It's been over a month since my last post, "When October Goes", and for good reason.
In the last few weeks, we have been preparing for the inevitable onslaught of winter., spending hours chopping and stacking firewood, gathering and storing water, building sheds for the critters, etc.
Our first REAL taste of winter came a week ago, on the night of 11/13, when we were greeted with howling winds, single digit temperatures, and a blanket of white, powdery snow. Despite a morning of low of 2 degrees for three days in a row, we've managed, (through round-the-clock monitoring), to keep the temperature in the trailer hovering around 80 degrees. Dubs' little propane tank-turned wood stove has continued to impress us with its output of heat on such a relatively small amount of wood, We've been fortunate enough, thanks to a dear friend, Paul Paine, to amass a wonderful cache of oak firewood, and go through about 25 pounds in a 24 hour period. Oddly enough, I feel like I did a year ago, when we were on "foal watch", waiting for our rescued Arabian mare to deliver her "surprise" package. Though the "little stove that could" delivers a knockout punch, it is still limited by its demure dimensions, and requires nearly constant monitoring to keep the temperature at a comfortable level. Fortunately, Dubs and I have opposing sleep schedules, and have since we met. He tends the fire during the day, and I go on after midnight. Despite our fractured sleep schedules, (it's almost like having a newborn all over again), we remain in good spirits, and are pleased with the progress we have made thus far.
Our Great Pyrenees rescue, Momma Sweety, delivered 4 healthy pups on 9/24, and has turned out to be the greatest momma ever, despite her profound loss of hearing. The puppies, who started out at 1.2 pounds, now tip the scales at over 25 pounds apiece, and are only 8 weeks old. Three of the four pups; Harley, Lexi and Buttercup have been spoken for, and we plan to keep the remaining one, Nicci. On Thursday we successfully delivered Harley to her new forever home, much to the delight of Allie Marie and her four darling children. Dubs and I plan to start up a Pyrenees breeding operation, known as "Wolf Skull Ranch Pyrenees Mountain Dogs aka LGD's (Livestock Guardian Dogs)". Based upon the rave reviews our puppies seem to have drawn, and the fact that this entire part of the country is comprised of high-range cattle and sheep ranches, we expect to turn out some lovely, first-class pups, on a very small scale basis.
Our horses, (4 of which are OTTB's), are thriving in their new home, sporting coats not unlike that of a wooly mammoth, and enjoying their newfound space to gallop. Dosie, our "Quarab" filly, will be one year old on 11/25, and continues to amaze us with her correctness and laid-back attitude.
While the chickens have stopped laying, owing to the reduction of daytime light and the plunging temperatures, they all cuddle up togther in their cozy little Victorian chicken coop, and seem none the worse for wear.
Finally, as our furbabies go, the 5 kitties are quite content to live in the 3rd story of our storage shed, and have successfully kept the mouse population at bay.
All in all, we've had our first taste of winter, and are prepared to take on the worst it can dish up. Our solar array continues to keep us well-supplied with electricity, while the deep cycle batteries and charge inverter ensure its judicious usage. On cloudy days, our generator picks up the slack, and we never lack for the basic amenities.
While the off-grid lifestyle is not for most, it is certainly the most gratifying experience of my life, and I feel very blessed to be forging the path for others like me.
More posts to follow soon. Til then, horsey kisses and chardonnay dreams.
