Thursday 28 February 2013

I am not cold,.....

Hi there. Am cold. Message to self. Stop moaning. It is healthy not having any heating on. You could switch the electric fire on.... but you won't. So smile. Visualize inner hotness. Feel the sweat rise up. See! Not working yet? Try harder. You are hot, hot, hot, crikey but you will be glad when it gets colder so you can cool down. Phew! 

Ah that's better. 

Maz and Blue, our two young rottweillers. Who said rotties are horrid dogs, because these two are the sweetest things going. But they have been removed from the kitchen to the hallway now, as have Boolie and Gus. It was always my intention to have a dog free zone in the kitchen for those times when I need to  be animal free, like when I am prepping our meat, or cooking at the stove, or when I just need space from bodies which are glued to my every step, or eyes which are observing my every movement, and this I now have. 

It is also nice not to be immediately embraced by puppy piddles and poos in the middle of the night when one tumbles into the kitchen from the Half Barn, and by the time one has clambered over the temporary piece of wood which is wedged across the door opening between kitchen and hallway, there not being an actual door in residence at the moment, one has become sufficiently awake enough to watch for any immediate 'accidents' that should any be lying in wait for one's foot as one proceeds into the bathroom. 

At first I felt guilty about putting the puppies out there, but they had learnt that if they whined at the Half Barn door during the night, that I would get up and take them out to toilet. Oh they were quite good about going back to sleep, but it was getting silly because they were doing this little trick of getting attention more and more frequently as the days progressed. It had to stop. As soon as the builders had finished this phase of work, out they went, plus the other two. 

And it has worked a treat. For a start, the four of them are now bonded in a group, and there is hardly any 'accidents' being done during the night. However, Maz did a woof at 4am this morning, so I got up because I thought she might want to go to the loo. No, she didn't. She wouldn't get up, but her sister did, so did Bools and Gussy who then cleared off into the night. It was quite lovely standing in the cold moonlight, but for all of two minutes, at which point my toes started freezing and I got irritated. Blue came back, it being too cold for her, and indoors she went. No sign of the other two. They were out for ages, by which point the cold air had woken me up and there was no chance of me being able to go back to sleep. 

So is Maz woofing to try out her voice, or is she telling me she needs something, and do I respond again if she tries this out again tonight. Nope. No chance!

Otherwise, all is peaceful here. Lucy, the kitten, is out in the house now, having been evicted from her full time residence in the Half Barn after she got into the habit of having a manic half an hour just as I was trying to get to sleep at night. Hearing her scratching at our leather settees was most unsettling. But it has taken her about five days to get acquainted with the house, and now she holds prime position in the kitchen and is busy trying out her skills as 'Boss in chief' of the dogs, which she is managing very well. This morning she held all four of them at bay by baiting them from the kitchen chair, until all four huddled round me so I could protect them from this hissing fiend. Oh yes, she is going to do very well here. 

Two more lambs born this morning. They look spindly but alright. It has not been a happy lambing season for us or the sheep, the weather being detrimental to their overall well being. But everyone else if managing this end of winter cold weather. 

Hope you are keeping warm. I am hot, now all I have to do is tell my hands, ears, and toes that they are toasty warm, which, I think, might be a bit of a task! Might be better to go and find a puppy to hug for a warm up!

They are not supposed to be up on the chairs, 
but they were tucked up on my cardi and scarf!
Blue on the left, Maz on the right. 


And the now concreted stairs....just waiting for them to dry,
and then the wood will come off...

...and the dead tractor in quite a tidy Courtyard!


Saying bye for now.....

11 comments:

Diane said...

It has been icy and I feel the cold more than most. Think my blood got thin living in Africa for so long!! Thankfully it looks like it may at last be warming up, I will be very happy to have Southerly winds instead of Northerly ones!!

Glad the lambs are OK, I see there are quite a few born around here. Take care Diane

Vera said...

Diane, Lester is from South Africa, and it really does pain him when it gets really cold so I think his blood is thin as well! I can withstand cold reasonably well but really hot weather flattens me, whereas he can be out and about quite cheerfully in the heat!

rusty duck said...

Those pups are looking very cute curled up like that. Glad they're starting to settle down.

Cold here too.. must try some of your positive thinking!

John Going Gently said...

I spent last night in bed with the dogs UNDERNEATH THE DUVET
Perfect hot water bottles x

The Broad said...

Vera, I think you are awfully brave to endure the cold with such stoicism. I simply cave when it gets cold -- and I'm a New England girl, too!

Kev Alviti said...

I keep thinking about getting a dog and then keep putting it off. I just don't think I'm at home enough yet but I would love one.

Leon Sims said...

Autumn cant be far off for us down here but we are still having days of over 30. Another month of daylight saving and the nights will then get darker as we journey into Winter.
You must be looking forward to spring.
I shall look forward to seeing the puppies growing over the next few months.
Leon

Vera said...

Jessica, it got so cold that we did eventually put the electric fire on for a couple of hours!

John, I would agree with that. I think the two rotti girls would make lovely hot water bottles, but the two spaniels wouldn't - one is a mucky thing and you wouldn't want him anywhere near the bed, and the other would keep fidgeting. Hope you get better soon. Dogs are a great comfort.....

The Broad, I sometimes cave in too!

Kev, I am sure that when it is time for you to have a dog, then one will find its way to you!

Leon and Sue, we shall be so relieved to see things growing again so are indeed looking forward to spring. I really flinched when I read that you are heading towards autumn. Although I do like autumn,
I need some warm weather between now and our next autumn!

Horst in Edmonton said...

Here in Edmonton Canada, we are not complaining about the cold since we are getting weather hovering around 0 C degrees, in fact that is downright warm around these parts for this time of year. So stay warm and enjoy those beautiful animals that you have.

Denise said...

I am very curious, Vera...why concrete stairs and not wooden ones? I keep trying to think of the answer, and can only guess it is something to do with the structure of the building?

Vera said...

Horst, I am continually in awe of the weather you have during winter, and makes me count my blessings because we have much milder weather!

Denise, it is the style.