I can't believe this picture is already over a month old. Anyway, Bart is teething and I've got the pictures to prove it.
The real estate market is really slow at the moment. I keep seeing the same homes for sale. There is no way we're ever going to be able to get a decent house and land in our price range as long as we stay in Alaska. So I started looking at Montana again just for grins. Not a whole lot there either.
I guess the college kid who mucks stalls at the barn is going to take a couple of weeks off as I saw a sign-up sheet yesterday. I would help if it were only a half dozen stalls or so, but there are too many for me to want to tackle.
It's been below zero for over a week now. I'm keeping my bird feeders filled but my heated bird bath/water dish has died. I've got a replacement on order. This year for the first time ever I'm getting pine grosbeaks. The adult males are beautiful and the closest thing to a cardinal in coloration that we're going to get in Alaska. Last year the redpolls did not make an appearance but recently I've seen both them and pine siskins. The Stellar jays are back after about a six week absence. I wonder where they go? My faithful chickadees and nuthatches both seem to enjoy the peanut butter feeder. Last year it was ignored. A woodpecker visits now and then. The magpies are not encouraged but still make an unwelcome appearance. I wish they'd stick to the dumpsters along with the ravens and not scare off my little guys.
The truck registration is due this month and we thought it was exempt from emissions testing because it's a newer vehicle. Turns out the cutoff is six years so since it's an '06, we had to hustle and get that done this week. The emissions program is being phased out, but of course not before our vehicles are due.
My husband turns 62 this year and I'm weighing the pros and cons of his starting to collect social security. I'm dreading 65 and Medicare since so many doctors refuse to accept it. One man told us that his doctor of over 20 years dropped him when he turned 65. My friend is positive her mother died sooner than she needed to because Medicare wouldn't pay for certain treatments and the law wouldn't allow for them to pay out of pocket. That sucks.
Bart is so handsome! Hope he gets through the teething stage soon for your sake. They really can do a job on ones house or shoes. Our plow man was here yesterday doing the drive way and had his shepherd with him and he let him out of the truck so that he could play with the kids and they had a blast! He chased the ball for the longest time and still didn't seem tired! Bet he fell asleep once they got going again in the truck.
ReplyDeleteFour stalls is my limit these days, well five if I do my friends horses stall too. It used to be about 19-20 at the stable and it took four of us quite a long time to do them when we filled in for the owner. Now she is 72 and doesn't want that many to take care of. Here at home I have a gal that comes in the morning to do stalls as she needs the money but when she isn't available I do them.
I am so sad but I had to take my bird feeders down this fall. The raccoons were just tearing them apart and making such a mess of things. I miss my chick a dees and woodpeckers. Maybe I can figure out something before next winter!