Is it colder today? Don't think so, but my body seems to believe it is. In the twenties right now, and in the teens at night, or the elevenes. Something like that. Who cares anymore, anyway? I can't remember any winter being so cold here for such a long time. A week's blast, sure, but not day after day, after day. Wearing on my sensibilities.
I was at the back faucet this afternoon. Tried to turn it on and refill the chicken water. Fail. We'd not covered it. I know. Silly us. Even with the cold blast a few weeks ago, the faucet didn't freeze, but it did today. I took out an extension cord with the hairdryer and thawed it in about 5 minutes. When Gary got home, he covered it nicely, so maybe we're good now. We do keep the faucets dripping (more like running) at night. Our old tub faucets are messed up now, least the cold water one is, so it steadily runs anyhow. Need me a plumber when we have some extra pocket change. Gary's afraid to touch the pipes anymore, being that it takes so many trips to the hardware store to fix things. And seriously, when we do cover the outside faucets, how do we know they don't freeze even a little bit in a sneaky fashion? We don't.
He did go to the hardware store today though, and bought a big plastic owl. A brown hawk was circling this morning while the girls were out back. The hens looked up at it, sideways---as chickens do. They sort of huddled together, but were still vulnerable. The girls put them in their coop, and then got the big dogs out. Hawk flew away. Our priest lost a chicken last weekend to a hawk attack. I just don't think we'd deal well with that. They're such loves. Not the hawks.
And we have a critter in the bedroom wall. I'm thinking mouse. I'm hoping mouse. 'Nuf said on that topic.
I hear it'll warm up to the fifties this weekend. I'll hold onto that thought. Whiner, I know.
