for the whole trip. Even traveling today from southern to northern NH, only light rain. We're all glad to be home, even Sammy and Dora. There are plenty of projects planned for the summer. So, unless something noteworthy or unusual happens, I'll sign off until next winter's excursion. Hope you all have a great rest of the year.

Peaceful river in Advance, NC

Beautiful blooming Dogwoods in NC

Cozy sitting area at our campground in NC

Star Magnolia, southern NH

Homeward Bound - Again

We leave tomorrow (Monday) morning headed to NC, then VA, PA, NY and, finally, arriving in NH on Friday. We'll visit with family in southern NH and actually arrive home on the 24th.

Jim got really sick on Thursday and Friday and we were somewhat concerned we'd be delayed in our travels. While we really enjoy being away in the winter, we're always excited to be getting home in the spring. While a delay wouldn't have been the worst thing in life, it would definitely have been disappointing and potentially expensive. Our medical insurance has a higher deductible plus 20% of bills if we're out of NH. Fortunately, thanks to a blessing from members of our church, he was all better by Friday night. We were discussing faith at church this morning and a friend wished us safe travels. I commented I have to have lots of faith because Jim's driving. She grinned and replied that she totally understands!

Our hosts here on the farm, the "C" family took us out to dinner Saturday night at a place that serves bison as well as the usual menu items. The restaurant is located in Peachtree City, GA, which is a city that was developed with over 90 miles of multi-use paths, and has over 10,000 golf carts! People go every where in them, including kids taking them to school. Lovely time with wonderful people accompanied by great food. We've really enjoyed working on their farm this winter and wish them good fortune with their upcoming endeavors.

Our friends, the "C" family, in GA

The last blog had the before and after of the outside of the chicken coop I rebuilt. Several people have asked what changes were made on the inside. Originally, it was sort of like a screen house with a much smaller enclosed area inside. It was fine for the few chickens they started with, but as their flock grew, it became cramped, crowded and difficult to clean. In addition to totally revamping the exterior, I gutted the inside so it is now open, with removable roosts at the end, a wood floor, and removable nest boxes. The removable roosts make it so much easier to work in there when it's time to clean, and the wood floor is so much better than trying to clean wet, stinky poop out of the dirt.

You can see the small enclosed area inside the screen house

The inside after the smaller enclosed area was removed

Removable roosts at the back, nest boxes on the left, wooden floor

As we leave GA, we also leave behind some wonderful friendships we've made here. I can't say enough about how the church members here have welcomed us into their lives with open arms and shown their Christ-like love. We've been invited to join their various activities, and several have welcomed us into their homes for dinner and friendship. In Matthew 25:35-40 we read about how we should care for one another. We've never been most of the things it talks about in those verses, but we were strangers and they took us in. We will forever be grateful for their friendship and support of these 2 vagabonds. We are already planning a short stay in this area next winter to rekindle the wonderful friendships we've made, and touch base with our new life-long friends. Meanwhile, we'll have to be content to keep in touch through FB.

Azaleas in full beauty

Almost Done

Only about another week before we head out toward home. Taking our time on the trek northeastward, we'll drive 4 to 6 hours a day before stopping for the night. We leave Griffin, GA on the 17th and will arrive in southern NH on the 24th to spend a few days visiting family, then head home on the 27th. The well company will be hooking up the water on the 28th and we'll begin the unpacking process from the trailer to the house. Although we always appreciate getting away from the winter's cold and snow, we also look forward to being home.

The projects here are winding down. We've installed and replaced lots of fencing, rebuilt the chicken coop (before and after pictures below), repaired the orchard irrigation hoses and installed new ones, cleaned up lots and lots of leaves, and done regular yard and farm maintenance. Grass is really starting to grow so we've had several opportunities to begin mowing, a chore that we'll begin soon enough at home.

Before

After

We've had lots of rain of late. One storm dropped 7" of rain in 48 hours, and the lightning looked like a laser light show. The reservoir just up the road flooded over and homes in that area were evacuated. Luckily it didn't come this way. I can just imagine our trailer floating down the road! We were high and dry throughout, although most of the farm was a bit waterlogged for a few days.

I attended the 181st birthday celebration of the Relief Society, the women's organization in my church. It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, IL, and has more than 7 million members in over 188 countries and territories, making it one of the oldest and largest women's organization in the world. It was wonderful getting together with like-minded women who support and love one another.

Apparently Canada Geese aren't just winter residents in GA. The farm we're at has them year round. Sometimes their constant honking can disturb your sleep in the wee hours of the morning. This female built a cozy nest along the bank of the pond and is spreading her wings to protect her eggs from the rain. The goslings hatched out Easter morning. Unfortunately, most of them will probably end up lunch for the pond turtles.

Protecting her nest from the rain

New Easter babies

Dora absolutely loves "L", particularly getting to ride in the pony cart with her. We do have to tie her in though, because she'd jump out to see anyone else who happens to be around. I've never seen such a people addict!

Dora and "L" out for a buggy ride

And Sammy just chills on the couch most of the day. At 16 years old, he's still doing well, although having a bit of difficulty with stairs of late. Just the other day he complained that they're a lot steeper than they used to be when he was younger pup.

Lincoln

As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you might just get it. I was just thinking the night before that I should probably do more walking. Little did I know the universe heard me and complied, although in a very unexpected way.

Lincoln

Meet Lincoln, a Quarter Horse cross gelding. Normally he's quite cooperative but on this particular day, the morning after I thought I should walk more, Lincoln decided to colic. For those non-horse people, colic is abdominal pain which is brought on by various causes. It's basically a tummy ache. But it can be life threatening if not treated promptly. Fortunately, most cases of colic can be cleared up with brisk walking, which moves gas through the gut and out the "exhaust port". And that's just what Lincoln needed. Over the next 4 hours "L" and I took turns walking him. His colic did subside and he's fine. But next time I need to be careful about what I wish for!

"L", who is 14 yrs old, is training Lincoln to not be frightened in various situations. She's been working of late with a big tarp, dragging it around, throwing it over him, and generally de-sensitizing him to things blowing around. He's doing well.

Lincoln's training is going well

Spring continues to come to GA with flowers and trees beginning to bloom, grass greening up, and abundant sunshine with rain every few days. One of the things I battle back home in NH is Globe Thistle, a nasty plant with thorns that are sharp enough to poke you even through jeans. It does have beautiful blue flowers but it's beauty doesn't make up for those spines. Thistle grows here too and is really beginning to get a start on the season so my job for the past few days has been to spray them with weed killer, which is the ONLY way to get rid of them. When I get home I'll need to get after the Thistle that grows in my pastures. Guess I can't escape them. I might just have nightmares of Thistle chasing me in revenge!

Here's some pictures of trees and bushes in spring bloom.

Chinese Wisteria

Chinese Fringe Flower bush

Loblolly pine trees in bloom. I never knew pines had blossoms!

You can see the new blossoms just above the pine cone

Callery Pear

Dora stretched out between the couch and ottoman.
She seems so small when she's curled up but so big when stretched out.

Perspective

Spring is definitely coming to GA. Daffodils are hyacinths are blooming, and trees are beginning to bud. Japanese Cherry and Dogwood are in bloom. It's definitely a time of renewal.

Japanese Cherry in full bloom

The recent tornadoes (there were actually 5 separate ones that touched down from the same storm system) are still a frequent topic of discussion. Although everyone seems to have power restored, it will still be months before everyone gets their homes repaired. There are still clusters of homes with a sea of blue roofs (covered with blue tarps), and many homes with fallen trees that still need to be cleared away. I spoke today with a lady whose home was badly damaged when a tree fell so hard it even damaged the foundation. Miracle that she and her husband escaped without even a scratch. She said they're scheduled to begin work on repairs this week but it won't be finished and ready to move into for 3 months. The Hobby Lobby that was damaged is scheduled to be closed for a year.

The root ball of this gigantic oak tree is 25' high

All this damage and the most we complained about was that our internet was knocked out for a little over a week, or that I have to travel 45 min to a different Hobby Lobby instead of 10 min. Kind of puts things in perspective. I need to be more grateful for things we have, rather than complain about things we don't have or things that, in the grand scheme of things, are only a minor inconvenience.

We were sheltered from the worst of the wind by the huge pines we're nestled under

Valentine's Day was this past week and Jim treated me to a pedicure. What else can you get for a woman that has just about everything. That man understands how to make me happy!

What do you get a woman who has just about everything? A pedicure, of course!