Still cold

It is still freezing cold! Temps have not gotten above 30 F for so long now. I feel trapped in this horrid cold. Our front door freezes shut every night. Richard found my old hair dryer and uses it to melt the ice on the bottom of the door. But then it refreezes and we struggle to get out of the house again. Our windows ice over every night--1/4 to 1/2 inch, and then melt off through the day (if there is sun). I have used every single towel I have here in the house, trying to mop up the melting water.

Bathroom window

Last night I forgot to put the heater on in the living room. The main part of the house got down to 60 F overnight. Our bedroom/sunroom gets down to 59 F regularly, even with a heater and foam insulation in the windows. Last night it got down to 56 F.

I wonder what will happen in the house when the outside temps get down to -30 F? We may have to figure out how to get the old wood stove up and functioning. This is a task unto itself as we have to clear the room of furniture and other stuff (our buckets of flour...our pantry) if we want to use it. The stove is way too big for the tiny room it's in. Plus we should really get the chimney cleaned, which is another $150. The chimney has never been cleaned, according to the landlords who have owned this house for ten years or so. I'm afraid to use the stove without cleaning the chimney. I have seen the rubble of houses all around the valley---houses that burned. There is no fire department here, but maybe in Costilla or San Luis, some miles away. Too far to make a difference.

I have to move my birds (parrot and dove) out of the sunroom/bedroom because it's getting too cold in there. I guess they will share some space with the kids in their tiny room.

At least the animals outside are still doing okay, even though the goat barn still needs to be closed in better. We have to go to Santa Fe (or Pueblo) to get some clear Lexon panels for the barn siding. This will allow some light and maybe some heat into the barn. The goats would break any glass we try to use, so we are going to try those panels instead. We have to wait for the weather to warm enough that we can leave our dogs outside while we make the trip, which usually takes a full day, and has us getting back after dark. It is way too cold to leave the dogs out for that amount of time, and I don't want to kennel them for so long either.

Sometimes things just seem so hard, don't they? The cold always makes everything worse. And it's a matter of life and death for some of us, so we just have to keep plugging away, doing what we can with the time and money we have. I suppose things might be different if we lived in a decent house and had a heated barn for the critters. But, we don't.

Moving south seems like a great idea every winter. And then the summer comes and I forget how miserable and cold it is during the winter. I suppose we are blessed in the fact that none of the housing choices we were looking at worked out up here in the San Luis Valley. Maybe the Universe knows better than me, and perhaps my urge to move south of Albuquerque means more than I think. Maybe I should listen to my inner urgings. We worry about water down that way as the Southwest dries up. But at least it is warmer and there is no fracking going on (yet). Plus the livestock taxes are disturbing, so we may have to rethink that too.

Today we are headed to Taos to pay our rent while the bank is still open. That was the agreement, to deposit our check in the landlords' account. I wonder what we do if we can't get there? That seems absurd, doesn't it? But, I hate driving on snow/ice packed roads, especially on mountain roads. The forecast for the next week...freezing fog with periods of sunshine.

We have sun!

It has been rough the past week with little to no sun. Depressing and really cold. The freezing fog has been hanging around for a few days now, making everyone miserable.

Winter Wonderland (yesterday)

turkey fence

ice crystals on fence

Our overnight temperatures were below zero. I think it was -6 F this morning when we got up. All of the animals made it through. And I am so thankful for that!

Trees next to pasture (today)

grass

When the sun shines, it changes everything, doesn't it? Now the world looks winter white and sparkly. But still, the cold makes me look for warmer places to move...every single time. Maybe I should think more on that.

The condensation on our windows is out of control. Even the walls have water on them. It's a big mess. I'm wiping up water with towels, washing and hanging them to dry, which keep the cycle of moisture going, never-ending. The cabinets have water condensing in them. We have ordered a de-humidifier for the house here. Who would have thought we'd need it in this high desert place!

On this Day of Gratitude, I am thankful for shelter for us and the animals. We are all doing the best we can, considering. I am thankful for good health for my family and all of the critters. I am soooo thankful for the sun today! And later this afternoon we will sit down to a feast which includes one of our turkeys, organically raised. I am soooo thankful we stocked up before the storm (will we ever be able to get to town again?). More freezing fog forecast for the next couple of days. I am thankful for heaters and electricity, hot water and warm down comforters.

Happy Day of Gratitude!

Cold temps in the forecast

Another couple of inches fell last night, but not enough to fully fill the dug out paths Richard made to the various barns, although it is snowing now and the wind is blowing. Drifting is happening and the paths may soon be gone.

path

The cold is coming fast now. The highs are only reaching about 28 F or so during the day and at night... this Monday it is supposed to get down to 8 F with wind chills down to 0. Richard has been trying to get the billy goats house a little more sheltered. The problem is, he likes to tear up his house. But, the wind is predicted to come from the north, instead of the usual south, and with the wind chills down so low, we have to give Molet more shelter. I think some extra alfalfa for all of them might help them get through the cold. The girls are all getting grain during milking and even Molet gets a little now and then.

Milk stanchion

Fairy Dust

We stacked our new load of hay behind the turkey house, which serves to insulate them and keeps the south wind and weather off the hay.

Hay behind the turkey house

The snow is falling off the roof of the house, and onto the windows of the sunroom/our bedroom. When it falls, it crashes and sounds like the windows are about to come down with it. Horrendous sound. At least that means there is some melting going on. There is a little bit of sun radiating through the mass of clouds that covers our little world now. I haven't seen Ute Mountain for days, just the lower edges, which makes it appear really huge as it fades up into the clouds. Today, when we went out to milk, there was no sign of the mountain at all. The wind is blowing and the snow is coming down again.

There is a slushy cover on the pond. The world is winter white. And cold. This is supposed to last until Tuesday. And then the sun will come back. I miss the sun. It heats my bedroom.

pond

Snow

The snow has arrived.

About six inches so far.

roof of dog house

It's still snowing. Forecast another 3-5 inches today. High of 31 F.

barn

The animals are all huddled in the barn. The people are all huddled in the house. But we still have to go out to milk the goats. In the snow. That keeps coming down. Glad we made it town before the snow came.

Snow coming

It's supposed to snow or rain for the next week...or for as far as the extended forecast is available on NOAA.

I really don't like snow. Or the cold. But, since I can't figure out a way to get around this, there is only one solution left: prepare.

Richard finished the turkey/rabbit/duck house enough that we could get the turkeys and rabbits in there. The rabbits are still in their old cage until Richard builds them cages on the back wall of the small barn. It is pretty passive solar with windows across the front. Richard even put adobe bricks (that have been sitting out in the weather) on the back wall to absorb heat from the sun shining in the front windows.

Front of turkey house

turkeys and rabbits in new barn

The turkeys seem pretty happy. They have more space now. The rabbits a least are out of the wind and cold. We have not moved the ducks into the house yet. First the yard has to be fenced and covered so the turkeys don't try to fly out. Then there will be more room for everyone to adapt to each other.

Richard is now working on the milking room in the goat barn. It is not finished yet so it looks like we may be milking out in the snow/rain for a little while longer.

We are planning on heading into town before the storm comes to stock up on animal food, hay, and food and supplies for us too. An hour drive is no fun in the snow.

We did pick up a fridge on CL for free. It's now in the garage. It will be a great place for goat milk and cheese. And extra supplies to survive the coming winter.

Houses we can't have...and goats gettin' it on

Heard back about the great house in Saguache, which has a contract on it. It may or may not go through. Who knows. The owner wants 20% down to carry it, which is about 20K. Now, I wonder, where would one get twenty thousand dollars in this economy? Isn't everyone living paycheck to paycheck, like we are? Ha! People are saving that kind of money? Maybe they'd like to loan some to us?

The person that may buy the house is from out of state. Maybe looking for a place to grow weed. That seems to be coming up a lot lately. Everyone thinks they can get rich off the ganja. Cannabis...legal in Colorado, except some counties don't want anything to do with it, including Saguache county. No growing, no distributing, no selling, no cannabis related business of any kind.

I guess we continue on, renting, where we can. I am thankful we have a place to be with all of our animals. I like it much better over on this side of the valley anyway. Even if it is colder. We have the wild horses. And the Sandhill Cranes. Less of the massive crop circles too, which means less spraying, I'm hoping.

Today big ugly billy goat, Molet, is out "playing" with the females. He doesn't play very nice. The little girls are locked in the barn, although he may have gotten to one of them before Richard separated them.

Molet, courting Oreo

Big ugly and tongue

That male goat is intense. He flaps his tongue around, makes loud moaning noises, head butts the barn walls, pees all over himself, and all because he can't get to the female goat he wants. It's just as weird when he goes through his mating ritual with an open and willing female. Not pretty.

If Molet has his way, there will be lots of goat babies next spring. Maybe we will find a permanent place to land by then. And yes, we do have ten acres down near Taos, but the roads are horrid, and come to find out, there is a livestock tax in NM on everything from llamas to goats, to sheep. I knew Taos county had some outlandish registration fee on exotic animals. Alpacas and llamas fall into this category. $50 per head, per year. Crazy. We can't afford that. And alpacas and llamas are pretty mainstream these days, aren't they?

Well, whatever. We will continue to pay on our land and see what happens. Maybe someone wants to buy it outright? Then we could pay off our owner carry and have a down payment for another place a little more farm friendly. The right place and the right circumstances will show up. That's how it works. I have faith.

Time and Money...and a shortage of both

We went up to Colorado Springs this past Friday for a doctor's appointment with the kids' Biomedical doctor. It's a long drive. Uneventful trip, I am happy to report.

The doctor's appointment was another story, with the kids jumping around and being the wild children they are. My daughter was diagnosed PDD-NOS about two years ago. My son, although he shares many of the same symptoms, and has worse allergies, and OCD behaviors, did not receive the diagnosis. Regardless, we are treating all of their symptoms from a nutritional perspective, eliminating problem foods and adding supplements to bring their health back, naturally. The list of supplements to try this time was long and their food choices are disappearing. It was an expensive trip. I am happy to say the nutritionist was excited about the llama milk experiment. So, in a year, if the girls have some crias, we will see what happens with that. I am rethinking the donkey milk thing again. Donkeys are easier to deal with, cheaper than camels and give more milk. Not quite the same, but the benefits of the milk have similar antibacterial properties for people who have gut issues. Plus, I can call our farm the Happy Ass Farm, which amuses me to no end. Happy Ass Dairy, maybe.

I realized some important things from this trip. First, I never want to live up near the Springs again. It just seemed dirty and dismal to me. I love the wide open spaces and spectacular views I have here in the San Luis Valley, every single day. The air is clean, there is no traffic, and the people are just so nice. Second, a little more space from my extended family is not a bad thing--there are just way too many cats up that way for me to tolerate. (I do miss my 20 year old daughter though. I'm still trying to convince her to move out here with us.) Third, even though it would be nice to find land closer to the doctor, it isn't necessary as we can make our appointments in the summer months instead. Fourth, being gone all day takes a few days catch up to get the farm back to normal.

And we are still not done with the barns!!! Winter is well on its way and we have to get the shelters closed in for the critters. Time and money. That's all we need. There seems to be a shortage of both of those things around here.

Richard is still plugging away on the turkey/duck/rabbit house. And the goat barn got a little recycled metal siding. This will keep the metal that is laying around from blowing away and re-use it in a useful way. Win, win.

Rustic turkey house--made with pallets

Barn siding

It's not very pretty though. Wouldn't it be cool if we could side the bars with corrugated metal, running vertical, like some people are doing with house spaces? We once visited a house in Taos where they used corrugated metal under the counter on a stool space. Looked very nice. Of course, outside, the metal might just blind us all, so maybe it's better we are using old metal, colored roofing. Although, we went on a house tour many years ago in Albuquerque where they sided the outside with corrugated metal, and the inside was a retro mix of steel and exposed pipes. It was nice. Not my thing really, but I can see the appeal. Maybe we can try it out one day. Only need more time and money....

Concert in Jaroso

Last night we went to a concert in Jaroso. One of our very talented neighbors, Michael Schraud, makes African Harps, called Koras, and there is a documentary being made about him and the harps and what not, so three Kora players came to town and played for an artistically inclined group of town's people. We were lucky we saw the poster in the post office. The concert was held at another neighbor -- Mark's little old adobe church, which used to be the town church, once upon a time. Mark Dudrow is also a musician, as well as an artist who makes some pretty cool clay tile art pieces.

The concert was amazing and the kids managed to sit through the whole thing, sort of, sleeping on and off. We met up with several neighbors, one who might even buy eggs and goat cheese in the near future. Quite the social event for our tiny town. I think everyone who went enjoyed it immensely. People dressed up and there was one older lady decked out all in gold lame, while some of us just wore our jeans and T-shirts. The common article of clothing seemed to be a scarf as the weather was a bit chilly and the tiny church was heated solely with a small wood stove along one wall of the church. It was toasty enough inside with the 50 or so people enjoying the small space and the lovely sounds of the music filling the air. Maybe Mark will have more concerts at the church in the future. Wouldn't that be fun?

I just love the quirkiness of this area. Not too far out to be touched by the magic that is Taos (or maybe the tiny town of Jaroso holds a little bit of its own magic and mystery). Only here would we accidentally happen upon a concert with musicians from around the world, who also happen to be filming for a documentary. Amazing stuff. A few months ago I had never heard of or even seen a Kora. Then we went to the Jaroso studio tour and met the man who makes them and saw his studio first hand. The Kora is an amazing instrument that produces an amazing and beautiful sound. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to a Kora being played, do it. You will not be disappointed.