Thursday, December 13, 2007

Winter Afternoon

The snow is swirling and blowing down, at the rate of about two inches an hour. I have been out to shovel twice, and the last time I went out I shoveled the porch and the walk, went to shovel out the goats, and then came back again to reshovel the porch and walk. Spellcheck is telling me there is no such word as reshovel, but I definitely know there is! My back and bad knee are assuring me of it.

Actually, I love to shovel on a day like today, when everything has been canceled due to snow. I checked the temperature before I went out. It said it was 26, but that it felt like 17. At first it did, as the wind whipped down the front of my coat. Actually hubby's coat, which is why it was gaping at the neck. But as I got moving, it began to feel like 86. By the time I came back indoors, my hands and face felt frozen, but the rest of me was downright toasty.

I stood in the shower and marveled at the wonder of running hot water. I suppose you could survive in a hot climate with just cold, but on a day like today, nothing beats a hot shower. So now I am squeaky clean, sporting a dripping head, and tired and achy enough to lay down and go right to sleep. Not that I will. What I really need to do is get back outside and shovel. My porch and walk are nearly filled up again, and the snow is still coming down hard.

I will probably have to go out and shovel the goats out again too. Their gates and water buckets are bogged down in snow. Plus they are sissies about walking around in the deep snow. Unless they think you have food. Goats are so incredibly charming. They always think you have come to visit them, and that you must have treats. They follow you about as you try and do mucky jobs, putting their noses into whatever you are doing, and nibbling on you.

I had to make a note to myself today, not to trust my dear baby boy. He does a very nice job with his chores, and is very reliable when it comes to feed and water. But when I ask him questions like, "Do you think there is enough bedding in Darcy's house? It's going to be cold tonight." Well, I am talking into the wind. He looks into her little house and sees hay. He does not notice that it's black with wet, and swimming in two inches of mucky water. I spent about half an hour just scraping the mess out, so I could put dry, fresh bedding in. But now everyone is dry, and fed, and happy.

Now it's on to the humans. I wish they were as easy to keep as goats. We had hot lunch today since everyone was home, so I can get away with a light supper. After that there is mounds of sewing to catch up on. There are Christmas gifts to finish up and wrap, pants to hem, mending to be done, and dance costumes to be finished. The pile is huge, and I really want to plow through it and get the whole mess put away as it is really cluttering up the living room. I actually left it out in plain view so that it would annoy me enough to finish it quickly!

Tomorrow the snow will have ended, and we can finish shoveling out from under it. Then a day or two of clear skies, and another storm to come...on the day of our dance recital and church Christmas concert. I wonder if we will sing and dance...or put off to another day?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ice here, started out warm this morning with steady rain. Roads seem okay, but trees and anything that gets air around it is frozen. Hubby driving home tonight from work, but everyone else snug in the house, watching Christmas movies, or playing video games in the cottage. Wish I could muster up enough enthusiasm to tackle my mending and sewing! It lays out in plain sight ALL the time, and hollers at me as I trudge by, yet I can't get over to it. Balancing my checkbook today took it all out of me! The snow sounds lovely. Hope your events come off as planned. We are skipping a Gospel concert this evening at the library - don't want to chance the roads getting iced as it gets colder.

Anonymous said...

Hey, well its RI weather here- the snow, then sleet, then snow, then well...the pelting wet stuff that makes the driveway-glue.

I can understand your day, as mine was similar. I spent the day shoveling information into a paper that was meant to prove whether or not Romans 10:4 meant "end" as in completion, or "goal". At this rate, I am not sure it matters. Instead of reshovelin' (yes, that is the correct spelling) the porch, I respell checked and did a two page bibliography and check all my Greek. I know it is not the same thing, but...I am weary and exhaustive.

As I finished the 35 hours that went into this paper, this week, I waited for (Lance) to get home. He left at 1:30 (city) and came home at 4:45. 95 was gridlocked b/c the people left work/school early and the state figured they should wait for...? Who knows what. people are parked right now (7:30) on 95 waiting for it to move again. RI politics-figures!

Thanks for the imagery of goatness! Sometime I wonder, are we OK with sitting in our own used, soggy hay? Do we even notice? It just allows me to ponder the grace of God as He always is ready to change our "bedding" and lead us into a "hot shower."

Hmmm

Anonymous said...

Hi it's Gina! Can't wait to read your blog! I'm off to get Maddie on the kindergarten school bus in a few, but hope for some time after morning housework *GRIN*
Love to you and yours!

Nobody said...

Gina, we are so glad to hear from you again. Hope you don't mind that I edited your comment to take out a name. We use our nicknames here and try to stay private somewhat. I am looking forward to reading your blog in a quiet moment as well. Not that I get a lot of those these days...but I try. Hello to all your gang.