Winter Hurts

It's been really cold here the last couple of weeks.....highs in the single digits and lows with minus signs.

I don't mind the cold weather. Actually, I love the cold weather. I just love weather in general. (I got that from my dad , too, along with my particular shade of brown eyes.) I think it’s because I was brought up in a part of the country that didn’t experience very cold winters. Now it means that our lives are lived a little differently between November and March. Our chores, though smaller in number, take a little longer- just getting ready to go out takes longer.

Armed in bulky down coats, wool socks and heavy felt lined snow boots I go out to feed and water the masses. I don't wear gloves, not even the fingerless kind. They seem to get in the way. When the temperatures are real low, you must make sure that every molecule of dampness is off your hands before going into the coop or the skin of one's fingers gets "froze stuck" on all sorts of places: rabbit cages, rabbit waterers, coop door (I could swear that one time when the wind was blowing a gale, my fingers even stuck to the wood! Well, maybe it was just my imagination.) The cold kind of plays with your emotions too. The cold hurts. Every time you bump you bare skin on things while choring, it seems to hurt more. But honestly, I really don't mind. I like knowing the animals are well cared for and in time, when it warms a bit, they'll begin laying eggs again. Any we'll be in the bounty of Spring. In the mean time, I feed and water and dream of fresh eggs and rabbit babies.


And this is the welcome I receive-----



















Puffed up chickens who can't be bothered to venture down until the smorgasbord has been placed by the lowly, human servant. Of course I comply. I am after all, a human servant.