Snow

 

Here it is, the last post of 2023, and (spoiler alert) I’m grumpy. We had snow this morning, four days too late for a white Christmas. It was a sticky, wet snow that made the trees look beautiful.

Snowy morning

The chickens, as usual, were not enthusiastic. I knew the snow wasn’t going to last to the end of the day and was not about to shovel it for chickens. I scattered some scratch grains by the door and figured if any girls were too chicken (ha!) to go out after it, it was their loss. Spot, Frankie, Lu, and Goldie got the goods. Dottie peered out from the coop, uncertain about venturing forth.

Four hens eating scratch grains; Dottie looks on from the coop

She got a little bolder,

Dottie sticks her head out a little farther...

And finally made the leap to the ground. 

and finally joins the others.

By then, the other girls had trampled the ground snowless. There were already 6 eggs in the coop when I went out for chores, and no more the rest of the day. Good thing, because they would have been muddy from dirty chicken feet.

I’ve taken the week off. I had two gum grafts last Friday. It is not something I would wish on anyone, but apparently necessary to fix recessed gums before the bone under my teeth eroded. When I had my evaluation with the periodontist, he gave me instructions that indicated I would be on a liquid diet for 2-3 days following the surgery. Therefore, we had Christmas Observed dinner early. After the surgery, I learned that following the liquid diet, I had to eat 4 days of mushy food followed by another week of soft food. My actual Christmas dinner was this:

Christmas dinner: oatmeal with applesauce and a protien drink. Mmm mmm

Terry and I normally don't exchange gifts at Christmas anymore, but this year he gave me his cold. I’d held off getting it until my body was compromised by the injuries in my mouth. We’re quite a pair, sneezing and coughing all week.

There will be no crackers, chips, toast, cookies, seeds, pecan caramel rolls, pork roast and sauerkraut, etc. for New Year’s Eve or Day. I’ll make up for it later, you bet. I’d say it sucks to be me, but sucking has been forbidden. No straws! Puts too much pressure on my poor gums. I absolutely don’t want to dislodge those stitches! I’d have to do this all over again. Not going there.

Happy New Year to you! I have a feeling it will be better than mine!