Wild, wind-whipped Wednesday...with pictures

The birdbath and feeder out back. Unfortunately all the birds left when I slipped out the back door.
One of our trees and our across the street neighbor.

Southern view from the front yard.

Some collateral damage from the snow. It was so wet and heavy that it knocked down some branches. I thought had lost our burning bush because it was on its side when I got outside but the snow blew off of it and it's now standing proud.

Boy, howdy! it did snow last night! I'm sure we got at least 10 inches although it was up to my knees in the back yard. Must have some drifting back there.

Poor Professor wouldn't step off the porch this morning for his morning wee so I had to get dressed quickly, bundle up and head out with my trusty snow shovel. I got the steps cleaned off and a large sidewalk area and he still didn't move off the porch. Further investigation revealed that his leash was frozen to the porch. Upon release, he scampered down the steps and, with eyes watering, wee'd to his heart's content. I also cleared off some grassy areas for other bathroom issues, which he promptly took advantage of.

Back inside to put some bacon on the stove and then out the back door because the bird feeder was inundated with birds who were unable to access the bird food because it was covered in snow. I wore Zach's boots because mine, for some reason, are super snug this year and his I could just slip into. And slide out of, I discovered while I was outside in 10+ inch snow. I uncovered the feeders and knocked most of the snow out of the bird bath but I'll have to trot out there later to give them some water. Which will promptly freeze as the temps are dropping pretty quickly.

Oh, and my crested bird came back today but this time she brought her mate and it's a cardinal. I didn't know they wintered over but it sure was a sight to see this morning. All these different brown wild birds and that splash of red. I'm debating filling up the feeder again because tomorrow will be brutally cold and I'd rather re-fill it in temps that don't freeze my fingers off.

So...back inside to turn the bacon and start the pancakes. I wasn't crazy about pancakes two days in a row but I was out of milk and oatmeal and I'm trying not to go to the store more than once a week. Tom is going to get some bags of milk from Kwik Trip on his way home, but we'll make do with other things until Friday. Or Thursday. I have to go pick up my prescriptions tomorrow so I might as well do the shopping while I'm there. That way I don't have to leave the house again until Saturday when I take Zach up to Fond du Lac for his last day of school. Sounds like a plan.

Then after breakfast, Zach and I headed outside to clear off the sidewalks and the driveway so Tom could get to work. Thankfully our neighbor (which one, I don't know) used his snow blower on our public sidewalk and our elderly neighbor's as well (we usually shovel hers off) so the job was not as burdensome. Still 10 inches of wet, heavy snow in the driveway was hard. We didn't have to do the apron or get rid of the wall from the snow plow either because our next door neighbor had taken care of that as well. We sometimes will clear his apron off if he's gone because there is an incline into our driveways (shared access) and it's hard to get in if the snow is deep and slick. That's how neighbors are supposed to work together. And it's nice when they do.

I think Tom starting to get onboard with this urban farming thing. I'm not sure about chickens for a number of reasons. I'd love to have them, but it would be a choice between chickens and my clothesline and I won't part with my clothesline. I just wouldn't have room otherwise. I am thinking of raising Angora rabbits for their fur, or to sell. There is room on the north side of the garage for a hutch and it would easily move into the garage in really bad weather. I could put a pen behind the garage so they wouldn't have to live in the hutch exclusively, and in really, really bad weather, put them in the basement. It's just a consideration right now. I would also consider getting a spinning wheel if I were to do that since spinning the fur would be necessary and I don't think my kick spindle would be up to the task. But we'll see. I can't afford either rabbits or spinning wheel right now.

I also looked into raising tobacco. I'm not sure if we could do it in this climate but there are ways to extend the growing season. I don't smoke anymore but he still does and just isn't going to quit. Since it costs so much, even though he rolls his own, I've been looking into this one. The garage is a perfect place for curing it and we have a wood stove we're going to install in there next summer (maybe) so that would be another option we have. Apparently you can grow your own but you can't sell it.

It's nice to feel productive again. Even though yesterday was a bust, I still managed to get more done than I normally do on an off day. So I am off to be productive by finishing up the lunch/breakfast dishes and starting a loaf of bread in the bread machine (I bake it in the toaster oven but mix it in the machine...soon I will stop using the machine and go back to mixing it by hand.) I'm also working on my aunt's socks and hopefully the beaded scarf will be done by Christmas eve.

But tomorrow we have to scrape 10+ inches of snow off the garage roof or we won't have one come spring.

TTFN