Sunday - COVID323

I slept in way later than usual!  But it was good rest and what I needed.

I had a couple of quick visits from Jess and Tamily this morning to exchange some tools and eggs and such and catch up a little bit.  It was a good start to the day.

I worked on projects and puzzled over a computer issue most of the day.  I'm hoping I can have that resolved before I go to bed.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID322

Ah, to sleep in a little.  It felt good this morning.

I did some work and some projects around the house.  I took a trip to pick up feed and then stopped at Jessi's to pick up groceries. I got there before the delivery and was able to visit in the back yard and admire her winter garden. We shared recipes and it was really good to see her.

I got caught up in a crochet project that is cramping my hand but I don't want to stop, and a series on TV that just dropped me with a big cliffhanger that I didn't expect. 

We are staying safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID321

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night.  I tossed and turned, got up to try to work and see if that would help, but was too tired to do that.  I think I got to sleep around 3am and still got up not too much after the alarm went off.  

It was a busy work day and I was pretty much dragging most of the day.

I made a breakfast biscuit which turned out pretty good.  Separated Pillsbury biscuit in half, put half in a muffin tin, filled with an egg, cooked chorizo, a little salt and pepper, some cheese, and covered with the rest of the biscuit. It looked like a biscuit muffin and turned out good.  I made 8 so there was plenty to have for dinner too because I was too tired to really cook tonight.

I made a run to town to pick up groceries curbside and then fell asleep on the couch watching a show.

I do need to do some work tomorrow but am looking forward to the weekend.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Thursday - COVID320

I got up on time this morning after a good night's sleep, despite the occasional downpours.  Those continued off and on throughout the morning, easing up later in the day.

It was a busy work day with a break to work in the kitchen because I expected the power to be turned off this afternoon so PG&E could replace some equipment. This is the second time I received notice of a shutdown ... that didn't happen. The disruption to the work day was wasted, though I did get some things done.

Salad for dinner tonight because I was in the mood for it.  

Looking forward to the weekend and hoping for an easier day tomorrow.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Wednesday - COVID319

It was sunny and mild when I woke up, the storm having come through hard overnight.  I got chores done and kept an eye out for the coyote, but didn't see anything.  I got some work done and ran out to exchange the wifi we borrowed for one that works.

It started to storm again in the afternoon, and really started pouring at about the time I started chores.  Of course.

I was annoying yesterday at losing a bag of popcorn to the mouse.  Clearly I forgot that when you take away one source of food (they seemed to enjoy the quinoa and semolina flour), they find another, so they went after the popcorn.  Everything that I thought was mouse tasty was sealed up but then I discovered it got into my loose tea.  I spotted it running to a corner on the counter and even though we put Oliver on the counter (one time only) to catch it, he wasn't even interested. I don't know what's wrong with that cat, he was catching them like crazy last year outside.

I cleared things, asked Bex to pick up some containers from the dollar store, and set the trap.  Caught it within 3 minutes.  But the trap is reset for the next one until I get them all.

I fell asleep watching TV on the couch and am looking forward to a good night's sleep in bed.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Tuesday - COVID318

I was up just a little late.  It was sunny outside with no sign of the predicted storm.

I got some work in for the office then stopped to have a video chat with my doctor to review blood test results.  As usual, she says I am very healthy and the numbers are all good, especially cholesterol ratios.  I am going to talk with a nutritionist to get some guidance because despite my best efforts, menopause is doing a number on my body. I love having a medical professional who is part of my team and isn't dictating their opinion as fast and easy as they possibly can. 

We needed to run a couple of errands, so Bex went with me and we picked up a few things, including a new toaster.  Mine's pretty old and poorly designed so I finally decided to find something easier to clean. 

The rain started while we were out and by 5:00 was showing signs of becoming serious. I got the critters in for the night.

I opened a cupboard in the kitchen - one of those that I recently had cleared out and reorganized - and yelled when I was surprised by a mouse at just above eye level.  Bex came out to see what had happened and said she figured that was it because she could tell from my yell.  Remembering an experience my sister had years ago, I put a cover over the new toaster and set a trap in the cupboard.  I have been fighting these suckers since evacuation and just when I think I've won, another pops up. 

I crocheted a bit and transcribed a bit and then decided to head to bed early.  The storm is pounding and the wind has been gusty from time to time but not constant.  I'm seeing photos not only from Mount St. Helena but also from Lakeport showing snow.  It would be nice to wake up to some in the morning but I'm not sure it will happen.  The last time we had snow was January 2002.

Just before bed, I decided to check the cameras that have been out for a couple of days. This was a shocker from the back yard - this morning.

Morning in the Back Yard

We are going to look into how to keep this girl (I am assuming from the way she peed) away from the house and critters without hurting her.  

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Monday - 317

It was hard to get up this morning because I went to bed so late last night this morning.  But I did make it up in time to start work on time.  

It was a pretty intense workday and I was able to get a lot done.

Bex and I went out for errands this afternoon and on the way back she spotted the coyote on the hill near the barn.  We were again struck by how very big it is.  

The good news is the goats are staying in their pen during the day.

I made soup tonight for dinner, which was the perfect comfort food on this chilly, chilly night.  I'm not looking forward to the upcoming storm.

We are staying safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Sunday - COVID316

It was cold and I tried to stay in bed as long as I could but it was still dark when I got up.

I got some work done this morning and then picked up curbside groceries.  

Then I spent the afternoon clearing out and reorganizing four cupboards.  It feels great to have it done and I'm looking forward to finishing off the rest.  Maybe next weekend.

Faux Chinese food for dinner because I was beat and Bex made cookies.

When I finally sat down, I was tired and then got so caught up in finding a starting a new crochet pattern that I lost track of time.  

Wishing for another day off but am happy for this weekend.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Saturday - COVID315

I reset the alarm because I wasn't ready to get up, but I still had to drag myself out of bed when it went off again.  I had a lot to do this morning.

I took care of the little critters and then headed down to pick up the part I needed to repair the fence.  The ranch equipment store - if you could call it that - is huge and sprawling on a ranch property and I finally figured out where to go once I entered the one-way driveway and wound my way through.  A friendly older man asked to help me and I explained I'd called the day before about this part.  He remembered and went inside to get it.  He had exactly what I need.  He asked where I got my fencing and I told him - he recognized the place and commiserated about the delay when needing to order things to be delivered.  We chatted for a minute about fencing and I wondered if he carried the net fencing I use.  He does.  And at a better price than what I had purchased last.  I'm not sure what it looks like or if it's the same quality, but it's good to know there are options if I need them.

I dropped off a cake pan to Tammy and then hurried home, really wishing I hadn't drank so much water on the trip. 

I had time to get a cup of coffee and make the fence repair and bring the goats out to the pen before leaving again.  The goats seemed better about staying in the pen.  I think it was the coyote that was making them escape yesterday.  

While I was heading to the barn I noticed a massive dump of scat on the path and took a closer look.  From the look of it and its contents, I'm 99% sure that it's from a black bear.  And of course I haven't had trail cams out for a few weeks.  The deposit was made on the other side of Loretta (the Corvair) so the Ring camera didn't pick up the animal, and it didn't come near the camera.  There's fresh coyote scat over there as well, so that coyote is still roaming around.  Not near the house though.

I got Bella into the carrier and took her to the vet for nail trimming.  Then made a super quick stop at the farmer's market on the way home to get some chorizo - my favorite place to get it.  

When I got Bella out of the carrier, I noticed that she had gotten a little car sick and think I need to find a better place for her to sit in the car in the crate.  I normally let her sit on a lap but don't like having her loose in the car when I'm driving solo.

I worked a little in the afternoon and worked on the big decluttering elephant that I am handling one bite at a time.  It's nice to see some progress as I go.

I set the trail cams out tonight and will see if anything shows up.

We are safe and well.  I hope you are too.

Friday - COVID314

I turned off the alarm to get a little more sleep until Oliver decided walking in front of my face wasn't enough, then that walking on my hair wasn't enough, and he walked on my head.  I didn't want the escalation to get into a pissing match (he's done that before), so I got up to feed him.

Work was going along and then Becca was cooking a late lunch which included some for me when I noticed Moonshine was on the driveway outside the slider.  

I went to investigate and he walked back to the pen in front of me.  About half of the fencing was down and he was leading me to Salsa, who was very well tangled up.

Salsa was really tangled up in there.

I got her out and then set about putting in the replacement fencing that had arrived a week ago that I've been putting off installing because it's a pain in the ass.  I discovered that I ordered less fencing than I had expected - misremembering how much I'd ordered when I got the fencing that's in place now (nearly 12 years ago).  It's a much smaller area.

I replaced the battery and Salsa knew right away not to test the fence anymore.

I went back inside to eat.  I looked out the front window as I got ready to sit down and saw ... a BIG COYOTE walking down the driveway toward the house.  In the freaking daylight.  I opened the window, thinking the noise would scare it off, but it kept coming.  I yelled.  And yelled.  And yelled again.  It finally took off down the hill away from the goat pen but I was shaken.  Becca came out to see what was going on.  Then she yelled, "Mooney!  No!"  And Moonshine jumped over the fence.

She booked it out without shoes, I threw the crocs on and followed.  We caught him and put him back in.  I put in some extra posts to make it look taller so he wouldn't breach.

I got inside, got my food again, looked out the window, and he jumped the fence in a different spot.

We again caught him and put him back and I put more fence posts in to create the taller fence illusion.

I got inside, got my food again, and then saw Moonshine and Salsa on the driveway at the slider.  I notified Bex and grabbed Salsa and put her in the barn early.  Then Bex helped me catch Moonshine and get him inside.  Then we looked at the fence.

They broke the clip off of the battery connection and it was snapping.  The clip had been flung to the middle of the pen.  We turned the battery off.  Fencing was down but not broken.  I lost it then and started to cry.  I was tired from putting the fencing up by myself, hungry because I hadn't eaten a real meal all day - just coffee and a handful of nuts, and befuddled by this problem.  There is no other safe place to easily put the goats.  

I called Tammy later to let her know that I felt dispirited and beaten.  I had even contemplated turning the goats over to someone else to take care of.  Talking it through with her helped.  I got on the phone to my fencing supplier (closed for the weekend) and my feed store (they didn't have the connector I need) and they referred me to a couple other places.  I called a ranch equipment company in Cotati and was told they probably have the piece I need.  He seemed to understand exactly what I was talking about.  I'll go down first thing in the morning to get that.  Then need to take Bella in for an overdue nail trim.  Then will figure out the fencing situation.  

In hindsight, the goats might have been getting out because they knew that coyote was around.  All they wanted to do was get away from that area of the property.  I might be able to use some of the old fencing to make the area bigger but it's going to take a lot of work.  I might also be able to put fencing at the barn, which is something I've wanted to do since we moved here but couldn't block the pasture area where my landlady used to keep her horses sometimes.  She's not keeping them there anymore and has a better place for them set up.  So I can use that area.

I'm pretty beat and frustrated but will hopefully be able to use this a means to a solution for issues I've been having with needing to move the goats across the property from pen to barn and back.  The goats are creatures of habit though and they might not take kindly to being moved, even if it's to a better shelter area.  We'll see.

We are all safe and well.  I hope you are too.