Sophie's warm...year end love

Old Sophie has plenty of wool, but a little help in this cold, why not?

We are having extreme cold after all the snow but it is crisp and beautiful. Crisp is a bit of an optimistic word to use. The cold does not bother me this time of year [it does make me cranky if it is April] but it does have its challenges with the animal care. I probably spend an extra hour at chores twice a day dealing with frozen water buckets. I have to chip out all the many buckets, and carry water, but not too far, only about 20 feet. We have water in both barns, frost free, but despite the many ways I've tried, there is no other way except hauling water in buckets. Hoses freeze even if you drain them, the plastic or metal splitters freeze up too even if you have a cleaned out hose; I've tried bringing in the splitters but, it only takes minutes in this kind of cold. We have electrified water heaters the worked well in Oregon when I simply had to keep one huge bucket in the hay barn for water...but there is too much danger to have one around pigs, equines, and Marcella. She ate through an electrical cord once.

The equines are rascals in the cold. If the water bucket freezes in the night, which it does, they start playing with it. I'm sure they first test it and realize it is frozen, and sometimes if it is a light freeze they break through and are content, or they dump the water and it all freezes to the ground making it an ice rink. The pigs can easily break through water but I change it twice a day for them. It is not good to have an animal without water, and they tend to drink more in the cold.

My abs and arms get a good workout.

I heard a broadcast this morning on NPR that gave me pause. I fretted a bit, but then decided to 'let it go'. I will take the Earnest approach, "what ever happens happens". The report was on the fact that many non profits are fretting about the new tax code, fearing that many people that donate in the $1000 and under, or make small donations throughout the year when they can, will no longer be doing this since they might not be filing Schedule A now that the exception is increasing. Wealthy people and those making many deductions will still be filing an A, but it made me feel angry...another way the needy people will not benefit and will most likely suffer. It took me until now to take the challenge of starting a non profit, and what dos the future hold?

But as I mulled it in my brain...I realized what is really important-to just keep up the work I've chosen, with a smile and occasional sore back, just keep looking at these faces, knowing how they rely on me for care, and appreciate it [usually]...and knowing by caring for them, eventually they will wind there into the eyesight of an elder person who will get a sense of peace, calm and enjoyment out of meeting that animal.

A perfect lead-in to a request for you to give a year end donation to Apifera - we have big plans for growing and spreading more love next year to the elders, and of course we have another barn we need to build. You can learn about ways to donate to us at this page. And thank you to all who have, are thinking of it, and also to those of you who can't but follow along in spirit.