Harumph!

Some days, no matter how hard you try, start out not so great and just go down hill.

The forecast for today...mostly sunny, high of 41.

I'm not seeing much sun here.

It did get a little warmer..30.

One hydrant is frozen and may remain that way till spring.  Hose dragging is in order.  Marathon hose defrosting follows.  Two hundred feet of hose thawed quietly on the living room floor.  Gus, who LOVES hoses and anything water related was thrilled beyond belief.  Lots of hose dragging, draining, filling, connecting, disconnecting, more draining....
In the meantime I acquired frozen jeans, frozen gloves (and hands), wet sleeves.  All tanks are now full.  All hoses have been carefully drained.  Twice just to be sure.  And then the day got better.

One fisherman's mitten is nearing finished (minus the felting)  but Yoda The Senior Cat is keeping it warm so i won't disturb him for a photo.

And, before he left for Chicago yesterday, my neighbor, Gary, presented me with a Yoda portrait.  

It is SO Yoda!  And my favorite colors!  Thanks Gary!

The Watchers

The rest of you go ahead and eat.  We will stand guard in case That Dog  tries anything.

Well, one of you might.  But I'm not sure how much Agnus can see.  She kind of has the wool over her eyes you know.
Elliot, maybe you should appoint some of the Bad Boys to the task.  (I happen to know that Elliot and the Bad Boys , the biggest and oldest of the bunch, wouldn't think of doing anything but running like scared little sheeps if Gus looked at them)
]

Guess I'll have to.  But Agnus didn't have any trouble seeing her way to the hay!

They already tried hiding behind her but that didn't work so very well.  Gus was eyeing them from the 4-wheeler.

Mary isn't much help.  You need to give her a hair cut too!

I'm just going to stand by Horse and eat.  He'll protect me.

Never fear.  Rosie is here.  She will keep an eye on things...cows, dogs,

me..

Hey Rosie!  We'll stick with you!

The Morning After

What a change from yesterday morning.  We had fog this morning but the sun was poking through.

First touching on just a few spots.  This is NNE.

Then shattering enough of a hole in the fog to light up the trees in the NW....

but not enough to hit the rims,

Before bouncing off the rims to the SW.

Then back to the North where it really went to work burning under the fog.

I rode to Billings with Dan this morning.  We were on shining, slippery ice to Broadview, then wet roads with patches of fog wafting about until we got to Billings.  

Where the sky was blue..

and there was no snow.

Cookie? I Don't See Any Cookie

I over slept this morning.  It's the fault of the sun.  Well, maybe the clouds.  The sun never made a showing.  Morning just sort of oozed in with no fanfare what so ever.  It was just dark and then not so dark.  I need light to wake up!

When I first stepped out this morning it was like a cool, wet spring day.  Very overcast, not really cold, and the air was wet.  Snow started soon after.  No complaints.  It's nice wet snow.  We went out and trained played.

Cookie?  I don't see any cookie.

I still don't see any cookie.

Ok Gus.  As long as you don't see it, you may have it.


Then he had to stay on the 4-wheeler.  But

Mom!  I hear them!  Those dogs--the ones that sing!

Yes.  I hear them too.  But not close.  It's ok

They are way over there.

Way back in the hills.

Not even under the sagebrush.

Lunch With The Ladies

Today I had lunch with The Ladies.  That's Aunt Barb trying to hide in the corner on the right.

We had a wonderful time.  Good food and a nice visit and decided we need to do this again in January.  I had a wonderful time.

It was a nice relaxing day in town.  Before I met the ladies I stopped at my favorite LYS, Wild Purls.  Needed yarn for Boiled Fisherman's Mittens.  NEEDED.  Terrible time keeping my hands warm.  But who can walk out with just one bit of yarn?  Not me!  Got some to try twined knitting with.  I do have one more thrummed mitten to finish too, but where is it written that there must only be one project on the needles at a time?  NOWHERE!

The first thrummed mitten resting on today's purchases.

Mitten with the thrums turned out for viewing.

The dark purple is Cascade Echo + and the red is Ella Rae.  I'll use the purple for the felted mittens.

I've gotten comfy in sweats and slippers, have a fire going and a nice batch of yarn.  I think I might sit down and knit.

  

Some Favorite Faces

We didn't get much done outside today. The wind was just too icy.  So I'm posting some of my favorite faces.

Doofus who carried all sorts of things for me.  Miss you buddy!

Raspberry.  Don't you just love the green lipstick?

Irwin and Dan.  A couple of my favorite men.

Having a visit at the annual picnic.

Alec keeping an eye on a sock knitting project.

Another of my favorite guys, John, cooking with the supervision of Sock.

Melina giving  baby Lewis a bottle.

Old Molly is simple horrified that there is a calf in her living room.  It was way below zero that morning and the calf spent 3 hours in the house getting warm and dry.

Ginny meeting an alpaca.

Helen thinking she should come inside.

Max, Rolly, and old Stubs sharing the kitty bed.

Copper relaxing at a picnic.