Bone Chilling Cold

It’s that time of year when if you’re going to venture outside, it’s best to do it clothed in a warm car! I’ve heard these weather patterns called Alberta Clippers, because they originate or pass through that Canadian province on their way here, but this morning the local meteorologist called this a Saskatchewan Screamer! Some lucky ABC-TV News reporter was dispatched to International Falls, Minnesota, situated at the Canadian border, fondly referred to as the “Icebox of the Nation,” where he demonstrated that a raw egg cracked open in a pan at 40 degrees below zero freezes solid in five minutes.

We are located 250 miles – about four hours drive – south of International Falls. Our actual temps have been in the 20s below zero and the 5-10 mph winds easily double that below zero reading. I describe it as sharp, biting, stinging when it finds some bare skin. Our back door – the one we use the most – faces south, so when I go out to do chores in the morning I am initially blocked from any north or northwest wind. However, if the wind is blowing, when I head west to the barn and clear the house frame, OMG, the shock of it is like being slapped in the face! It has taken my breath away! When the dogs and I get to the barn, with me carrying four buckets of feed from the house (I am tired of it freezing, so a barrel of it sits in our mud room), sliding the barn door shut behind us and being out of the wind in our horse body heat warmed barn feels nice.

It usually takes me 15-20 minutes to feed breakfast, to top up water buckets (they’re heated but I still must schlep water from the hydrant to each stall) and give each mare a couple of flakes of hay. By that time, Buddy is hopping around deciding which cold paw to keep off the ground. Lady isn’t bother as quickly by the cold. Mind you, Buddy does plenty to keep himself occupied and warm while I do chores. He runs up to and barks at the two barn cats, Zeus and Tonic, both of whom outweigh him my five pounds. Usually they don’t flinch, but if he’s persistent they hop up on a stack of hay out of his reach. Lady loves cats and works very diligently at cementing feline relationships. Both Zeus and Tonic show their affection for her with purring figure 8’s between her front legs. Lady stands quietly, wags her tail and licks them.

Buddy also likes to run at the six Pilgrim geese, which move away hissing with every waddle. These are the wimpiest geese I’ve ever met – I have known geese to stake their territory by latching their beak to the offending animal’s butt and giving it a good pinch! Maybe in the warmer weather the Pilgrims will become more assertive.

We have quite a few wild birds here, of course, I feed them black oil sunflower seeds year round and I make sure the feeders stay filled in the winter. We have lots of little brown birds – sparrows and the like – and in the summer there are colorful red and yellow finches – our non-migrating winter birds include blue jays and woodpeckers and I was delighted with a red flash from a brilliantly colored cardinal the other day. I’ve positioned feeders on the west and east sides of the house so I can watch the birds from either the kitchen or living room windows. Sometime last week I noticed that some plump pheasant hens are living amongst the piles of chopped wood that we have stacked along the pine trees that line the east of the property. Often the little brown birds alight on the sunflower plants that are outside the south facing living room window where we have our home office. If I’m stealthy, I can snap pics of them. When I saw the hens picking at the sunflower heads, I tried to get a picture but they were too weary and my movement spooked them. I’ve been leaving a handful of seeds near the remnant sunflower plants and was finally able to snap these three sisters. There are more – like 10 – that nest in the woodpile, but these three venture together. The blue jays have been too quick for my Sanyo digital camera, but I’ll keep trying, as they are quite comical bossing each other around, flitting in, out, up and away.

E-I-E-I-O

Another Monday

Why is it that Monday morning’s alarm comes so early? I was sleeping so good when I was rudely awoken. I’d actually been up 90 minutes earlier at 4:30 when Lady appeared at bedside and nuzzled me awake. She needed to go outside and just could not wait. This does not happen often so I drug myself to the door and watched as Lady and Buddy bound into the predawn cold. I stood in the mud room, slippered and cuddled in a robe, as they relieved themselves. I worry that if I go back to bed I’ll fall asleep and Buddy will freeze into an apricot-colored popsicle. The two attended to needs quickly and we were all back to our respective beds in minutes.

Once the alarm rang, I did not pop up as usual. I turned on the bedside radio, tuned to public radio, and lingered a bit in our cozy bed. The best thing we bought last winter was a dual-control electric mattress pad. It adds a depth of warmth to a bed that is well stacked with a quilt and down comforter. About an hour before bed one of us turns on the pad so we slip between warmed sheets.

After a luxurious 15 minutes, I pushed myself up, wandered to the kitchen to heat water for coffee. When we got married a girlfriend gave us a 40 fluid ounce Frieling Stainless-Steel Thermal French Coffee Press as a gift. I love it and use it every day! When we moved from Europe I bought a Black-and-Decker automatic coffeemaker, which looked very stylish, but the machine and I never clicked. It regularly clogged and spilled boiling hot coffee grounds all over the counter. Not a good way to begin any morning. I reverted to the Frieling and it’s a trooper. Thank you, Robyn!

I’m good for maybe one cup of coffee sweetened with a bit of flavored cream, Ian, however, runs on it. He also prefers to rise at a slower pace, so I make the coffee and bring his mug bedside. He can get up, get going and keep his sunny disposition, which he’s demonstrated time and again when we traveled a lot, but if circumstances don’t call for it, he’d rather ease into the day.

The weather prediction is that 40 mph winds are on the way with -30 degree temps to follow on Thursday. This is normal January weather in Minnesota. The house remains toasty with the pellet stove in the main living area and the wall-mounted propane heater in the kitchen. When we need to do things outdoors we dress in layers, leaving as little bare skin uncovered as possible, and we carry on with our day-to-day life. Even with the coming cold, which local folks call “a cold snap,” as long as the horses have hay, warmed water and shelter available to them 24/7 they are fine.

As you’ll see on the right side of the blog page, I’ve added a feature that allows you to become a fan and “follow” this blog.

E-I-E-I-O

New Year, New Opportunities

Yesterday, I resigned from my part-time Postmaster Relief position with the United States Postal Service (USPS) again. My last day will be January 30. I had resigned in November (see Blog entries 11/22 and 11/30), but went back to work to help out the Officer-In-Charge Linda, who was staffing the office while Postmaster Helen was on extended sick leave. It was nice to help out through the holiday season, but once again I feel the pull toward something more personally and professionally fulfilling. I really enjoy the women I worked with and I learned quite a bit about our complex federal mail system. I did pursue full-time/permanent job opportunities within USPS, but a career path did not present itself. No regrets, I am pleased with and proud of my 15 months of service.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty to do day-to-day on the farm, and with no USPS commitments I can travel into the city with Ian as I want/need. There are plenty of friendships that can use some rekindling and renewing and undoubtedly there are professionals to network with and cultivate too. Fun stuff!

E-I-E-I-O

Snow, cold, snow, cold

It snowed again last night, about three inches. Today, it is picture-postcard beautiful outside, but the wind has picked up and the temperatures have dropped to near or just below zero. Reliably, Chris has plowed us out already. I think last year he only plowed us out four or five times. He’s already done that number since our first snowfall on December 4.

Last night, I laundered our winter coats. They get dirty from the daily wear and also collect a lot of barn grime in the way of hay, feed and other things that find their way into pockets and coat linings. Yesterday when we were at Wal-Mart, I reached into my left-hand coat pocket for a glove and my hand came out gooey. Investigating a bit more I found that a spot had soaked its way through the coat. Ian asked what I was puzzling over just about the time I realized what had caused it. I showed him the wet spot and asked, “What do you suppose broke in my pocket?” He thought for a moment, “An egg!” Yes. The chickens are not laying as many eggs as usual, so rather than six or eight a day we get one or two a week. I had topped up feed and water in their coop, I collected one egg, put it in my pocket while I finished chores and promptly forgot all about it. I probably broke it when I buckled my seatbelt. Ian looked at me smiling and said, “You’re such a farmer!”


Today, Ian’s rerouting and insulating a section of cold water pipe in the downstairs bathroom that tends to freeze when the temps dip. He did the hot water pipes during the Christmas holiday and it’s worked very well. There’s something very sexy about a guy who can do stuff like this. That, coupled with the fact that he likes to do it and is good at it. In another life (and economy) Ian would be very happy buying old houses to renovate and turning them over at a profit. Living in our ongoing renovation project, I am much more focused on the ‘been there, done that’ end of the renovation spectrum!

E-I-E-I-O

An abundant, prosperous 2009!

There is a wind this morning with temps in the high teens and we're under cloudy skies with another snowfall prediction. Ian and I went to bed at 10 and slept well. We both turned off our cellphones to help ensure our undisturbed slumber.

Last year presented its challenges yet we survived quite well. The Universe is conspiring for me and I wait open armed, ready to receive all of the prosperity it sends our way.

This is a great life and I rejoice in it!

E-I-E-I-O

Snow, snow, snow

Sometime during the night, snow began to fall and it is still falling as I write at breakfast time. I’ve been to the barn for morning chores – slipped and fell on my right knee (same knee I fell on and cut open on December 4) - but was able to recover and continue to the 150 feet to barn, while carrying four filled feed buckets. Recently it has been in the mid to high 30s, so the earlier snowfall melted but the colder nights left icy patches, which is what sent me to my knees this morning. The snow is like powder – not good for snowballs, but it sure makes shoveling easy.


Of course, Lady and Buddy accompany me to the barn. In fact, it’s almost impossible to leave the house without them. As you see, I am dressed like Nanuk of the North, but I'm not bundled against the cold as much as against the wet, knee-deep snow. My outwear includes snowpants, snow boots, an insulated vest, Carhart barn jacket, gloves and Canadian beaver hat. I'm toasty warm! Buddy the poodle is quite a trooper when it comes to the winter weather. He bounds along where Lady has blazed a trail. When it’s subzero I monitor his shivers or how many paws he’s trying to hold off the ground and often put him back in the house before chores are finished. He is unhappy with that and barks his fool head off in protest!


Our six Pilgrim geese are not impressed with the snow at all. They overnight in the barn, but usually spend the day outside – not today. Dressed in goose down, they waddled as far as the pasture gate – about two feet – where they nestled in until I was done with the morning feed, then they went back inside the barn.

Barn cats Zeus and Tonic patiently waited for the breakfast. They are very good mousers and get a pigeon every once in a while, but they like their chow too. Both are two years old and, like our housecat Tiger, they’re neutered.

The chickens had the run of the barn, but I’ve closed them in their coop now (a large room built in the barn next to the horse stalls). It’s warmed by heat lamps, has a heated warm bowl and it is so much easier for me to find the eggs! The geese also enjoy the chicken scratch feed, so now the chickens don’t need to compete with their larger poultry cousins.

The horses that winter outdoors are fine. Just like a well insulated house, snow stacks up on their backs. Their winter coats channel off the snow melt without wetting their hides and getting them cold. Ingenious!

As soon as the snow stops – the prediction is around lunchtime – our snowplow guy will come and do his usual great job. We plan on having hay (round and square bales) delivered today too, and I expect that once we’re plowed out Steve will come with the bales.

In the meantime, the living room’s pellet stove and kitchen’s propane stove are doing a great job and we’re really cozy. Ian continues to work from home this week, so he is not caught up in today’s snowy commute.

E-I-E-I-O

Christmas Eve

Today, Ian and I delivered half of route four’s mail. Ian drove while I put mail in boxes out the passenger-side window. It was more fun than doing it alone. Our delivering these boxes allowed the regular carrier to help on other routes, so that everyone could get home as soon as possible to begin their Christmas holiday. It took us about three hours. The day was sunny and the driving not too slippery, we listened to Christmas songs on the radio and talked. After we check back in with the outgoing mail, we went into Cambridge and had lunch at a Chinese food buffet.

On Monday, Ian installed the new propane heater in the kitchen and its working very well. He also rerouted water hoses that had frozen and now the washing machine fills very quickly (the water used to drizzle in) and its cut my laundry time from an hour to about 20 minutes.

Yesterday, Ian brought me a huge pink poinsettia, saying: "For my beautiful wife!" Can't beat that!










This afternoon, I’m making BBQ meatballs using red current jelly in the sauce. I'll put them in the slow cooker to marinate and they'll be yummy as a Christmas Day appetizer.

Our snow plow guy came this morning to clear our driveway and yard area again. This is the second plowing this week. Could be a very snowy season this year, but it's nice to have the moisture and if the spring is dry, then the farmers are able to get crops in the ground in April and that makes them happy!

Tomorrow, we’ll butterfly and bake Cornish game hens on a bed of fresh cranberries, sliced red onions and oranges, make roasted potatoes, grill green beans and asparagus for our Christmas dinner. It will be a quiet dinner with the two of us.

On Friday, Boxing Day, we plan to go shopping in Minneapolis after we finish morning chores. We’ll have lunch somewhere and will visit my Mother, who continues to convalesce at the Veteran’s Medical Center from right knee replacement surgery,

Happy, happy!

E-I-E-I-O

Winter Solstice

Today is the first day of winter and tonight is the longest night of the year. It’s sunny out today with an actual temp of -11 degrees Fahrenheit and a wind chill temperature (meaning when the wind blows this is what it feels like on the skin) of -30 degrees! I’ve already been out to the barn to feed the chickens, geese, barn cats and the four mares we overnight inside (Bentley, Windy, Kisses and Elly). I guess my acclimatization has already begun because I thought “this isn’t so cold,” as I walked to the barn at 6:30 a.m.

We’re cozy in the house’s main living area, but Ian’s going to spend today getting a different propane stove hooked up in the kitchen area. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we bought a propane stove and tank from a friend thinking when we installed it in the basement connecting its stack to the chimney it would kick out enough heat to warm that frigid space and the rising heat would make the kitchen area (still under major renovation) livable. Well, not so much. I’m not sure what the problem is, but the stove never functioned above a low flame and burned through a 100-gallon tank of propane in five days at that low setting. Yikes! So, we’ve moved to plan B. Ian bought a vent-free (propane) gas space heater that he is installing on the north kitchen wall where it connects to the outside tank. I’ll be glad when that baby is fired up.

Ian is also working on rerouting bathroom water pipes that have a habit of freezing. He’s about halfway through with this job. With those pipes redone and the new heater fired up, we should be great for the rest of the winter. I just keep thinking how lovely everything will be when it’s all finished!

Our snowplow guy, Chris, just arrived. He always does such a good job moving the snow from the driveway, the house door and in front of the barn so we have access to everywhere we need to go.

The horses are happily eating one of the 1600-pound round bales of hay we roll into the pasture. They also have warmed water to drink from two 100-gallon tanks. There’s also a deep, south-facing shelter that allows them all to get out of the wind. We place the hay bales on the south side of the barn so it acts as a wind break from the bitter north wind too.


Ian gets to work from home now until the first full week of January 2009, which saves a daily three-hour commute. I work tomorrow at the post office and on Saturday the 27th I will deliver mail as a substitute carrier on route 4, which is the route we live on. When I delivered this route on the 17th, it took me 10 hours, which is twice as long as it takes the route’s regular carrier. OK, so being a rural mail carrier is not one of my strengths. LOL

E-I-E-I-O

Robert Virgil Tiffany

Yesterday, in a snow storm, Ian drove slowly for an hour to Pine City for us to attend my beloved Uncle Bob’s memorial service at the Pokegama Town Hall; the site of Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol’s 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration six years ago. That’s right; they were married for 56 years! Uncle Bob refused to have a traditional funeral gathering, said that he hated those, but liked the gatherings afterward, so that’s what he chose. Uncle Bob was 80 years old and had suffered in recent years from emphysema, edema and an aortic aneurism. He died peacefully on Friday, December 12, surrounded by family.

Ian and I enjoyed the buffet and visiting with three (Brenda, Scott, Marease) of my five first cousins; the other two (Rachael, Michael) needed to return to their homes in Alabama and South Dakota, respectively. Aunt Carol (on the right) was holding up well and ever the perfect hostess saw to everyone’s needs. Her sister Martha, also recently widowed, was there too. I hadn’t seen her since I was a kid in the 1960s.

I told my Mom, who is recovering in the hospital from knee replacement surgery, about Uncle Bob’s death. There were only three Tiffany children and Mom, the eldest, is now the only one left. Mom’s comment was that Bob had done everything in his life that he wanted to do – being married to Carol and living on their 200-acre farm, raising their five children, and doting over the 11 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Mom and Uncle Bob saw one another this spring when I drove Mom to the farm for lunch with Uncle Bob and Aunt Carol.

E-I-E-I-O

First snowfall of the season

The last two days have been in the teens with a brisk wind that takes the temps to zero or dipping just below. We have two mares out of the herd of 10 that we feed and overnight in the barn – Windy and Bentley. The others are winter hearty with heavy, dense coats. They flourish on large, round hay bales and warmed water available to them 24/7 in the pasture. Windy and Bentley are low in the herd’s pecking order and get chased off the food, and have lost weight because of this.

Bentley, a 20+ year old Thoroughbred and former racehorse, has a terrible wind sucking (or cribbing) habit she picked up during her racing career. This habit is born when a high-energy animal athlete spends too many hours standing in a stall without other distractions. Bentley locks her mouth to an edge – usually a stall door or board – arches her neck to get a flexed stretch and then sucks in air. It is an odd sight and a habit that is almost impossible to break. The air fills her gut and leaves less room for food – she feels full, and she is, but with air versus nutritious food. To compensate, we feed her a high calorie feed designed for a senior (elderly) horse, in high volume, top dressed with corn oil as an easily digested fat, and now we are seeing the scales tip in a heavier more healthy direction.

Both Bentley and Windy are mellow, although Windy, being Arabian, is on the high strung end of the mellow continuum. In the late afternoon, she will pace the pasture gate, as if she has a watch wrapped to a front fetlock. Having been a racehorse, Bentley is accustomed to a lot of handling and not much rattles her. My coming late for chores or being slow with the feed ration sets her impatiently pawing the ground, but that’s about it. The other morning I discovered that our six geese cuddle together with Bentley in her stall at night. The geese have the run of the barn, yet they choose to feather in with the 17 hand tall Thoroughbred – who lies down to sleep in her 12 x 12 foot box stall! Would I love to get a picture of that nestling, but once the barn door opens in the wee hours the geese are up, wings and bills flapping ready to go out and Bentley finds her way deftly to all fours, leaning into her morning stretch – and if I’m too slow she begins pawing the stall floor.

As I mentioned, it’s been cold the past few days, so I elected to keep Windy and Bentley in all day rather than turning them out after breakfast. Regardless that my motive was to do something nice for them, this was not Windy’s idea of a fun time. She has a Plexiglas window in her stall – one where she can see the outside horses and visit (95% of horse communication is nonverbal) – which I found open to the air because she had kicked the heavy duty Plexiglas out of its frame, allowing Windy to put her head out or for the herd to visit (one head at a time) inside. No horses were injured, but now Windy has no view to the outside because her window is boarded up. Silly mare! The lesson I’m taking away is that she would rather be outside during the day, regardless of the weather. And, after all, she is dressed for it.

The post office is busy and I am working some days coming up to Christmas – I’m scheduled to deliver mail on the 17th and 27th, which should be fun.

This weekend, Ian’s installing a propane stove in the basement to help with heating the farmhouse. Our wood pellet stove does a good job in our living area and with the propane stove warming the basement; the entire house will be that much warmer. We bought this stove from a woman I work with at the post office, after I mentioned we were shopping for just the right thing - affordably priced - to heat the basement. Coincidentally, Julie was selling exactly what we wanted.

Today, the big flakes started to fall and it's accumulating. I'd say we have two inches on the ground now with more in the forecast. No green anything, other than pine trees, from now til April or May.

E-I-E-I-O

Meet Buddy

The newest addition to our family is Buddy, a purebred 18-month-old male miniature poodle. He’s apricot colored and about the same size, maybe even slightly smaller than our housecat, Tiger. I first saw Buddy on the day before Thanksgiving at the Cambridge Pet Salon. I stopped to learn the cost of having our Labrador mix, Lady, bathed. She had been smelling quite doggy and needed her nails trimmed.

I saw this sweet-looking poodle cuddled in one of the groomer’s cages. Groomer Becky explained that he was for sale and had come from a puppy mill some weeks earlier. She said Buddy hadn’t been socialized and had been very thin. I held him and he was a good weight for his size/breed, was quite snuggly and came fully vaccinated. I’ve never owned a true lap dog, although Lady likes to jump up on our laps sometimes, but at 80 pounds she is so NOT a lap dog. Buddy weighs about 12 pounds, less than Tiger who last weighed in at 14! I don’t know where it began, but I’ve always loved an apricot colored poodle – regardless of size. Now, miniature is not the smallest, which is toy (think: Chihuahua). Anyway, I asked Ian, who looked at me like I had truly lost it, but said, “Yes.” We picked up a freshly groomed Buddy that day after Thanksgiving. We also dropped Lady off for her doggy spa treatment. Both smell great now.

In coming weeks we’ll have Buddy fixed. Lady’s spay, so there’s no true rush. I want him completely settled in to a routine with us, before we add in surgical procedures.

Being a poodle, Buddy requires grooming once every six weeks and he eats small dog food versus the larger chunk stuff Lady chows down. The winter weather may also require getting him a jacket for poop/pee outings. I draw the line at boots and hats though. Since we clip our horses, we may well learn how to clip Buddy’s coat properly and be able to handle this ourselves eventually. It cannot be rocket science!

Buddy has also been introduced to the outdoors Macdonald menagerie – the chickens, barn cats, geese and the horses. He thinks the latter are the biggest dogs he’s ever seen! The horses find him quite curious and line up at the fence when he bounces down to the barn accompanying Lady and me to do chores.

The best blessing of all so far is that Buddy is not a yappy dog. It’s just not part of his nature, and this may have something to do with his time at the puppy mill. Whatever the cause, we appreciate him not being a small dog vocalist.

E-I-E-I-O

Back at USPS

On Wednesday, something happened to me that has never happened before – I was asked to not go through with my resignation, which as of the 20th I had already submitted. Let me back up and fill in some details. As I had mentioned in earlier posts, my 70-some-year-old postmaster, Helen, had been off work since the beginning of September. Helen takes the blood thinner Coumadin, which by some weird twist made veins in her left arm bleed and cause a painful bruised limb. Helen also has a blood clot pressing on a nerve in her upper left armpit that puts her hand to sleep. She was hospitalized Labor Day weekend in September for several days, then went on sick leave and I worked six-day weeks as her relief (my position title is Postmaster Relief - PMR) for the next eight weeks until Halloween week.

Against her doctor’s recommendation, Helen returned to work, which meant I worked only in the mornings helping to lift tubs and trays and with mail sorting; all of which she could not do. One of the many job requirements for all who work in a post office is that they can lift 70 pounds, which she’s not been able to do in recent years. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to work 2 or 3 hours was just not worth it to me. Also, Ian and I have been discussing going to our home in Spain and being there for long stretches of time. OK, then why am I working when I could be focusing on selling more horses, packing and getting ready to spend time in Spain? So, on November 10, I gave Helen my written resignation that would be affective December 20. I also began working the standard PMR shift, Monday and Saturday mornings only. I did tell Helen I would be available if she went on full-time leave again and for any days when she has doctor appointments or doesn’t feel well. Because Helen could not do the morning sorts, she asked Dan, a neighboring post office PMR, to work the few weekday hours.

Dan and I are friends outside of work and when I visited him Thursday morning the 20th, he said there was a new person at the Stanchfield Post Office and that Helen was going on leave again. Needless to say, I was confused and shocked. I called and spoke to Helen, who informed me that it was her last day for many weeks and she had brought in Linda as Officer In Charge (OIC) from neighboring post office Mora. I asked why she hadn’t called me and she said she thought I didn’t want to do it, blah, blah, blah. I decided why wait til December to resign and I offered to turn in my keys that day – she accepted. This is the tale I did not go into in the earlier post saying I’d left USPS.

My feelings were hurt. In September, I’d dropped everything to go to Helen’s aide. There had never been any issues with me being in charge – in fact, I’d gotten things accomplished (reports files, etc.) that Helen hadn’t because she didn’t understand how to do what was needed on the computer. Why hadn’t Helen called me? I have finally come to realize that it is not important. I enjoyed several days off with days infused with joy and hunger to regain habits I’d given up – like writing, visiting friends, attending performing arts, etc.

On Tuesday, the 25th, Linda called me. On the day I’d counted out my cash drawer and turned in my office keys, I’d told her that I would wind up any last needed details on the 28th when I collected my final check. Linda asked if I would consider staying on as PMR for at least the weeks she was there managing the office in Helen’s absence. When an OIC is installed there is no coming in part days, as Helen did when I was there. She is officially off until she is fully capable to return to her position. Very diplomatically, Linda said she thought what had happened with Helen not contacting me, my abrupt departure, etc. had been wrong. She was also very up front with the fact that she was in a pinch without adequate back up to run the office or with someone to deliver mail, as I am also a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) if a carrier is sick or takes vacation. It was her frankness that led me to say yes. Linda quickly put the wheels in motion to find my resignation paperwork and rip it up. My keys and badge were returned to me on the 28th. I worked my usual Saturday shift and will work as fulltime PMR December 2-9, RCA on the 17th, PMR again 18-22.

I have not forgotten that joy infusion and am working to fold creative events back into my life so that I don’t have all of my outlet eggs in one basket.

E-I-E-I-O

A Prairie Home Companion

We had a great time attending the live recording of A Prairie Home Companion at the Fitzgerald Theatre in downtown St. Paul. We rendezvoused with Marcia out front and then tucked into seats 8, 9 & 10 of Balcony 2 Right. The Fitzgerald uses its space well and while the row leg room is reminiscent of flying transatlantic coach, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

I knew the other friends we were meeting, Lisa and Frank, were somewhere in the auditorium, and via cell phones and roundhouse arm gestures, Lisa and I found each other during the short intermission.

The featured musical guest was Indy singer Kristin Andreassen. I had never heard of her, but over the years I’ve learned to trust APHC host Garrison Keillor’s eclectic, wide-ranging musical tastes. Andreassen’s “Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color to Draw My Love” is accompanied by a patty cake game, which you can listen on her My Space page.

Multitalented Gospel singing sisters Jevetta and Jearlyn Steele were also folded into the show’s various skits.

I marvel at Garrison Keillor’s huge talent; his capacity for memorization, spontaneity, and how generous he is with his guests, showcasing them in the best light.

Assembling in the lobby, we headed to Everest On Grand, a Nepali restaurant, which is one of Lisa and Frank’s favorites.

A 25-minute wait turned into 40 minutes, but it was well worth it. A new friend, Katherine, joined us for dinner. She had bought a last minute “rush” ticket and got a standing-room-only space on the rail. A page from the small world book, Marcia and Katherine knew one another from working at the University of Minnesota! Once the six of us were seated, we began with “Yak balls” appetizers, which are showcased on the restaurants homepage.

The wine and beer menu revealed a wonderful French surprise, a bottle of Cotes du Rhone (Rhone Hills) red wine by a tasty vintner, Monsieur Chapoutier, which we ordered tout de suite.

Ian ordered lamb curry and I got an Indian favorite, Palek Panner, which we shared. The dinner conversations were wide ranging, interesting and rapid, all done as we sampled each other's main courses. Sated, we headed to W. A. Frost & Company bar on Cathedral Hill at Selby & Western Avenues for a nightcap.

Ian, Lisa and Frank enjoyed Laphroaig (pronounced “la froig”), which is a single malt Scotch whisky. Katherine ordered port, Marcia a brandy Manhattan, I had a lovely dry sherry and four of us savored crème brulee.

Near the bewitching hour, Ian pointed our 1996 Chevy Lumina homeward and began the hour drive. Lady and Tiger were extra pleased to see us, as the pellet stove had gone out and the house temperature was around 40 degrees. I restarted the stove and turned on our electric mattress warmer while Ian closed up the barn. We had anticipated a late night and had done chores earlier in the afternoon. Windy and Bentley were brought into their stalls, fed and watered at 3 versus 6 p.m. and we left the barn door open so that the six geese would come in and settled in for the night. Ian noted they were cuddled in the barn aisle when he came to say good night.

E-I-E-I-O

Saturday freedom!

This is the first Saturday in I can't remember how many when I am not working at the post office. I resigned and my last day was Thursday, the 20th. Actually, my last day was to be December 20, but things came together more quickly in a tale of events I won't go into here. I am happy and feel very blessed! I enjoyed my 13 months there, but have been feeling the need to move on for a while. I am not using my God-given talents and was really feeling the pressure of that. So, in releasing that obligation, we will see what God has planned for me ... His plans are always best!

Ian continues to work as a contractor with General Mills. He is working on revamping its entire online recipe division - this is a LONG TERM, well funded project and the Big G are happy to have Ian on the lead team.

This morning, Ian and I attended a U of MN sponsored horse program held in Cambridge at the local high school. There were a series of workshops on various topics, including the three we attended Winter Horse Care, Older Horse Care and what resources are available to people who own unwanted horses. I learned some and had info I already knew validated, so that was good.

This afternoon, we are meeting friends in St. Paul at the Fitzgerald Theatre to see Garrion Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion. The program begins at 4:45 CT and will be taped for broadcast later this evening and replayed again tomorrow. You can hear it on your local public radio station.

The program is 2 hours. Afterwards we are going to eat Tibetan food at a place on Grand Avenue. Should be fun!

Last night, Ian and I watched The Water Horse on DVD. What a great movie. I recommend it for kids of ALL ages.

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Deaths in the family

On Monday, October 13, my 2nd husband, Niels van Everdinck, died from a brain stroke after being hospitalized for pneumonia. Niels was only 50 years old. He lived alone, save for three cats, estranged from his two wonderful sisters, in the same apartment he and I shared in The Hague, The Netherlands (Holland) in 2001. A neighbor had noticed that she had not seen Niels leave the apartment in as much as a week, and notified the police, who after bashing in his door, found Niels half conscious and sick with pneumonia. He was rushed to the hospital, but died the next day. One sister contacted me for a hint about who his friends were and luckily I could put her in touch with one, who was a link to the others. As you can imagine the news was quite a shock. I can't say I thought of Niels often, or maybe even thought of him at all, but this end was certainly a sad ending.

[The balance of this post was entered at a later date] The following Monday, the 20th, my stepfather, Ernie Pfannschmidt, died from a cerebral hemorrhage that resulted from a fall in his home on the 18th. Dad was 90 years old, still living and running his home in Anoka, MN.

My two younger brothers (Ernie's sons), Mark and Matthew, and other close family members were at Dad's hospital bedside when he died. It was very peaceful. His pastor was also at the hospital and conducted a wonderful bedside service. Dad's funeral was at his home church in St. Francis, MN on October 24. Mark played Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring on viola while wife Laura accompanied on piano. Later during the service, Laura accompanied Matthew as he sang, "I Need Thee Every Hour." I'm confident Dad is happy to join his 2nd wife Gladys, who preceded him in death in 1999.

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Fall update

I bought six Pilgrim geese at a local auction. There are 4 ganders (males) and 2 geese (females). The sex of both goslings and mature Pilgrim geese can be distinguished by color. This is known as auto-sexing. Males are white and females are grey. Bills and legs are orange in both sexes, while the eyes are blue in ganders and dark brown in geese. Only the mating pair came assigned with names; George & Gracie. The remaining geese are their offspring hatched in 2007. They spent the night in the barn aisle and their days in the horse pasture eating grass and drinking from puddles. I filled the wading pool I had some our first set of geese and they like to visit that too.

I continue to work part-time at the local post office. Lately, I’ve put in fulltime hours because the postmaster Helen is out on medical leave. Helen does come in a few hours a week, which is very helpful.

After not working since February, Ian began a consulting job just after Labor Day. He commutes an hour to the Cities and enjoys the work. It’s nice that gas prices are getting lower, as it makes the commute much more affordable.

The horses are all fine. They’re all situated in the pasture closest to the barn munching on two round bales of hay we bought last weekend. The three 2008 fillies are growing nicely. They’re stabled in the barn and learning halter training and being handled.

Renoir enjoys his big box stall and his outdoor paddock. In late September, we took him to the Minnesota Fall Fest at the MN State Fairgrounds for the Minnesota Arabian Horse Breeders Stallion Parade. Ian did an excellent job showing him off to the audience. Ian showed a 2 yr old stud colt for a friend of ours at that show too.

Weekends are spent getting the house ready for the MN winter. Ian’s installing thick insulation panels around the first floor of the house and sealing the window edges with foam. We’re planning to install a new main exterior door, which will help cut down on the draft. The in-floor heating system needs to be hooked up too, which along with the pellet stove, will keep us very warm.

The autumn colors are lovely – lots of oranges and yellows and the occasional red.

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All to happy homes

This afternoon we hauled Clifford, the Half Arabian gelding, to his new home - a full service boarding stable - near Nowthen, MN. His new owner Michelle will do a good job with him - they will teach one another.

Cliffy is the last of the three geldings (the other two are purebred Arabians) we sold in August and got off to new homes - all to female owners! We've still got more to sell, but having a few less mouths to feed always helps.

The weather feels like fall in the mornings and evenings; not cold, but decidedly cooler than the deep summer weeks. It's welcome as long as we don't plunge into winter too fast. We've got to winterize the outside of the house before the snow flies. As long as we keep that on the upper most part of our To Do List, we'll be fine.

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Selling and weaning horses

Yesterday, I sold our four-year-old unregistered purebred Arabian gelding, Jay, to a family in Dundas, MN. He will be going to a good home where he will be ridden and well cared for.

On August 19, "Cairo" (Windstorm GTC), was sold to a lady in Sartell, MN. He will be boarded at a nice facility and be used as a trail horse. Like Jay, Cairo is also a purebred four-year-old Arabian gelding - but Cairo has registration papers. Cairo was the first horse we bought in December 2005, shortly after we bought the farm.

Our 2007 gelding, "Clifford" (AMF Royal Red Ferrari), who was sold earlier this month, will be going to a new home at a boarding facility that has a heated, indoor arena where he can be worked during the winter months. It is also closer to where his new owner lives in Elk River, MN.

All three horses we've sold this month were posted for sale on the Internet.

On Sunday evening, we weaned our three 2008 fillies. There's always lots of noise with any weaning, but things seem quieter today. The mommies are out in the back pasture with the rest of the herd. The fillies each have their own stall and will be handled more and more each day. We'll work on halter training them and socializing them to be handled by humans.

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AMF Royal Red Ferrari

We sold our Goldmount Royal Design yearling gelding "Clifford" today to a couple from Elk River, MN. He is going to grow up to be an awesome performance horse and can begin his under saddle training this time next year.

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Bye-bye baby Latte

Sadly and unexpectedly, our 2008 chestnut tobiano colt, Latte, died. He was born on June 3, sired by American Saddlebred stallion Famous Echo SCA and out of our Arabian Psyche mare, RJ Kissthe Wind. We had no clues as to why, so I suspect the cause was something he was born with. He will be missed, but we know he's galloping in God's greenest pastures ... where the bugs don't bite!

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