Tag: country life

A little thing that happened yesterday

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It has been unbearably cold for us all week. Temperature was down to zero one night and hasn’t gone above freezing for days. 

All this cold weather meant that we never opened the curtains and insulating blinds. We also had to drape the windows in the dinning room (previous owner’s sun room) with blankets. It worked by the way, which tells me I have a big project ahead of me for all those windows!

We’ve had very low fuel, because the propane guy couldn’t get out here to deliver to us, or anyone. You see, the snow and sleet froze solid and all the roads were closed. All of them. To further conserve fuel we turned the heat way down to 62, closed the doors to unused rooms (big house) placed a space heater in the living room, and when it got down in the teens during the day we even turned on the electric oven to help warm things up a bit. The oven has a cast iron lining and holds onto its heat for hours helping to heat the living/kitchen area.

So yesterday afternoon we were buried under blankets in the living room and trying to stay warm. When we heard a loud smack on the front room window, Bob jumped and said, “What was that?” I told him I thought it might be a bird and then got up to look out on the porch.

It was a bird, a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker to be exact. It had crashed into the window so hard it was laying crumpled on the bench and not moving. I went over to check and see if it was alive. It was, although it had knocked itself silly.

Leaning down I gently picked it up and brought it into the house. I found a small box, lined it with a hand towel and placed him inside. Then I covered the top loosely with another small towel, and put him in the bathroom where it was quiet and a bit warmer. About 20 minutes later I thought I heard some scratching noises and went in to check on him. He was sitting up and giving me a wary look. Putting the cover back over the top I took the box out to the porch and set it on the bench. I uncovered it and told him I hoped his headache didn’t last too long and that he would be more careful when flying about windows.

He wasted no time listening to my admonitions. He just flew out of the box and headed towards the setting sun. 

I have been in awe of these birds since we moved here. Holding one in my hands was a gift and I am glad that he was able to fly. Maybe he will come back to visit? And though I probably won’t know the difference between him and the others, it will be fun to imagine that it is him.

We have hope that tomorrow will actually give us the 36 degree high the weatherman promised and that our propane will be delivered on Monday. 

To learn more about the Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, just click here: American Bird Conservancy

A little something to warm you up…

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“When the weather is cold, and never goes above 32 degrees, we are stuck in the mudroom all day just to avoid freezing our whiskers off. We’re so bored.”

 

You are not seeing double.  Kitty on the left is Pickle and on the right is Peanut.  They are brothers from a litter who arrived all the way from Tuscaloosa riding in the grille of a pickup truck.  That is a 2 hr 28 min or 169.3 mile trip.  When the driver discovered them, he extracted them and then took them to our local vet’s office. 

On entering, with Walker and Noodle in tow, I spied the assistant feeding them behind the counter and asked if they were available. They were.  

“I’ll take them both!” I exclaimed.  Bob cocked an eyebrow at me, but I held firm. 

Peanut has since become Bob’s favorite and Pickle is mine.  I do love a good Ginger cat and having two ginger cats is twice a nice.

Although, perhaps not so nice if you are a mousie or a vole.

Relative indicators: cold, colder, coldest!

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Saying this winter is cold is an understatement.  We may not be in the negative digits as those to the north of us are suffering, yet I believe it is all relative.  Let me explain that statement.

The serious bits…

We are all facing a propane shortage.  Because of this shortage, the Governor of our state has declared a state of emergency.  This will protect us from price gouging.  Cold below freezing will hurt you, and if you can’t keep your house heated, then sadly, it doesn’t matter how many degrees below freezing you are, below freezing is going to hurt you.  I had no idea about the propane shortage when I called to have our tank filled yesterday, and I am grateful that it is full now, because we don’t have a fireplace here.  Normally we get through the winter with only one fill up.  This was our second!

We in the eastern portion of the nation, and this does include the deep south, are facing unseasonably cold winter weather!  Homes built in the south are not accustomed to prolonged freezing temperatures.  We are near the Tennessee border and our walls are pretty thin.  The further down towards the gulf you go, the thinner and less insulated your home will be.  When it gets this cold you might as well be living in a cracker box!  This also means higher energy costs. Few living in the south have a home that was built to be protected from frozen pipe damage or insulated well enough for sustained freezing temperatures.

For all the water we have here in the form of rivers, lakes streams and reservoirs, it may seem quite odd that there were some localities that experienced a water shortage.  This was due to all the households running their taps at night to keep their pipes from freezing.  No one wants to waste water,  yet in weather like this, it has to be done.

Then there are the animals that are affected.  I’m not so worried about my own, because I have provided them with a heat source, unfrozen water, and warm, protected shelter.

On realizing that we were headed into the deep freeze, with possible windchill factors below zero, we put up a wind break for the poultry.  It works really well for the chickens, but for the most part, the geese seem to ignore it and wander about the yard looking for anything that is still edible (not freeze-dried  😉 ).  Well, I suppose they do have a layer of fat and all that down to keep them warm.

P1068404-2“What!  You gave the chickens a heater? Where’s our heater?”

Ever wonder where the wild things go to find food and water?  Well, apparently here in N. Alabama,  they are getting it from my chickens and geese!

On keeping a sense of humor…

Now it must be said that even in all this cold, there is still some fun to be had!  Remember the property across the way with the derelict house on it?  Well, now that it is cleared, and a proper berm tractored into place, we have a smallish catch basin.   (It is kind of a swamp really, but the frogs will think its grand in the summer.)  For now, it is frozen over and the neighbor kids have begun using it as an ad hoc skating rink!

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Did you ever wonder:  “How do the little squirrels stay warm?”

They move FAST!

This squirrel has a scratch feed addiction!  😉

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No matter where we are in this cold season, and whatever the circumstances we face, we have to be aware, be safe, help others in need, try to stay warm, and if possible, to keep our sense of humor intact.

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Sending blessings out to all who are suffering in this weird weather!  

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