Torrential Thursday

I had hoped to take some time to blog about my adventures in the far north, but again I am distracted by the things close to home.
As we are all aware, it is March.  March brings rain.  March brings torrential rain.  March floods my barn.  Yes, lovely stalls like swimming pools.  Mr. S is not impressed, and of course Angel is less than that.  (as all princesses are)
Trying to convince my other half that if he removed the snow bank from the walls, it would be less melted water to run into the barn.  Like pulling teeth.  Personally, if my shoulder wasn't ailing I would probably do the digging myself.  So I laid some salt down for de-icing, and put up a rain shield so the water pouring from the eaves would flow away from the door sill.  Tiring. Tiresome, and definitely an arguement.
I left the stall doors open so they can come and go if the weather permits.....and I am hoping the rain lets up.

Its time for rubber boots.

Horrible Heifer

Indeed!!!! As I made my way home from work, my beloved observed wryly that he thought the door on the feed room was open a little. My feed room is inside a trailer, securely away from the animals.  Years ago I had a cow get into a bag of grain and almost die from bloat.   So, I asked, where was my errant heifer: the one that likes to wander or break through fences? No big deal, he says.  I am pretty sure she couldn't fit through the door, it is only open a crack.
RIGHT!!!
My feed room looks like world war 3.  My straw was fluffed everywhere.  My feed barrels upside down, and I for the life of me couldn't find the beef ration barrel.  Luckily I secure the tops on the barrels, so the feed wasn't lost, but I finally found the beef ration barrel outside in the snow.  She had been rolling it around the ice in the barn yard. My horse blankets festooned the floor, saddles scattered like yesterdays laundry.

She looks at me with her liquid eyes, delicately picking her way to the barn.  Mincing like a minx!! Lovely little fiend, my Horrible Heifer.

Northern Adventure: Part One

It has been an incredibly busy week.  I am not even sure where to start; okay, okay, at the beginning? Hmm.  So much to tell, so many observations. I will break it down into smaller pieces so that I can digest it all.

Here goes:
Day One


Work took me to the fringes of my fears over this week. My job called me to the far north for a tour that would go from Thunder Bay to Kenora and back.  This would mean a flight from Toronto to Thunder Bay. (and return)  Many moons ago when I was young, I wanted to be a glamorous "stewardess".  Yes, wonderful idea, until it got to getting in the plane. I decidedly did not find flying remotely in my career path.  
As the trip would only be 1 1/2 hours, I looked on this as an opportunity to work out some of my fear of flying.  The 737 was narrower than I thought, and definitely had a tired unkempt air about it.  I watched the flight attendants (stewardesses) as they went through their long list of flight procedures in  semi detached boredom, realizing they were glorified waitresses with a captive audience. 
The jet engines roared to life and thrust into the sky.  It was loud, shook, rattled and vibrated as it took off.  It was also less frightening.  The plane was buffeted in high winds,bouncing like a ball in the sky. Cruising at 40,000 feet above the clouds, I stared at length out the little window.  The horizon looked like waves of cotton.  Though vaguely uncomfortable, I did not feel the panic I had thought might well up inside of me.
I was glad to land, feeling the rumble of the tires on the runway in Thunder Bay.  I left Toronto a warm, overcast day, to land in the -34 sunshine.  

So began my Northern Adventure.