Pining hearts

Mama has been feeling poorly lately. I think it is grandchild withdraws, but it could be something biological. There have been a number of people sick in our church lately. What they described is far more debilitating than anything Mama is currently experiencing so I will continue to chalk it up to withdrawal.

Last Friday evening Nate and I set a brush pile on fire so that it could burn down enough for the kids and Mama to do some hot dogs and marshmallows but the time the sun was setting. Cori is not eating either of those “food” items but she will still allow her children to do so on occasion. That was one of those occasions.

Victoria and I did not get to stay because of the RU program at church but I was told that they had a great time late into the evening. It was one of the warmer nights with the temperatures near fifty. Later that night it dropped into the twenties. When the kids got up in the morning they were very surprised by the cold, but they adapted quickly.

This week is more of the same weather. It will be near seventy degrees on Saturday afternoon but by Monday morning it will be in the teens – with thirty mile per hour winds to remind us it really is winter. Still we are not doing as bad as folks in the northeast right now. We had our bout of ice and snow after Thanksgiving. Maybe that will be it for this winter.

It is hard for me to get my head wrapped around the idea that today is Friday. With the past ten days off and the holidays happening mid-week, my day counter is off. I will catch up by Monday but for now it feels a little strange to be at the weekend.

Kira is having withdrawals also. She and Bella – Coria and Nate’s lab – played countless hours. I think Bella got the worst end of the play. One time we thought there might be some permanent damage to her eye because of Kira but the wound healed very quickly. Another time, while Mama had the grandkids on the tractor with her, Bella tried to duck through the wheels of the tractor as a shortcut to the other side. Mama slammed on the brakes to avoid running over her.

I was repairing fence in another pasture when the incident took place. They were on the backside of the dike at our large pond and I could hear very clearly the scolding the dog was getting. I saw Mama drop grant off of the tractor to call Bella over for inspection, but I had only begun to head that direction when they all loaded up to complete the ride. I do not know if she knows or not, but Bella is much safer in her fences yard in Pace, Florida.

Allie must be right at the peak of heat because Sam is acting crazy whenever the door is opened to the trailer. Last night, to give the little female a break, I picked Sam up and put him in the back of the pickup. With the topper on it made a perfect holding pen. He cried like he was being tortured.

When Mama finally put Allie back inside after her outing to potty and help Mama with the chickens I let Sam out of his brief captivity and he tracked the path of the female to the chicken coop and back whimpering the entire time. I hope this is over soon.  

I really regret that we did not make more of an effort to have a more size compatablemale standing ready to breed her.