Tues. Dec. 22nd... Good Morning From the Farm With Blue Skies and A 19° Chill...

There is a chill in the air synonymous with the winter solstice which just kicked in yesterday afternoon. The chill I speak of bites at your nose, fingers and toes as soon as you leave the house, but I really enjoy the winter myself. I don't appreciate all the problems afforded by the chill of Old Man Winter, which affect everything around me though... The chickens and ducks don't like it, so they take it out on us with a lower egg production and more mess inside. The vehicles all revolt, by not wanting to start or are very reluctant to move around corners without my having to use maximum strength to accomplish such a move. I don't mind the cold so much and the beauty is breathtaking, but every chore is made difficult. Yesterday, we believe the ol fox grabbed a duck and took off with him. I suppose he had the duck and was off before the frozen guinea fowl had a chance to congregate and defend the yard in such brutal cold weather. I sure hope it wasn't EB that was grabbed, but we didn't really see him when we put the rest of the ducks and chickens away. EB is short for Emmy's Boy, who was grabbed about mid summer by the last fox I dispatched afterward. We were blessed with hatching EB, which gave us a little piece of his mother Emmy back. Now, possibly he too, may be gone. I hope not. We won't know until they are all out again, where a person can take a count and see each individual duck and how they act. EB had a crooked tail and both wings crossed to the side of his tail...kind of like his shirt tail was out on one side......a real slop, but cute as can be.

There is so much to do, but my knees don't care to be out there in the cold as much as I do, so I try to do what they will allow. Perhaps I can putter about and finish up some misc junk needing done. We'll see. If I can't go out this afternoon, perhaps I'll work on some "Buy It Now" PayPal buttons for Vick's potholders and "Go Green for Hospice" shopping bags.