Between approximately 10:00 am and 3:00 pm

It hit me today....the days are getting shorter.   This means I kind of want to sit and stare at the ceiling, like a lot of other people this time of year, but need to keep my feet moving.   It always passes.    I started thinking about writing what was happening as a way to keep moving through tasks today.   

I need to avoid the pumpkin bread baked last night, with walnuts and chocolate chips.   Luckily, most of it went into the freezer.

(1) 10:00 a.m. -- I sorted out the electronet fencing, which was still outside, and put it away for the winter.   This took me a chunk of time, because most of the fencing still outside was tangled.   I strung it out way down the driveway and untangled it.   Next, I worked on the roll that I hit with the mower at some point.  Some of the roll has now been thrown away, although I saved the poles.   It took me about three weeks to tell George that I damaged this fencing.    But, he ran into some last year, so he was ok with it.

(2) I went up a ladder and fixed a loose board on the sheep barn.   This also took quite awhile.   I  should have fixed the board as soon as I noticed it, because the plywood hardened, and I couldn't just push it down and hammer it.   It needed some screws, but I didn't have the right size.   Next time go to hardware store....     I used lots of nails, pounding slowly from left to right to get the board down.  This is not how it is supposed to be done, but the plywood is down.

 

(3) I went in the house to water Percy the cat.  He gets 100 ml fluid subcutaneous about the middle of the day due to poor kidneys.   He and the other cat get a meal at the same time.   While he was slowly finishing, I put the wash in the dryer, brought up coffee from the cellar, cleaned two cat boxes, and tidied a bit.   Then, I stopped to check email, which is always a mistake.   Went outside again 1.5 hours later.

(4) I caught two old sheep and trimmed their feet.   I used to be able to do a dozen at a time, but two a day is better now.   It gets to my back.   I actually think this way is easier for them too, because I don't rush. Aurthur (on the right) needs a horn trimmed....goes on the list.

 (5)Three outbuildings need to be sorted out/cleaned before the farm machinery can be put away for the winter.   I got the first cut done on two.  Summer stuff goes to back, pallets get put away, remaining pumpkins get saved or go to compost, etc.    Also, took the two metal cans full of soot from last year's wood stove fires, and spread them out on the hayfield.   We put down soot in place of sand sometimes to keep things less slippery in the winter, but we have more than enough.   Moved the empty metal cans to the front porch, to be ready for more soot.

Small garage --

Before:

After:

Some of the little pumpkins went outside on the steps.

I was finishing up the second outbuilding when George came home unusually early.   We were talking in the driveway, and a young woman came by with a leaflet urging that the Casinos be voted down.   We talked about that for awhile.   Afterwards, I dropped off the last load of sweepings, and went inside.

3:00 pm.

Have something going on this evening, so quitting early to write this up and get something to eat.   Hmmmmm.....maybe pumpkin bread....with walnuts and chocolate chips.