It has been consistently been 23 degrees every morning.  The ground is frosty, and the animals’ water is partially frozen each day.

The animals are noticing it too.  The cows like to lay in their hay before they eat it.

The peafowl have moved to the hay loft where it is a little warmer.

They are sunning themselves in the windows there.

Elsa, Piper’s favorite bird, has taken to roosting in the rafters.

Olivia, the donkey, is steaming in the sunlight.

 

William was able to visit us on Sunday.  Tom made his “world’s best” grilled cheese sandwich for lunch while we watched the NFC championship game.

I had worked the night before so then vegged on the couch with the AFC championship game and Ryeleigh while Tom and William worked on motorcycles and rode quads out back.

Then there was William and Ryeleigh relaxing on the couch.

On Monday, we loaded branches onto the trailer to bring it to green recycling.  Now that we do not burn anymore, it is more work.

Tim loaded a stump on top to help hold the load down.

Roscoe has been hanging out by the truck in the back of the donkey pen.

Wally is now coming out every morning to watch us feed Roscoe.  So far, no claws.

They even went out back together checking each other out but no fighting.

The big task recently has been the pruning.  We have been pruning the fruit trees almost every day.  The cold temperatures have gone along with sunny skies so the afternoons have been reasonable for pruning.  Wally, Ryeleigh and Steve join me.  Steve almost looks dead, sleeping in the orchard.

Here he looks a little more alive.

On Monday evening, Tom and I watched the recording of a zoom I had missed earlier in the day on the history of Washington apples.  We were both impressed to see great-grandfather’s apple label in the show.

On Tuesday, midday, I was able to watch Up Helly Aa.  It is still impressive to watch the procession and the boat burning.  I hadn’t realized previously that the paraders are in costume to perform secret skits after the burning.  Their custunes were really varied and fun.

Today I finally got my portion of the pruning done which is the cherry, plum, pears, quince, Asian pears and peach trees.  Tom is responsible for the apple trees.  I don’t think he likes other fruit trees in “his” orchard and certainly doesn’t like pruning “my” trees.  But happy to have my trees done, and Tom almost has his tree done as well. This is good since last year we were still pruning in February when the burns happened.  With the pruning there is some bamboo that needs to be cut back as well.  The goats and sheep really enjoy this.

The other thing I have been doing is reading letters and listening to tapes between my grandparents and my uncle during his service in the Peace Corp in Malaysia and his enlistment in the Army during the Vietnam War.  It has been fascinating to me, and there is even a recording of my mother and me (as a toddler).  Here he is on his Honda S90 in Malaysia.

This morning I had my spinning zoom. There was a pretty sunrise from my wool room window with the window next to the electric drum carder.

It was golden and indicates a change in the weather system from cold and sunny to cool and rainy with snow in the forecast.  We shall see.