Into A Routine

Now that Jean is living at the ranch and taking on much of the horse care (opening their gate each morning and doing chores four days a week) there is no longer the need for Joe, Patty, or I to run out there each morning or for us to even go out there on a daily basis.  And in the frigid cold weather we have been having, there is no desire to horse around or hang out at the ranch.  Jean is fairly settled into the house, has her job list and other activities, and has been creating her own new routine.  We have worked out a daily schedule for chores, so have a weekly routine set as well.  And we are kind of falling into a routine of visiting each other, typically including a meal together. 

Now that I have more of my time back (less responsibilities at the ranch) I need to get back to my routine of putting out corn, filling bird feeders, and doing some basic house cleaning here.  I have also been enjoying the extra time to relax, work a puzzle, sit by the fire and read, and snuggle with my kitties.  And getting to the gym has been easier because I have more time.

Saturday 1/22 - Jean was outside de-icing water for the horses and taking them warm water at 6:30am.  Later in the day she took this photo and commented "Keeping water buckets thawed is a big job, but then these two really prefer the pond!"

Joe and Jean were off at 7am, headed towards Knoxville.  Joe dropped Jean off at Horse Haven (https://horsehaventn.org/) a horse rescue near Lenoir City, for her meeting and tour and he went on to the Men's Warehouse in Knoxville to shop for a new suit to wear at Dan and Val's wedding.  




I hit the gym to workout and then shower.  Joe was home (with a new suit) when I got back.  After lunch, Maggie and I (followed by Patty) went to the ranch.  Jean took this photo of the dog on Mama's memorial bench.  









Maggie and Parm were introduced.  The stool was to block the hallway to keep Maggie out of that section of the house and allow Parm to retreat when he needed. 

Parm was pretty quick to tell Maggie who the house boss was, and Maggie, knowing that cats are NOT to be messed with, was happy to come visit on Parm's terms.

Jean and I did some more sorting (through towels this time) and had five piles (Jean's house, our FG house, barn, family giveaway, and thrift store) by the time we were done.  




Patty had gone down to the barn to take Wanda some extra cat food and give her some loving.  Wanda had two dead voles she was quite proud of and playing with, when Patty got down there.  

Maggie and I helped Jean with chores.  We took some towels to the barn and checked on Wanda.

  
In this photo, Jean was trying to get the horses to the heated water bucket, so they would know it (thawed and actually warm water) was available.  So far, they hadn't been using it.  





We did some mucking of the loafing shed, pasture area around it, picked up some sticks (with Maggie's help), and filled in an area of holes out in the field we had discovered when looking to see what the neighbors dogs had been doing out there.  It was a cluster of many little animal holes in the ground (like a chipmunk village) but two big holes existed where the dogs had dug, probably trying to get to the burrowing critters. 

Jean took this photo as we finished up chores.

It was feeding time when I got home, and first I took care of Rose before it got any darker.  After we all ate, I settled into bed early, to read, but I only lasted till 8:15pm.

Sunday 1/23 - The 5am rude awakening of a cat barfing started my day.  I was going to wait and clean it up after the sun (and Joe) had risen.  Well, Joe ended up getting up (in the dark) and stepped in it.  The poor man.  He sure puts up with a lot, with me and my four cats.

The moon lit the sky in the pre-dawn hour.  


It was a cold morning.  Rose stayed in bed until I went out to feed her and the deer.  She is a lot like Wanda, really wanting affection, but is also a lot more friendly (lets me hold her).  This is her new cat bed, with an old coat in it, under the porch on the SE side of our house.  You can see that the morning sun shines in which helps warm the space.  


She is a sweet cat, and quite fat and happy I think. 

Waiting for the day to warm up, Joe and I didn't go to the ranch until 11am, driving separately.  I swung by Shirley's to pick up her un-needed fireplace tools I wanted to try, and that we really need at the ranch.

Joe got Jean's TV hung on the swivel/tilt bracket unit that was already mounted on her bedroom wall, and then we had lunch together. 

  

Replacing the light bulb in the hall fixture was quite the challenge.  We couldn't get to the burnt out bulb, and then we discovered it took circular florescent bulbs.  So we will need to order those.  I helped Joe load recycle and trash from all our out buildings and he headed home.

After other little tasks around the house, organizing still, Jean and I went out to do chores together.  We went down to the barn after our Paso Finos were fed and set for the night.   

This is a close-up and a lighter copy of the photo below, so you can see Jean and Maggie.

The sun was setting and it was getting colder as we walked back up to the house from the barn.  And you can see how mucky the drive was (and still is).

I did the trash and recycling collection at home; added to my usual evening pet care and kitchen chores. 

Monday 1/24 - If ever a whole day could be wasted, today was a good example of it.  I sat here at my computer much of the morning.  Can you see the buck rubbing his antlers on a little shrub across the creek?



Glad he chose that one rather than one of the ornamental trees I have planted.  The black drain pipes around the trunks of the little trees has really helped deter the rubbing on them, and saved them.  Buck have killed more than one of our trees down back.  






I spent probably three hours working on this thousand piece puzzle.  Finally at 2:30, I made myself stop so I could get a workout and shower in at the gym.  I was so close to being done too.

Susan sent this photo she took during the last snow, of Amiga and Zorro greeting Maslo, Cowboy, and Rio.  That is the electric fence between them, going east from the machine shed towards the back pasture gate.  We did well getting it built straight.  

Susan took this photo today of our two Pasos, saying what a difference a few days can make.  Zorro is in the foreground.   

I got home at 5:30.  Poker Joe was gone so walking Maggie was added to my evening chores.  I went to bed at 8pm to read, but didn't last long.   

Tuesday 1/25 - This was the morning of our Thrift Store Dash (like a bar crawl, only faster).  I made a map of the seven preferred stores to hit, out of all of these choices.

We dropped off a lot more stuff than what we bought, and both came home with something we were looking for. 

I picked up Britney's bridesmaid dress from the seamstress.  I finished my novel I had started on Christmas vacation, and dropped it at the library on the way to the gym.  An hour on the elliptical helped me justify popcorn during our evening movie on TV.
 

Wednesday 1/26 - Jean sent this photo of her morning view while she computerized.  Britney had sent a video as well.  We early birds like to share these kinds of things (and also photos of our cute kitties) during our morning routines.  Jean had also shared this (video) of our Paso Finos racing around yesterday morning.  Yikes, someone might get hurt.

It was an 18° cold morning and I could see frost on the golf course from my view.






Driving home from the gym yesterday, this is the view I had of the mountains (from Lakeview by Druid pool).  I was wondering if it was cloud shadow, or snow, or what?  This morning, Wiley Cyotie posted this photo on 'Watchable Wildlife in Fairfield Glade' and commented that it was the frost line.  So now I know.

We had a list of things to do at the ranch so got started by 9:30.  Our old queen mattress wouldn't fit in the back of the SUV, so Joe ran to the ranch to get the trailer. 

We unloaded the mattress in the garage.

Jean came out and we re-organized the garage, putting all the Restore stuff in one pile right in front.

Our first job was to move another round bale up to the side pasture for Amiga and Zorro.  The bottom of the bale was moldy, so I was removing that hay to dump in the manure pile.  





We cleaned the floor of the machine shed where the round bales had been, and hauled some hay down to the barn.  Joe gave Jean a quick lesson on how to operate the tractor.  

Joe left for an appointment in town and Jean and I hauled some manure to the pile behind the dam of the lower pond.  







We stopped for a lunch break, walking up through the front pasture to check on the holes I had filled in.  In this photo, Maggie is honing in on something.  She is pointing with her front right leg. 

Entering the sun room, Jean spotted a tiny Anole, missing half it's tail.  We tried to capture it, but it escaped from me and went under the sectional.  Later, we saw it sunning back behind the sectional and Jean gave it some water. 

After lunch we tried fixing a broken shelf bracket, did a little more organizing, and hung a few pictures.  I love this one I had brought from our dinning room wall (where it didn't really go with my safari theme).  It looks good on Jean's living room wall, but I wish it was larger.

The running horses with the mountains in the background go perfect with our Mountain View Ranch theme.  

I took this photo with my back against the opening between the sun room and living room.  We have found spots for Jean's furnishings and she has gotten all her belongings from these two rooms organized and stored away.  The plants really add life and tranquility to the sun room, as does Mama's little water fountain. 

Jean continues to work on the process of getting Parm and Maggie to befriend each other.  Maggie is willing but cautious (cats are unpredictable) and Parm is aloof and unbothered (dogs are on a lower hierarchy than cats).    

I was trying to get a photo of all three looking at me.  In the last one, they were, but Jean had a funny expression on her face.

We headed back outside to walk the back pasture, looking for any breaks in the fence.  Two of the boarded horses had gotten little cuts on their legs and the day before it was discovered that Billy's electric wire had broken.  He fixed it immediately after I notified Terry.  All looked well with our fence, although barbwire is not a great choice with horses.  It didn't appear that any of the boarded horses had been getting into it. 

Zorro pawing impatiently at the feed room door and gate to the run-in shed while I was pouring a new bag of feed into their food container.  

Later Zorro was enjoying the new round bale after I had fed and was finishing up chores.
  

Amiga usually hits the salt and mineral blocks after she eats.  It looks nice and sunny in this photo, but was actually quite cold and the wind had picked up so it was getting colder.

Joe arrived back at Jean's house (the poker game was cancelled due to lack of players).  He replaced the odd circular hallway light bulb, and I put the cover back on the fixture.  Joe also fixed the shelf bracket, as we continue to try to help Jean get settled in so she can get into a routine.

Thursday 1/27 - This is several of my crazy, silly, fun saddle sisters.  We met for lunch and to celebrate Karen's birthday. 

I had gone to the gym before going to town for Karen's party (and Jean, back at the ranch, supervised the guys from Restore who came to pick up a bunch of furnishings from the garage). 

I hit Walmart and dropped more stuff off at a thrift store on the way home. 

Once the car was unloaded and items stowed away, I got the guest bedroom ready (making the bed, moving two paintings and adding a third one).  That is the bed spread Mom made that I can’t use on our bed because with four cats there’s a lot of hair and throw up.  And that bedspread is very difficult to wash.

Friday 1/28 - After my usual, laid back, easygoing, morning routine, I began some house cleaning, starting with the bathrooms.  I also tossed together lettuce and other greens for a salad in preparation for Jean to join us for lunch.  And I started flipping over puzzle pieces to get a new 1000 piece one going.

Just before  Jean arrived, I threw the frozen chicken Alfredo dinner into the oven.  Jean looked over some of my dresses, selected a few, and did some 'modeling', wanting my input on all of the possibilities. 

After lunch we started piecing together this puzzle.  Jean headed back to the ranch after finishing all of the edge pieces and I continued working well into the afternoon.  This is how far I got before finally pulling myself away to go to the gym. 

It was spitting snow when I went into the gym.  As you can see, the place was quite empty.  I did the elliptical, and rowing.  


Ninety minutes later when I left the gym, there was over an inch of snow on the ground and my car.  I scrapped the worst of it off and took the most level route home, making it without a problem.  The snow was pretty coming down, there was very little traffic, and no cars had been up or down Flossmoor Circle (in this photo).  Jean had sent this (video) of Amiga and Zorro enjoying their hay while the snow started. 
Snow is becoming a little too routine for my liking.

In Its Place

A place for everything and everything in its place.
Sounds like a great idea, but often takes time to accomplish.
Unloading the moving truck was quick and easy, but deciding where to put everything was more of a challenge and definitely more time consuming.  There were still lots of Mom's things that needed to go to different siblings.  There was some of her furniture I acquired that I needed to make room for.  And then, there was Jean's stuff.

Patty and I helped Jean unpack things, but Jean needed to take time to figure out where she wanted to put each item.  And first, the decision as to where to put furniture (especially shelving and storage pieces) needed to be made.

Saturday 1/15 - We had started the task of sorting, stashing, eliminating, and getting Jean settled in on Friday, after unloading the truck.  We now continued with getting everything in its place.  These items, still on the truck, needed to be unloaded at the Flossmoor house (which from now on I will refer to as our house and the ranch house I will call Jean's house).  Joe drove my car to the ranch (because snow was coming and my car does not do well in it) and brought the truck here.

The snow started as we began to unload the truck.  We put Mama's table (that dad built) in the living room by the big window.  It was a tight, tight squeeze getting it through the doors, but we got it in (only denting one door frame a little).  The queen mattress that had been on what is now Jean's bed (with her own mattress) was now going on the guest bed here, to replace our old mattress.  It was heavier and harder to handle, but we got it and Jean's old bed frame up into Britney's old room. 

Once the truck was unloaded, we took it to the rental place.  I followed Joe, driving his SUV, but was still nervous about the snow.  Joe then dropped me at Walmart and proceeded to a tool store to get a new air compressor hose.  We then went back to the ranch, where Joe was dismissed for the day and I would stay to help Jean.  He drove my car home, leaving me the SUV in case the snow got bad.  But it had turned to rain and then quit altogether. 

This is the heron yard ornament Mom really enjoyed, which Jean put next to the memorial rock.  Perfect.

Patty soon arrived and we went over ranch business and chore duties and schedule.  

Patty helped with a few things and then went home.

Jean and I then set to work putting Mom's trundle bed together.  Our first hurdle was finding the correct parts we needed.  Which box did they end up in?  Our next difficulty was getting the screws to go into their 'sockets'.  We persevered and made progress. 

This was definitely a trickier assembly job than Jean's futon had been.  Once the top frame was finished, we put the mattress on it, took the old box springs out to the garage, and stopped for lunch. 

The bottom frame went together much quicker because it was lighter weight and easier to handle, and we now knew the tricks to getting parts to fit together.

Using the electric kitchen knife Patty had lent us, we cut Mom's (double bed size) memory foam to fit in the bottom trundle bed.  When Jean laid down to try it out, she said she could take a nap there. 

We had just enough time to walk a few more things out to the garage before Polly arrived.  Jean went down to the barn to learn how to care for the three boarded horses, and I fed ours and mucked up manure before driving home 

I unloaded the bedside table and two lamps, along with the trash and groceries.  I had bought (dead) meal worms - meant for birds and reptiles, and gave two to the little lizard (I've named Pilgrim).  There was no interest in the worms.  Most carnivorous reptiles only go after moving prey.  I had put two barely alive lady bugs and a fruit fly in the terrarium earlier.  Hope I can provide enough food for this poor hitchhiker until I figure out how to get him to a warmer climate. 

Sunday 1/16 - This was to be a day of rest.  The predicted snow did not come to fruition overnight.  It was raining when I walked Maggie but later it turned to sleet.  

Jean reported (and sent this photo) that Amiga and Zorro were being smart and staying in the loafing shed, out of the cold, wet precipitation.  

Babe snuggled with Maggie to keep warm.  They were on board with the day being set aside as one to rest. 






My morning was off to a slow start, beginning this blog post and relaxing much of the time.  But then I got busy with Christmas clean up and doing three loads of laundry - all the towels, sheets, blankets, and rugs used for packing the moving truck.  I also tried feeding Pilgrim (the Anole) by putting a meal worm on a skewer stick. 

  



I slid it under the terrarium lid, got it close to him/her, and wiggled it a little.  Pilgrim didn't go for it.  If you look closely, there is a lady bug looking Japanese beetle crawling near by.  Pilgrim didn't go for it either.  I've seen him/her lick moisture off the side of the glass, so at least he/she is getting water. 

The rain/sleet finally turned to snow, for which I was thankful.  It is easier to deal with and prettier than freezing rain. 

A cardinal at my feeder.

We all (the locals but specifically Jean, Patty, Shirley and I) kept an eye out on the weather and reported our observations.  I was also enjoying the 'Watchable Wildlife in Fairfield Glade' posts on Facebook.



And it was turning white out at the ranch.

Jean's cat (Parm) continued to get braver, exploring his new home.  It probably helped that none of us 'stranger' Villhauers were there.  Can you see him in this photo?

Here at home, Stevie was helping me fold laundry.


She ended up napping on these white floor rugs for hours.  Speaking of naps, I read in front of the fire and caught a little shut eye too.  

I woke to this view of a beautiful, white, winter wonderland outside.  

By evening, Jean had done chores and was relaxing with Parm.  I had gotten all of the Christmas decorations boxed and stored in their place, and all the furniture back where it belonged.  I dug in the freezer and found the leftovers of Thanksgiving turkey and used that to make dinner. 


I love the view of our snow covered ranch and the fog lifting from the valley in this photo Jean had sent earlier.

Monday 1/17 - Martin Luther King and a snow day.  Everything was closed for the day for one reason or the other, and Joe and I didn't plan to go anywhere all day.

Jean's morning report (and photo) was that our horses were standing out in the snow.  Like I have said, their thick, fuzzy coats provide great insulation.  The chilly rain freezing is what can penetrate their coat and make them cold.  







I sent back a photo of my view while I sat here and computerized.  Stevie was bird watching with me.  

Was this little bird cat watching?

I got all of my thank you notes written even though there was no mail service today.  

Jean and I, along with family, continued to touch base and share photos of our day.  This is Parm on his cat tower, bird watching out the sun room window.  

Britney's cat (Fran) was enjoying her cat cave up on Britney's tiny house's covered balcony, on an 80° day.  

Cathy's cat (Goldie) was enjoying the good life and thankful to be rescued by her, from the outdoor life he had been living.  





And Courtney's cats (Wash and Squeaky) were really enjoying being pampered.

We were all enjoying the beauty of the snow outside, except Britney.  And Cathy (in Dayton OH) didn't get her's until later.

Jean was making great progress un-packing, and even got this large picture hung up.  

I started a 1,000 piece puzzle on my 'new' table. 

Jean's selfie with Amiga and Zorro.  She was in a bit of shock (having come from 80° Florida a few days earlier) but enjoying the snow none-the-less.

In this photo, our two horses had gone into the loafing shed and that is Terry's two out in the snow, but they have blankets on. 

I continued to 'drop in' at my computer to check on messages, enjoy the view, and play some games. 
That is Stevie peering at me over the laptop.  Heaven forbid I should interrupt her bird watching.

Stevie was sound asleep at the foot of our bed when I joined her at 7:30, totally unable to stay awake any later.  Scheesh.

Tuesday 1/18 - This is Yvonne riding Maslo in through our front gate when we got to the ranch at noon.

Before going out there, I did some puzzle working after computerizing.  Then we cleared snow and ice off the SUV so I could drive it to the gym. 

 






Once home from the gym, we loaded some things in the SUV, including Grandma's table to go to Chris, and drove to the ranch.  I was glad I wasn't driving my car because Chestnut Hill was slick in all the shady places.  We were unloading furniture into the garage when Yvonne rode by.  

Jean had made a pot of chili and invited Joe and I to lunch.  Karen and Patty dropped in to say hi, and then Jean and I got to work on the kitchen while Joe neatened up his work bench down at the machine shed.
  

We pretty much finished in the kitchen, with Jean doing the bulk of the work because she needed to decide where she wanted to put things in her cupboards and drawers.  She has a lot of kitchen stuff and we basically filled all of the spaces, and still had two thrift store boxes.

Wednesday 1/19 - It had been another early (7:15) bed time the night before, so I was up and at-um at 2am.  No wonder I can't get back to sleep when I wake in the middle of the night.  I'd had over six hours of slumber.  But then I can't stay awake after dinner because I have been up since 2am.  It is a vicious cycle.  This time I read my mystery novel and got sleepy enough to go back to bed for 90 more minutes of shut eye.  

Jean sent this photo of her Breyer Horses in the window and said she had added another Bay (my Amiga) to the collection.  LOL  





I took our three trash bags (two more than usual) to Patty's by 8am because our Monday garbage pick-up had been cancelled because of snow.  Patty's trash day is Wednesday.  I hit Food City and then worked out on the elliptical and rowing machine for a total of an hour.  I showered at the gym, came home to eat an early lunch and worked on the jig-saw puzzle a few hours. 


It was my night for chores, so I went to the ranch early and met with Jean to coordinate our calendars.  We also fixed the closet door in the guest bedroom and enjoyed pumpkin bread she had baked.  We went out together to take some things to the garden shed and garage, followed by a trip down to the machine shed to get hay which we took to the barn (seen in this photo).  I finished up care for our horses on my own and then came home to do pet chores here.


Poker Joe was 'at work' so I had a quiet evening at home, although it had started raining and the wind had picked up.

Thursday 1/20 - Jean got gussied up for her morning on-line job interview and I stayed in my PJ's until 2pm.  Joe was at the ranch by 9am to take out a newly purchased heated water bucket and he and Jean got it installed at the gate by the log shed.  There was an outlet in the neighboring garden shed, so an electric cord easily reached the bucket.  


We are going to have to haul water here from the outdoor faucet by the laundry room. 

I was feeling extremely lazy and unmotivated, and couldn't even bring myself to go for my routine morning gym workout.  It was so cold outside I just wanted to hibernate.  I even went back to bed after lunch and napped an hour.





It's hard to see Babe, but she squeezed herself into the dog bed, back behind Maggie.

I did make it to the gym but had to keep pushing myself to get through my regular workout. 

Puzzle working, reading, and watching a movie finished off my day.

Friday 1/21 - It was freezing out!  I saw these ice crystals when taking corn down to the deer.  They form when water freezes as it is pushed up out of the ground.  

The deer were soon to show up.  Some foraged next door behind Carole and Allen's house. 

I finished here at my computer and then got busy in the kitchen.  I did the chopping needed to get ham and bean soup started.  Then made a double batch of corn bread.  And I only had time to vacuum the kitchen/dinning area before Jean arrived.  

She brought Joe a case of beer and me these cheery, pretty flowers.  I had to put them up on the mantel, otherwise the cats eat them.  

The purpose of Jean's visit was to help me (actually I helped her) assemble her former queen bed frame for up in Britney's old room.   

Patty arrived shortly after we got started and help hold pieces in place as Jean and I put in the screws to hold it together.

We stopped for lunch once we had the frame finished.  Later Joe helped me put the slats, box springs, and mattress on.  Now we are ready for guests.   

My afternoon was spent 'shopping.'  First I took a 30 minute drive in the country to get to my veterinarian's house.  This photo was taken while going down his drive.  I picked up the $240.00 bottle of Previcox.  I am glad the last one lasted me almost four years.  

Next I hit the pet shop that is outside of town and picked up some baby crickets for Pilgrim.  The lizard remains energetic, but is looking quite skinny.  I have to get it to eat something.


I hit a few thrift stores looking for fireplace tools for the ranch and ended at Walmart to get cat food and a few other items. 

I got home at feeding time and took care of the cats and dog and then gave Pilgrim a few crickets.  The darn bugs burrowed down in the moss and dirt so I did not see him eat any. 

I made a better cat bed for Rose because she had stopped using her box of straw.  She actually got in it shortly after I set it up for her.

At my bedtime, (try telling the cats this) Monita enjoyed playing with her newly found cat toy, which had been misplaced.  Too bad I can't get the cats to put their toys away (in its place) when done playing with them.