Still Alive

It's been quite a while. I could make excuses like computers dying and work but it would be a lie. I just didn't want to for a while. I've been reminded that there are folks who like to read this and I should get back to work. Last winter was a bitch. I like winter but my joints locked up bad. I couldn't get out to do anything. I had to save everything for work. I can't remember ever enjoying winter less. Spring was wet and kept me from getting my corn in early. I tried but it was a total failure. The garden did all right but not really what I wanted. The sheep did very well and the steers as well. We only had one beehive make it to harvest. If it doesn't survive the winter, we may take a break for a year to rebuild equipment. It's been a year of death. Myrtle the cat was about 18 when I had to put her down. Little Grey Kitty was about 14 when we put him down. He had cancer so bad and was in constant pain. We lost humans too. One of Stacey's cousins, two good friends and now a sister-in-law. Worst of all, they were all people we liked. The last one was Kim. She never actually married Mike but she was a fine sister-in-law anyway. She died in Panama in the cardiologists office and they couldn't do a thing to save her. She had a funeral down there then her ashes came back for a memorial up here. This last weekend, we had a Wake for her. It turns out that she had written out precisely how she wanted that done. It was not, however, held outside since it was killing cold out. The caterers did a magnificent job on the dishes she specified. It was definitely Kim. Take some baby spinach, add some red onion slivers, some ripe mango bits and toasted pecan pieces, then serve with poppy seed dressing. Think of Kim. It hasn't been all death and disaster. There have been occasional bright bits. Early in 2014, we had too many kittens and they've hung around. Our outside male cats, Bootsie and Samson, took off. I really missed them. The day after I buried Myrtle, I was walking back from the barn, looked down and found Bootsie walking alongside me. He was starved nearly to death. He came in that day and is back to health now. He's become my permanent lap cat. Now, when you open an outside door, he runs the other way. He's never going outside again. I've been informed that I'll have a job for a while. Our contract has been renewed and the customer made a point of telling our bosses that we're doing a great job. The new year does bring more paperwork but I've got less than 2 years to retirement so I'll have to suck it up and do it. The winter of 2014-15 hasn't been near the problem the last one was. My joints are doing good and I'm able to work outside most of the time. We just got the house foam insulated and that worked out well. There was probably other good stuff but I'm going to wrap this up. I hope to buy a cheap tablet soon to replace my little computer. I hope that will increase my written output. Adios for now.