Days fly by

Boy time goes to fast.
Dave left the house at 4:27 this morning, he had a flight to Portland via Lewiston and Seattle early.
I got back up about 7:20 and got a fire going, let the dog and cat out for a bit. Tank the cat doesn't usually spend the night on the front porch but I forgot he came in late to eat last night.
Dave called a bit ago and he was in Seattle and was just about to board the flight to Portland and wanted to say hi.
He will be home around midnight to 1 am Thursday night.
I have another batch of pumpkin butter going and I am going to can some chicken broth I made up from the left over chicken bones and so on today.
We have had a warm front in again for a couple of days (highs in the high 30's during the day) and a lot of the snow is gone. 
Kathy has been able to pull down to the bottom of the driveway the last 3 days. She is getting ready for work now. Little Kaylee is still asleep.

This past Sunday after Church we went to our daughter in laws Jaylynn's folks house for a late celebration of Joseph and Jaylynn's little boy 1st Xander's birthday.
I forgot my camera of course.

New snow

Six new inches of snow fell on us yesterday. And the temperatures dropped like a rock. It was 14 after temps in the 30's for a few days.
I was out to go to town to get the mail and while I was waiting for the truck to warm up I grained the cow and so on and there was so much ice crystals on top of the snow that as I walked it could be heard swish swish swish at each step.
Here is a picture of late afternoon of the front yard.

 I got a couple of pumpkins baked today and scraped out of the shells. They were being stored in the garage, I still have 5 large ones to go.
9:15 PM Dave is home and Kaylee is always so glad to see her papa.

Been melting

That warm front with Temperatures in the high 30's to around 40 have pretty well melted all but the high drifts and built up snow banks form plowing.
The creek beside the house is really flowing good, unusual to see at this time of year.
This is about 14 feet out from our back door.

 A view from the front bridge.

They are saying snow is headed in today with up to 3 inches and then the same for tonight that usually means up to 6 inches or so for us today and then tonight again as we get double of what the little town of Anatone does and that is what the weather report is for.
Kaylee is at daycare today so I have been trying to get more done today in the house.
I figure I will be working n getting the squashes cooked and canned up that we still had in the garage.

Snow blown

Our daughter had to park 3 miles away in our tiny town at the country road shop, others do to at this time of year. 
No way she would have gotten home last night with a blizzard still going on. Dave took the 4 wheel drive truck down to pick her up and I had to take her down there at 7:3 this morning. Dave called about 6:30 and said he went out behind the snow plow at 5:30.
But 2 hours later there was only one side of the road left because of the drifts and I had to plow through a foot of snow on the other side. I broke the way for the jeep behind me who was also going to the country road shop parking lot to drop off his wife so she could get to town.
Daughters car was covered with lots of ice as only 3 miles from out place where it was snowing to beat the band it was sleeting. I brought a shovel along and good thing I did. Had to shovel snow away from her tires. He and baby got going to day care and work then. The State roads had been plowed thank goodness.
I got home and did my chores of feeding and watering the chickens, cow and cat. 
I had to dig a foot to 18 inches of snow away from the coop door just to get it open. The same for the barn doors.
I was sure glad to get back in the house.
We are supposed to have a warm up with this storm coming from the south and it is starting to clear now before the rain hits with temperatures in the high 30's to low 40's.
I guess the area below us could see some flooding with this quick warm up. 
Watch out below will be the saying the next couple of days.
Well laundry is in the washer and I will see what else can be done but I am a bit worn out from the shoveling.

Good Morning

A big Good morning to everyone. 
This one is starting out a cold 0 degrees. 
It snowed off and on most of the day yesterday and pretty well stayed in the 20's for the day.
Dave had a 4 1/2 hour meeting Saturday morning and then got home around noon. He grabbed something to eat and headed outside to plow snow for 3 hours in preparation of the new snow storms headed in this week.
Kaylee was home for the day and wasn't feeling very good but you know 2 year old's, they are still a hand full and full of energy even then lol.
Dave managed to get new straw into the coop but he had to take the grain up there via a sled this time. He didn't have time to make another runway with the tractor, he was running out of daylight and still had to get the wood rack filled on the front porch.
I have a fire going in the stove already this morning and waiting for daylight. I wont start inside chores yet so I don't wake Kathy and Kaylee.
I ran out Thursday night and took some more pictures of that odd shape of snow at the top of the drive way before it fell or in some other way got demolished. When I got outside I found we were having a ice storm. 28 degrees, raining and turning immediately to ice.

 

 

 

It sure is different at different angles.

Just before 9:30 I got a call from Kathy. Luckily her hone works so good up here, well at least out on the road.  Anyway she was out on the main country road and could get no further. She couldn't her her car up the last hill before the road that gets her to house house.

The farm truck was already plugged in and warming and in 4 wheel drive. I was so glad of that. We managed to get her towed home and the baby pretty much slept through it all in her car. I brought a warm sippy cup of milk just in case she had woken up. She normally wakes up when the cat stops.

Dave got home from being in town at a meeting about 15 minutes later.

I guess I need to go throw some wood in the stove. Until next time tootles.

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Just had to share something in the snow I found when I went to the barn this morning to feed and water the cow. I ran in and got the camera. I know it is a little silly me lying on the ground taking a picture of this but I thought it was neat.  
Just click on the picture to see it by it's self.
That wind is wicked out there.

 

Here is a pic of our poor old farm pickup. Still starts up but it is getting buried.

Windyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

High winds all day to day, sure makes it feel colder out there.
We did get to 18 degrees for a little while.
I did get to the barn to set out some food for the barn cat, give the cow more hay and fill the water tank.
Our old cat Tank came down for the day and spent the day on the front porch with Lizzie dog, but he sits in front of the porch heater when it is on. 
I have to put Lizzie out when Tank wants food or Lizzie will gobble it up. I would say he is still around 20 pounds but gets around real well for a 12 year old cat.

 

To nights supper was beans, ham and brown rice. I made a pot of beans and ham yesterday with red, pinto, Anasazi beans and lentils with left over ham.
I degassed the beans first. I never forget to do that.
I did a small batch this time still makes enough for about 5 meals.

Beans and ham
8 cups of water in a large pot, put on to boil. When hot pour in 2 cups of dried washed beans, never use cold water on beans.
Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Take off the heat and set the pt in the sink. Add 1 large tablespoon baking soda. This will foam up. Pour beans into a colander and rinse with warm to hot water. Rinse out your pot.

 On high heat.
Add another 8 cups of warm to hot water to your rinsed pot and pour in degassed beans. 
Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon garlic powder or minced garlic.
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon red peppers or to taste
Use a ham bone and or ham diced and add to the pot of beans.
After it gets to boiling turn heat to medium and cook stirring once in a while to make sure this isn't sticking to the pot bottom for a couple of hours.
Cover turn lower and cook stirring occasionally for 3 or 4 hours or until the beans are done.