Brrrr

Welcome to Wednesday, dear reader. We woke up to a -10-degree temperature with a feels-like temperature of -21. That, dear reader, is nonsense. Nobody wants to attempt to stick their little noses outside. My obnoxious and rambunctious canine bff refuses to go outside, let alone go for a walk. I opened the door to let him out; he stepped toward the door, felt a blast of subzero air, and ran back to his bed. I feel that way too. The Bibbed Wonder awoke a little before seven, and I asked him to remain in bed because I wasn't ready to give up his body heat. He complied for a few minutes, but putting off the daily chores was impossible.

I am down to twelve chickens, including the roosters, so my few remaining ones will stay indoors today. I will make them a gruel of warm rice cereal, peas, corn, and mealworms. I will also put a few apples in the coop for them to pick at. Although they have plenty of room in the coop, I like to offer them treats to break up the boredom. The coop is chilly but not enough to create problems such as frostbite.

I look forward to moving the three remaining chicks Jenna gifted me at Christmas to the little green coop this weekend. They are now entirely feathered, and once the arctic air moves out, it will be safe to move them out of the heated garage. Three little hens create quite a mess in our now-clean garage. The Bibbed Wonder has been very gracious about welcoming them into the garage. However, they are wearing out their welcome fast.

Our goats are fairing well despite the cold temperatures. Everyone is snuggled in with deep bedding, closed barn doors, and water buckets inside the barn. The girls don't feel it necessary to go out in weather like this. Perhaps later this afternoon, when the sun is shining, they will go out to soak up some vitamin D, but for now, they are content to stay inside. I am happy to share that my dear Red, our geriatric nanny goat, is doing well despite this cold snap. She is taking her arthritis medicine like a good girl. Getting up is a bit painful for her, but once she is up, she is large and in charge, biting the other girls on the ears and nipping at the tails of the little goats. I am sure the goats are ready for this cold snap to end. The cold is unpleasant for everyone.

My bib overall-wearing wonder buns is my hero. He has graciously taken over feeding my chickens and geese, so I don't have to go out in the cold. You must respect, appreciate, and adore a man who makes himself uncomfortable for the ones he loves. He dislikes my birds but cares for them, so I don't have to risk an arthritic flare. That, dear reader, is love. He says he only does it so he doesn't have to hear my complaints. I mean, there is that mouth of his to contend with, but he really is a bib-wearing superhero.

This cold snap is far-reaching. My friend Brandi lives in St. Augustine, Florida. She sent me a message saying it was 41 degrees last night. Although 41 degrees would feel like a heatwave right now, it is cold for Florida. I wrote thank you cards for our orders yesterday, and each one ended with the words, stay warm whether it went to Florida, Pennsylvania, or the Midwest. I hope you are fairing as well as we are in this cold. However, I can say everyone here is greatly looking forward to warmer temperatures.

On this bitterly cold January day, stay safe, be smart, keep warm, appreciate those who make your life better, care for your friends with feathers and fur, and keep washing your hands.