Christmas

A day of rest

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Since yesterday – Sunday – ended up being a very long day of driving around and getting our truck in the city, today became my day of rest.

I even got to sleep in, and sleep well. As usually, I got inundated with cats but this time, they actually snuggled pleasantly. No stepping painfully on various body parts. No trying to lie on my face. No fighting amongst each other.

Well. Not much. Just a bit of hissing at times.

In fact, they helped keep me warm and cozy and let me fall into a deep and restful sleep.

I don’t expect this to happen again, so I’ll take it!

My daughter was only up to doing short rounds this morning, which is basically just making sure the outside cats got food and warm water. I did their evening feeding and topped up their warm water, too. With the sun room water bowl no longer working, it was full of ice.

And the critter cam.

Some cats like to hang out on the plant trays on the shelf where the critter cam was set up. I saw it was pushed downwards when I tried to check it. By the time I got out and could fix it, it had been knocked off completely. The camera was held in place with Alien Tape, which works great, normally. It’s frozen now, so once it gets unstuck, it won’t work again until it’s thawed. I ended up having to put the camera one shelf down and tried to wedge in in place. I had to make sure it couldn’t fall into the water bowl again, too. If it does get knocked off, it should just dangle a few inches but that’s it. It it working now, except the view is partially blocked by the shelf itself on one side.

While I was outside, I just had to try and get a good shot of Patience. I wasn’t able to get the shot I wanted, since he moved while I was getting my phone out, but I think I got one that captured what I was after.

His fur has gotten SO long and thick. When he’s loafed on the ground, he’s just a big round mass of fluff with eyes.

If you click through to the next photo, you’ll see his sister, Peanut Butter Cup. She, too, is a mass of fluff!

The Cat Lady and I are both surprised she hasn’t been adopted yet.

Overall, today was pleasant outside, if a bit colder than yesterday. We reached a high of -11C/12F, which is a degree warmer than was in the forecast yesterday. It’s supposed to start snowing tonight, then tomorrow, we’re supposed to reach a high of -4C/25F I was thinking of doing a dump run tomorrow, but the dump is open in the morning, and it’s supposed to still be snowing then. We’ll see what the road conditions are like, since I was planning to also hit a feed store for 40 pound bags of kibble.

Wednesday – which is when my daughter and I have our doctor and eye appointments – and Thursday – when we have 2 cats to go in for spays – are supposed to have highs of only -16C/3F and -15C/5F, but it’s Friday and the weekend that is really catching my attention. Friday is supposed to reach a high of 0C/32F, while Sunday is supposed to reach a high of 2C/36F!! It’s supposed to cool down again after that, but I’m really hoping it’ll stay quite mild, since we will have the ladies recovering in the isolation shelter for 2 weeks after their spays. Looking further ahead to the week of Christmas, and we have forecasts for highs up to 6C/43F for a couple of days! Christmas day itself is currently expected to be the coldest day of the week, with a high of -1C/30F.

I’m just excited by the idea of having two mild winters in a row. Having an El Nińo winter last year was great, but NOT having a strong La Nińa winter this year is just bonus. I’m hoping this will also be good for our winter sown garden beds, too.

One thing we haven’t been doing at all yet is start decorating for Christmas. I haven’t bothered setting up the Advent wreath. Normally, we would have had it on the dining table or on the counter dividing the kitchen from the dining room, but some of the cats would have a field day with it. The alternative is the living room – the cat free zone – but the bins of tomatoes I brought in from the old kitchen are still ripening in there, and taking up the space.

Yes. We still have tomatoes ripening!

Hopefully, we’ll be able to get stuff like that cleared out enough that we can at least put our little Christmas trees on top of the piano, like we did last year.

I think it’s going to be a quite Christmas this year. I don’t mind that at all. In fact, the quieter the better, as far as I’m concerned! 😄

All is good.

The Re-Farmer

Feast of the Epiphany

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Today’s is the Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day, recognizing when the magi visited Jesus, bearing gifts. It is also the closing of the Christmas season.

I found this rendition of We Three Kings I’d never heard before.

This was one of those songs I really enjoyed singing in my younger days. There’s something about the melody that just pulls you in and lifts you up! Alas, I don’t really sing anymore, as it triggers coughing fits, so I just get to enjoy the singing of others.

The Re-Farmer

Happy last day of Christmas!

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Today is the 12th day of Christmas.

Tomorrow is the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, which is our official end of the Christmas season.

Alas, without my computer, I was not able to do my usual end of year posts. Hopefully, we will be able to get a replacement soon, and I will no longer be stuck tapping on my phone!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season!

The Re-Farmer

Peace

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Today is Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. The day of Peace.

We begin our celebrating tonight and through tomorrow, so I will take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

May you and your loved ones be filled with peace this day. My your homes be filled with hope, joy, and love, today and for always.

From The Re-Farmer household to yours!

We have such good neighbours!

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I wasn’t planning on writing a post today, but I just had to share. What an awesome Christmas surprise!

When I turned on the tablet and the live feed to the garage security camera, there was something different about our driveway.

I could see grass.

We’d only been able to clear the driveway just wide enough for a vehicle to drive through, not wide enough to uncover any grass.

Someone had cleared our driveway, and we never heard a thing!

When I went out to switch the memory card on the trail cam, I could see that this was not done by our lovely neighbours, and the renters of most of this property. They would clear our driveway with their front end loader. These were ordinary tire tracks. I could see that someone drove in, clearing the driveway on one side, almost up to the burn barrel, backed up to turn around, then cleared the other side on the way out.

Of course, the first thing I did was check the memory card to see who did it and when.

It turned out to be a pickup truck with a plow attachment. It’s one I recognize and see every winter, but I’ve never been able to see the driver’s face. I had no idea who it was. Also, it was done in the early afternoon! We were busy making our dinner at the time. On the trail cam, I could see the truck go by and stop on the road, then back up to our driveway and go in, then out again – just two quick passes to widen our driveway. Normally, we would have had the gate closed and locked, but with this weather, we’ve been leaving it open. He basically took advantage of that!

So I sent a message to someone I figured might know who it was, and got a name of who it could be. I was able to send a message to that person, and it was confirmed. It turned out to be someone who was a neighbour when I was growing up, and still lives in the area, though now further away. I’ve known him for most of my life, but I don’t think I’ve seen him since we’ve moved back here. In fact, after all these years, I probably wouldn’t recognize him if I did.

We have such good neighbours! It so makes up for the problems we’ve been having with our vandal!

There is other good news. The littles are settling in quite well! Walnut already settled in almost immediately, but it getting even more exploratory. The bitty tabby is also getting better, and not running away quite as much.

Then, last night, I woke to feel a cat curled up against my leg. It was completely dark, but I could reach my phone and try for a flash picture.

Yup! It was the bitty tabby!

The bitty and Walnut have been wrestling and napping on my bed a lot more. During the night, I could feel them walking across me and the bitty – which I could recognise by the almost negligible weight – even curled up on my thigh to sleep. Then, this morning, I was able to pick the bitty up and snuggle him for a while, and he even settled in and start purring, rather than staying tense and running off.

Also, yes. The bitty is now confirmed male.

Unfortunately, we’ve still had no luck getting his sibling in the sun room. After my last failed attempt to catch it, it’s even more skittish. I was afraid that would happen!

It is already noticeably warmer out there, though. Not the actual temperature – at least not that early in the morning – but the wind has finally stopped! What a difference that makes!

While doing my rounds – and checking out the driveway! – I ran the van for a bit. My daughter’s Christmas gift to the family is going to be Chinese food. We’re pretty sure the place we usually order from will be open, but if not, we have a back up plan. It does mean driving to town, though, so I wanted to make sure to start the van and run it for a bit.

I just realized I forgot to plug the block heater back in. I’d better take Walnut off my chest and go do that now!

Yes. I have a little kitten curled up on my chest and napping as I write this.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Re-Farmer

For Christmas: Christmas Eve!

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Another medieval version.

In my family, Christmas Eve is when we celebrate the Wigilia feast. Whether you are starting your celebrations today or on Christmas Day, I wish you and yours a joyous and peaceful Christmas.