Hey Darlin',
A good night sleep, chores, then I met DeDe and Jo down at Tidewater to do some prep work for the upcoming Goethe Gallivant. I stopped at HQ on the way to see if they had any duplicate signs for the trail intersections I needed, but none were to be found. No worries, DeDe and I managed to move the sign that was out there, put up the rest of the trail markers on the new section of trail taking folks off the road, and do some general trail clearing. It's still rough, and we'll no doubt get some complaints about it, but that's the way it goes! Stopped at Black Prong on the way back and did some tractor work, filling in potholes and washouts with gravel, and added some sand to my "patio" area where it was a bit thin. Got back to the farm mid-afternoon and relaxed the rest of the afternoon, more holiday movies mostly, and tried to relax as much as I could since the next few days are going to be extremely hectic. My now usual routine, I had an early dinner, hot open-faced turkey sandwich and salad, and finished off my little apple turnover with eggnog ice cream. Ready for another good night sleep! Good night, babe! Love you!
Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Merry Christmas!
Hiya Sweetheart!
While I've missed you every Christmas since you've been gone, I have to say that holidays alone are underrated. No stress about gifts (giving and getting!), family and friends that don't get along, everybody walking on eggshells to avoid conflict, and all the other negative issues that seem to occur around this time of year. Well, in my experience anyway. I was quite happy spending my day alone watching Christmas movies with Lola. It was especially nice being in a house with a big full kitchen, and I took advantage of it and cooked a full size 15.5 lb. turkey, stuffed! I had cranberry sauce and a nice salad to go with it, and an apple turnover I've had since November, but that I kept frozen until a few days ago. That heated up with a little eggnog ice cream, and I'm all set! I'm thinking I'll retrieve my super big soup pot from storage and making a big turkey soup, and since all I had was one thigh, I have plenty of leftovers I can freeze and use later. Very efficient! I was all finished up, dishes included, by the time I had to feed horses. I gave them all half an apple with their dinner, just for fun. A hot tub, shower, and finishing off with our annual viewing of "It's A Wonderful Life", and I am one happy camper! It doesn't matter how many times I see that movie, it always gets me! Of course, I miss you, but you're still here with me in spirit, for sure. Good night, my dearest darlin'! Love you forever!
Tuesday, December 24, 2024 – Lazy, Fattening Christmas Eve
Hey Darlin',
Had a great night sleep, it was a pleasure not to have someplace I had to run off to first thing in the morning! Had a relaxed morning with just the usual chores, then around midday I went over to camp to clean up the restrooms and check on my mail. Back to the house, where I made a batch of sugar cookies, which I pigged out on most of the day, and did nothing but watch Christmas movies. What a luxury! I feel like I've been so busy that it's lovely to just have a day when I do nothing. The horses were having fun out in the field, I saw Flash trying to snuggle with Apollo, until Apollo finally had to run him off, so funny to watch! Looking forward to another slow day tomorrow, with nothing but cooking, eating and watching more Christmas movies. Love you, babe! Miss you! Good night!
Monday, December 23, 2024 – Marker Moving on Purple, Shopping
Hiya Babe,
My chores are getting more streamlined as I figure out the most efficient way of getting them accomplished, down to about 35 minutes to get it all done. After breakfast, I loaded up Flash and headed down to Tidewater for multiple purposes. First, to meet the septic guy who was bringing the porta-potties for the event this weekend (with all the holidays, it was the best date we could get), second, to ride Flash on the purple trail once again. When I learned that completion of the re-route was going to be delayed until late January, I had to go back and put up purple dots in the old area, since I didn't put them up the other day believing there would be new trails. I was surprised to discover that the northern section had, in fact, been mowed, so I followed it to see if it was finished. It was a wide swath, and didn't follow my markers very well, but it was a decent trail with only a few scrub palms on it. I kept going down to see if the south end had had any work done, and none had, so I decided to go ahead and move the markers on the north end away from the road, since it seems most folks I talk to prefer being off the road even if the trail is a bit rough. I got it mostly done, but there are still a few spots that need to be finished off, which I'll do on Thursday. Finally got back to the trailhead, where I cordoned off the areas that needed to stay clear for the Gallivant this weekend. That done, I headed into Dunnellon for a stop at Tractor Supply, Walmart and Winn-Dixie for my final shopping before Christmas. I've decided to go whole hog and to roast a stuffed turkey and the whole holiday works. The smallest turkey I could find was 15.5 pounds, so I'll be eating turkey for a week! I don't mind, I love turkey! Finally got back home around 4:00, just managed to have dinner before it was time to feed the horses, then settled down for my usual evening, watching an old classic, White Christmas, just for fun. Getting used to getting to bed a bit earlier, it sure helps get the morning started! Good night, sweetie! Love you!
Sunday, December 22, 2024 – Busy Day Moving Trailer
Hey Sweetie,
After going to bed before 10:00, I woke up at 5:00, and spent the next two hours working on my shoulder, which feels incredibly improved today. Got up and did my morning routine, which is getting faster and I get more used to what I need to be doing. There was a tremendous frost all across the fields this morning, looked quite lovely! I didn't take the horses' blankets off right away, I waiting until it was about 45, instead of 34 like when I got up. Looks like the last night they'll need blankets for a while, thank goodness. I spent most of the day working on the trailer, packing up everything, moving stuff around so it's easier for them to work on, then finally, after about four hours, hooking up and driving it up to the trailer repair place. All very tiring, but necessary. I had a couple more bags of things I had to transfer, but hopefully I have everything I need now for the duration until I get my trailer back. Fingers crossed it gets back before the homeowners I'm farm-sitting do! Had an early dinner, got my evening chores done, took my hot tub and shower, and settled down to a Christmas movie. Ready to go to bed! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!
Saturday, December 21, 2024 – Christmas Parade
Hiya Darlin',
Slept pretty well, considering I wasn't in my own bed. Woke up to a chilly morning, in the 30's, had to bundle up before going outside. It took me over an hour to take care of the critters, what with having to take their blankets off and everything else. I'm still getting used to the routine. After breakfast, I went back over to camp to pick up the list of things I needed and had forgotten yesterday, plus put some things away in advance of moving the trailer over to the trailer repair place. Got back in time to see the Steeplechase neighborhood Christmas parade, where residents get together and follow a route around a few blocks. Unfortunately, some of them made a different turn, so even though I was on the parade route, I think I only saw a small portion of the parade. It was pretty short, in any event. I sat in the truck at the end of the driveway, feeling pretty Christmas-y considering it was only 50 degrees! Decided to watch a movie, decided on Diehard, having heard someone mention somewhere (in another movie, I think), that Diehard was the best Christmas movie ever. It's been decades since I've seen it, and couldn't remember it at all, so it was a good choice. Getting back into my routine of feeding the animals, taking a hot tub, showering, then dinner, except I only had time to watch a one hour TV show rather than a movie. Won't be long out of bed, I have a busy day planned for tomorrow, even though I'd much rather have a whole day off. One of these days! Good night, babe! Love you!
Friday, December 20, 2024 – Moving Day
Hey Babe,
Spent the day moving most of my stuff over to where I'm farm sitting, took multiple trips. Started with the horses, fed them as they were tied to the trailer while I fed all the rest of them, then got my guys settled in and fed as well. Additional trips added more stuff, and of course, draining, moving and setting up the hot tub at it's new location. I was glad to see the heater worked so well it was almost to full temperature by the time I finished with dinner, so I was able to enjoy it, though a little cooler by a couple of degrees. Temps are forecast in the 30's overnight, so I'm leaving the hot tub heater on, and I blanketed the horses at dinner. Pretty well settled in now, it should be a nice stay. I heard my axles are due on Monday, so I'll be moving the trailer over there, then keeping my fingers crossed they get it finished in time. My list of things that need to be done has been getting longer and longer, but this is the best chance I have to get them all done. Settled down to a new Christmas movie with Dwayne Johnson (I remember you really enjoyed working with him at a convention one year!) and JK Simmons as Santa. It was pretty fun. Heading off the bed shortly, hoping the mattress is comfy. Brought my own pillow, just in case. Good night, sweetie! Love you!
Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Another Visit to DMV, More Chores
Hi Sweetie,
GStarted the morning off with small overdue jobs. Closed up the ice maker hatch, which I have to do with zipties, and changed the fuel filter on the Airdog on the truck. The neighbor John arrived, and we putterer around on the fence for more than an hour. He is just as mystified as I am as to why it's not workng properly. Finally rushed off for Lola's vet appointment. Disappointed to learn that the $70 monthly treatment I was paying in TN was nearly $120 here. I may have to think the monthly injections if that's the case. No word on what else can be done about her swollen hock, they're supposed to send me estimates of diagnosis tests, which still doesn't include any additional treatments. Sigh... Came back home, hooked up the little horse trailer, and proceeded to follow errant directions to the county landfill in an attempt to get it weighed. I went around in circles on suspect sandy roads for way too long, and when I called DMV, they were very little help. Finally found it, got the trailer weighed, surprisingly it was 3300 lbs.! I did have a few extra items in the tack room, but still, it was a lot more than I expected. Then I went to the DMV only to have them tell me they couldn't do anything for me because the VIN is too faded to read, which I already knew. They said law enforcement would have to check it, but been there, done that, doesn't work. Then they gave me a phone number for their regional office to call, and it went on a circular message I could never escape, and never led me to the place where I was supposed to go to making an appointment. Grrr! Another dead end. I left there and went to the place where Chelle had gotten her outstanding coastal, and I bought a 21 bale bundle which was loaded into the horse trailer. Then drove to Winn Dixie for a few things I needed, including distilled water to check my trailer batteries, then to Chelle's to drop off the hay, then finally back to camp. After feeding the horses, I managed to get in dinner, a hot tube and a shower. I tried to watch a movie but it was getting too stop/start-y to work, so I gave up on it in favor of another episode of my latest binge, Dr. Blake Mysteries. Finally started falling asleep watching, and gave it up. Heading to bed right now! Good night, my darlin'! Love you!
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 – Visit to DMV, Insurance, and More
Hey Darlin',
Got a decent night sleep, then went right back at it today. Didn't get everything done, but made a good dent. A trip to the DMV to change over my residency, the insurance company to transfer same, a short stop at Winn-Dixie, then a stop at the trailer repair place to check on my axles and to add a couple more things to the list of repairs. Got back to camp and tracked down where I can get more linoleum for the slide-out floor when that gets finished, then finally ran over to Chelle's for horse-feeding instructions. Finally settled into a salad with tuna and a Christmas movie, first one of the season. I'm skipping my hot tub, because frankly, it's been a hot day and I don't need to get overheated before I go to bed, so nothing left now but a shower and bed. Good night, baby! Love you!
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 – Trail Marking on Tidewater Purple
Hi Babe,
Seems like things are going nonstop these days. After my usual chores, I made another attempt at fixing the fence. I cut out a few knots, and made sure there was very good contact on the others. Both ground stakes were in, but it still didn't make any difference. Halfway through that job, one of the rangers, CJ, came by. I had asked for a meeting because she's going to be fixing the purple trail the way I want it, hopefully, and I wanted to explain my methodology so she's know what to look for in my marking. After that, I finished working on the fence (still no change), then finally hooked up the little trailer and headed down to Tidewater. Today's job was twofold. The purple markers I put up last spring had completely faded to white and needed refreshing, and I wanted to take one last pass through the "new" purple trails to make sure my flags were perfectly clear for CJ to find. I managed to do both, which took me until well after 3:00. Then I stopped to see Logan at HQ to go over some of the questions that arose from the Taste of Goethe meeting on Sunday, then rushed home, put Flash away, dropped off the trailer and managed to get to Chelle's only a few minutes late for our 4:00 meeting that we had postponed from Sunday. It was after 5:00 by the time I got back to camp. Whew! Fed the horses, had my dinner, hot tub, and shower, and I am SO looking forward to bed! Good night, sweetie! Love you!







