Change in the Weather and Keith's Folly

Last week we had beautiful weather - at least 5 inches of fluffy light snow and sunshine.
The Farm was a Winter Wonderland!
This week it changed to fog and rain. It's nice in one aspect - it's not very cold, above freezing - but the snow is melting, and there is slush mixed with mud. This is not the typical December weather. I did get some photos before the change - below are shots of the river.

I love this river - it makes me smile every morning.

This is how the farm has been looking lately - today this road to the barn is mud, you can see the grass even.

With the melting, cool icicles are forming on the ice piles on the river.

Still pretty in the fog.

Raccoons have been walking on the river - just as long as they stay on the river and not near our barn!

The other news on the farm is about Keith. He went out one night to get a squash for dinner.
He came back with the squash but also a huge gash in his leg. He forgot to turn the light on and his leg rammed into the disc plow.
Luckily he didn't cut any bones, arteries or tendons. He let me clean it and bandage it.
The next morning when he looked at the cut again he let me take him to the walk-in clinic.

The PA after looking at the wound called in another doctor for his opinion and then that doctor called in another for his thoughts. - it was very deep and ragged - they gave him a hard time about not coming in the night it happened and he told them that it cost too much to go to the emergency room - just coming to the walk-in clinic is expensive enough - they understood the logic and a discussion about what is happening (or not happening) in congress about Public Health - they thought perhaps the senators who don't want the bill should go without health insurance for awhile to see how it works (or doesn't).
The doctors also told Keith they usually see these type of accidents in much older patients.Ninety minutes later, 15 stitches and a tetanus shot in him they had Keith ready to go home.

Keith is going to have a "check mark" on his shin now!

He's doing better today - we both are!

The Before During and After Thanksgiving Post

Finally getting around to writing a bit about what has been happening at the Farm....

The weekend before Thanksgiving we got a wee bit of snow and a fun visit from our friends Jeff,Sheryl and their dogs Olo and Marshall.

There is always music being made when they come over!

Olo looking like a dog from a Disney film...

Marshall being the Cool Dude,

and Bandida being the "Noisy One", with Spaetzle ignoring her.

After they left we got ready for Thanksgiving...

We Thanked the Tom Turkey for being our Main Dish,

I remembered to take photos before I cooked the meal, but forgot completely about the" after cooking before eating" shots

Trust me that he looked scrumptious cooked and was delicious! The best part of the Holiday was the wonderful visit with Alyssa, Moroni, Arlene and Richard!

I did get shots of the next day table though...

Moroni helped me with the morning chores - he even wore the appropriate sweat shirt!

After they all went home our thoughts turned to getting ready for the next Holiday.
Luckily the first week of December we finally got snow that seems to guarantee a White Christmas ... and enough accumulation that Keith felt compelled to shovel it.

That same week the river began to do its trick of freezing from the bottom up - I'll post later some more photos as the ice piles up.

Here are some snaps of the winter morning routine....

do you think we have enough barn cats? All are doing fine....so far.
Hope everyone is doing great!

Louisiana

I took a trip this month with Betsy May & Reuben back to Louisiana. We stayed with my brother Ed and his wife Mitzi. We had a really good time visiting with the folks, playing pool, walking and of course eating good southern food.

Digger - a real good dog.

The Pool King

Mitzi taught a few pool pointers to the Bets and Reuben.

Dad walking Sandy - another good dog.

Love those country roads. The other nice part of the trip was the warm weather! '70 - '80's when we were there and no rain.

The second part of the trip Bets, Reuben & I drove to St. Joseph - the town where the kids got their start - as one of our old neighbors, Mrs. Ratcliff told them.

We went to church - the church my Dad was priest of after he left Panama.

The kids spent their time with their Dad - and I stayed with the sweetest Ladies of St. Joe. We played Scrabble, "Golf" & "Oh Heck" (two card games) and just had a great time talking, laughing and reminiscing.

One other cool thing - I drove the kids on the Levee - I used to drive it with my Dad's Chevy, but this time it was my Mom's Honda.

The "Good-bye Shots"

We had a great time - see you next year Mom & Dad!