Three dog night

It is waaaaaaaay too cold here. Handyman is out of town and the high today is 13 degrees with strong winds (my favorite combination!) When Handyman is gone, my bed somehow gets loaded up with "people" looking for snuggling. Night before last, #3 slept with me because we had a friend over for #2. So it was me, her, Tasha the corgi, Jake the 14 lb. cat, Sadie the recluse cat and eventually Tucker the wonder dog.

Darcy, the kitten enjoys going into the garage to catch rodents in the feed bags. Last night she wouldn't come in because it was still 35 degrees when we went to bed. By this morning, it was 16 degrees and she was ready to return. When she comes in, she tries to rub against the dogs. It is so funny, they will have none of it and she just thrusts herself at each dog, trying to rub along their length, then flopping over on the floor while four dogs dance around her waiting to go out. What a brave soul she is! I love her personality.

Today I did not even let the chickens out. However, I did take off horse blankets while they went outside for awhile. They get so itchy on their chests and the hair loses its loft with the blankies on. So when I go out for mid-morning snack, I'll check them. Reno has winter hair like a bear--no joke. I haven't seen hair that long on a horse, ever. It's funny.

Our geo-thermal says "auxiliary heat", so that means the electricity has kicked on the after-burners. If Handyman were here he would put a fire in the woodburner, but I am not doing that. It tricks the thermostat into thinking there is enough heat in the house, which is a BIG, FAT LIE. So the furnace doesn't come on, the living room has 8 sq. feet of heated space and the rest of the house shrivels down to 50 degrees or so.

Oh, and I have two chickens in the kitchen today. Sir John is joined by Dixie who lost her back feathers in the summer and won't regrow them until the next molt--what a goofball! Dixie doesn't like living in the shower. Where John stands sedately in the shower when you open it to feed him, Dixie tries to run out the door. Obviously she doesn't get the whole "bird dog out in the kitchen" thing.

Maggie--the bird dog--is constantly taunted by the whiney clucking she hears coming from the bathroom. John doesn't vocalize during the day, unless he crows every now and then. Dixie, on the other hand, talks to herself constantly. It must be a female thing. Maggie stands in the kitchen/laundry/kennel area, stretching her neck as far as possible to listen to that "bwaaaaaaak, bwaaaaak".

Whereas John has a degree of dignity, Dixie personifies the stupid chicken stereotype. I'll try to post a picture of Dixie and Falco--the world's smartest hen.

Gotta go get dressed and eat something besides coffee with nesquick and whipped cream! ;)