A winter's day

   I think I have brain freeZe  I am just in from doing chores.  The temp is -4 and we have about a 10 knot wind.  I put on my husband's  Carhart facemask hat, my sweatshirt hoodie over that, my snowmobile suit and my winter barn coat over that, my BOGS (insulated water proof knee high boots) and heavy gloves. The horses have been in their very large stalss for nearly two days and I wanted to get them out, though I didn't think they would go out. I did open the east door for the horses and opened their stall gates but like I thought, they looked at me like I was crazy and said "Hell, NOOOOOOOOOOO"  The big water hydrant handle was nearly frozen but both hands and lots of muscle got it open.  The chickens' water bucket was frozen and they were all huddled around it or sitting on it looking like impatient victims.  So, I got the water running, the ice knocked out of their bucket and refilled it, filled their feed trough and collected TWO EGGS   I was thinking stew pot    Anyway everyone is fed, watered and as cozy as a barn in arctic Michigan will allow.

We must have gotten another 5 inches last night with a strong drifting wind to help us out.  I'm not whining, really I'm not.  It seems normal to me.  This artic cold is almost comforting because it is the way things used to always be.  We just get ready for it and truck on through.  I put a drop light on the handle of the hydrant, hung a couple of work lights in the chicken coop and one in the barn for the goat and shovelled a path for the kitties to get to their food.  I will say though that the two square inches of my face that were exposed to the wind going and coming to the barn are giving me a burning sensation.  I am sure that you southerners who fight the heat in summer have your survival methods in place .

I am going to make another pot of this wonderful coffee and get under a comforter.  I bought 8 O'Clock hazelnut beans, and boy does this fresg ground coffee taste great.