This month has gone by fast!

Almost the last day of January 2010. Wow, in some ways it has been a long month, but mostly it has flown by.
One month closer to spring and warmer weather is what I think! ;-)

The warm up a couple of weeks ago has yielded to once again consistent colder weather. There is still plenty of snow on the ground with ice patches that I curse at chore times. My packed down routinely walked paths also are slippery now too. Makes for some interesting 'slipping and sliding' funky dance moves to keep from falling down. Keeps the critters amused I am sure!

I am grateful we didn't get the snow, ice and general mess the southern and eastern portion of the USA got late this week. Ice is never fun to deal with and becomes a hazard to just about everything, and our comfort (electricity!) included.

Jared went target practising today with some friends and Kyle had to work. We had friends over, along with their son Caleb. We all went out to eat at our (only) local eatery--the bar/cafe. I like it, its 'real food', not processed chemically-tasting stuff and definitely not fast food. More like real homemade, which is what we prefer!

Here is Caleb and Dolly:

There IS a sun!

Ahhhh the sun is peeking out from the clouds!! Such a change from the dreary, foggy days we've had the past couple of weeks!
The temperatures this week have been mostly above freezing in the day time and the past couple of days the snow has really melted.

This means: mud, and no moving my hay trailer to go get another round bale of hay. So I get to slog through the mud and feed small square bales, could be worse, I know! :)

Kyle has a Speech Team contest today, we got up at 5 am so he could be to school on time. The vans were late.....I think most of the kids were there already by the time they showed up.

Jared got a new Army t-shirt Friday....I think that's all he wears anymore. He has taken a PE class this last semester to help get him into shape before basics. Some days he'll stay late to work out or so some weight training.

We need to celebrate the sunshine and warmer temperatures, so it looks like grilling is in order for supper! I'll go "shopping" in our freezer, full of homegrown beef!

Never a dull moment......

I like same-o same-o days for the most part. OK, with a bit of excitement thrown in once in awhile.
Home is the same-o, work this week has been the excitement part.
Most of the time work is work, but this week has just been "one of those" kind of weeks...so you can share in my chaos!

Friday night, a gal from out of town was in a hurry to get to the High School Basketball game to watch her son play. Not paying attention she managed to fill her half-empty gas tank with gas. Only she has a VW diesel car.....oopsy!

She didn't realize until she came into pay......I felt so bad for her (the look on her face: loss and desperation, like a lost puppy). I couldn't help but feel sorry for her (most would of just made fun of her or figured it was HER problem.....)
She went to call her husband, I told her NOT to start the car, just leave it sit where it was.

I called a mechanic, and they really didn't want to do help, gee, it WAS Friday closing time after all....low and behold the competition showed up (he was just getting gas minding his own business) and he graciously helped this lady. (Divine Intervention?!?) I'm not sure how it all turned out, but I gave her my phone number in case she needed anything. I didn't get a call, so no news is good news!
While talking to her (trying to keep her calmed down and chilled out, I really thought she was gonna start crying)....come to find out she went to my high school and graduated only a couple of years ahead of me.
Small world sometimes!

Saturday afternoon, Patrick stopped in after dropping Kyle off at work. I had him flag down a lady that thought her credit card paid at the pump....nope. Thank goodness he was there.....then Sat afternoon about dark, of course its busy, the weather is warmer, many are out and about shopping or going out to eat.
The phone rings and its the dispatcher. What?? It seems someone called 911 from the outside payphone, and they sent deputies (lights going on both cars of course). Oh boy.....so I have a bunch of people wondering what is going on, asking me questions, I'm on the phone with the dispatcher sorting things out, and I'm also waiting on customers, keeping track of who has what fuel, answering the policeman's questions....I guess when it rains it pours.....

Maybe Sunday things will be "normal". I've had enough "excitement" for the last week! :-)

Sunny and warm-ish

Well its a sunny day this Thursday. Nice and warm (35F) compared to the brutal frigid cold the past two weeks.

I'm tired of scoopin' snow, and puttering around outside (wishing it was spring and gardening time) so figured I'd take a break and come inside.

Found a quart of raw milk in the freezer--oh happy day!! The cow is dry now, so the buried milk was a treasured find. ;-)
I am tired of trying to make foods that taste "normal" with store milk. Cream cheese is my friend that or half-n-half added to give my food some "body". Sadly, its just not the same as the real thing!

I need to find a source of real milk for the next few months......