ramblings

Since I haven't been off the place in a week, you'd think I wouldn't have much to blog about.  However, I can always scrape up few ramblings to share.  Don't fasten your seat belt, there won't be any excitement.

Mama Kitty is still in the mouse-killing business.  Apparently she's killed at least two mice and one mole today in this bitter-cold weather.  I went out to take a picture of her eating her first mouse (because I'm hard-core like that), but she had it eaten by the time I could bundle up and get out the door.  Later she carried a mole up on the porch, played with it for awhile, then began eating it.  Then a while ago Gabe the Mini-Schnauzer went outside with me; we came back in, I came to the computer, and then heard him munching on something at my feet (when you hear a puppy munching, you must always check it out!).  Avert your eyes if you don't want to see mouse parts, this is almost too hard-core even for me!  It's the back half of a mouse.  Apparently Mamma Kitty couldn't finish her third mouse of the day.

This pup would eat anything, and since he's a Schnauzer, I have to wash his beard frequently because you never know what he's been into.  I never thought I'd be washing a dog's face!  

Cliff went to the butcher shop down to road today to watch them cut up our beef.  The two halves on the left... that's one of our Holstein steers.

Glen Nadler, whose family established this business many years ago.  

We'll be bringing home the meat after it's been frozen for a couple of days.  During the busiest part of deer season, they always stop taking in hogs and cattle and do nothing but deer.  Even though they're back to doing livestock, there is still some deer being worked up, Cliff said.  

I believe I've slipped back into my true hermit mode:  I haven't left home in a week and really don't care whether I do or not.  I've only seen Cliff and the oldest grandson in that time... oh, and Cliff's brother, who is out in the shop right now; I said a few words to him.  Our little girl hasn't been here because her daddy works construction, and it's too cold for him to work.  I have read several library books on the iPad:  "A Dog's Way Home" by W. Bruce Cameron, "The Forgotten Man" by Robert Crais, and "Coreyography" by Corey Feldman (sad, but it held my interest, which I can't usually say about Hollywood autobiographies).  

So I'm mostly reading, and cooking when necessary.  Gabe hears plenty, though.  I talk to him all the time.  Cliff, being hard-of-hearing, is always asking, "What did you say?" and I tell him I was just talking to the dog again.  Gabe thinks I'm always right, so who better to talk to?    

I thought for sure I had the flu for a couple of days:  I was achy and had a cough, sneezes, and a runny nose, as well as a low-grade temperature.  I even threw myself a pity party, but nobody attended.  However, today is the third day and although I still have the coughing and sneezing, I feel fine otherwise.  I'm pretty sure the flu would have lasted longer and hurt more. 

I'm thankful all is well here, and I hope my readers can say the same. 

Peace.