A Chilly Update

Hello and welcome to all the new readers! I am glad to have you along for the ride! I look forward to getting to know you all.

This recent cold weather has me feeling pretty crappy of late.

And angry.

And stressed being on the constant verge of an anxiety attack.

I worry so much about what the cold is going to do to my animals. Or what it is going to do to vehicles, house, tractor, enough propane, and so on, that I only get about 2 hours of sleep a night. It’s hard to function on that little bit of sleep, and it makes everything so much worse.

Chores take twice as long since I’m only moving half as fast.

Today should be the last of the very cold below zero wind chills for a bit. Thank the Gods for that!

The animals are all doing very well in spite of it all. Nobody got frostbite. They are all eating and drinking well in spite of the fact that it’s been a bitch to keep open water for them 24/7. One tank heater for 2 tanks just doesn’t cut it, but our current electrical wiring does not allow for a second heater without constantly blowing fuses.

One truck battery did bite the dust this week and has been replaced. The other truck was very reluctant to start but it did so, for which I am grateful for.

On one bad note, I suspect a possible busted pipe but have not found water leaking yet. Please put up some good vibes that it is intact. I’m screwed if it’s broken.

The reason I’m angry? My Rob isn’t here to help me with all this crap that is raining down on my head. And he should be. I know he wanted to be. He was the best at calming my fears and working out a plan of action.

With his skills, he would have found the possible leak, fixed it, and replaced the concrete if it had to be torn up. Yeah, I think the leak, if there is one, is under the concrete where it meets the house. Five years ago we were quoted 5-8K to do the same job. We talked to the contractor as neither of us was willing to take on what at that time was a non-emergency job.

Plus, I’m cold. And Rob was a literal furnace and wonderful to cuddle up to. Hot flashes just don’t cut it for long.

Lack of sleep, lack of help with mad skills, and lack of warmth makes me a cranky lady.

So, I’ll have to keep watching the water to see if I do develop a leak. If it is under the concrete, I may not know for a while since I suspect it may just be freezing under there. A good old frost heave will show me the way. No leaking skating rink on the top so far either.

I did lose water again over night after having it back for a few hours. Today’s warmer temps will hopefully bring it back soon. I really need to do laundry and I don’t want to haul it to the laundromat/bar in town. I also have to teach a class on fiber prep/spinning today which will cut into my time to get that done.

Other than that, we survived the “Second Mini Ice Age” in Wyoming. Fingers crossed we will get thru the rest of winter without a repeat.

Blessed Be.