Our Night Life
With the continuing cold, we, two old dogs, Gage and myself, are going to stay up tonight and keep the wood stove going in the shed to keep the new piglets warm.
(click on the pictures to enlarge)
Gage isn't as enthusiastic as I am.
Gage can take up most of the bed by lying the other way, too.
He is dreaming of warmer days. No doubt hoping I forget to go out in the cold. (do dogs sleep with their eyes open. Gage does.)
Well I didn't forget.
While Gage rests his weiry bones I diddled with my computer and watched some latenight TV out of the corner of my eye. After a couple of comedy shows and an entertainment "news" show the lovely ladies with the spectacular decolletage come on the TV.
Before these fair damsels reminded me of my "loneliness "and encourage me to call for a chat, I know it is time to shut off the TV and turn on the overnight radio broadcasts, Netherlands International first. ( my favourite)
At 2:30 AM, it is time to brave the cold and make the trek to the shed. Before midnight the temperature was -16 C with the wind still howling. In effect, it was -27 C factoring in the wind chill factor. But now, the wind had stopped and it is -18 C (0 F for those that were away the day they taught the conversion from one scale to the other)
It is a beautiful crisp cloudless night. Without the moon I am left the glories of the heavens for to enjoy. I always look of the constellations, Orion, and the Big Dipper so I can locate the North Star. For those who live where there is light pollution in the sky, you are missing one of Nature's great shows.
Somewhat reluctantly, Gage is with me bounding about running ahead to wait patiently at the door. I leave him outside as he get the sows excited.
All is well. Three cows sleeping, 22 rabbits quiet and two sow sleeping. Ruby's young are laying along side her to keep warm. Babe's brood have finally discovered the heat lamp and are in a pig pile under it, with Babe sleeping nearby.
This wont take long as I split a couple blocks of birch and load the stove. No one is aroused and I quickly retreat to the night.
As is his custom, Gage is waiting and demands one of my gloves to carry to the house. I give it up just to stop him from bounding up and down all around me. "Take it to the house!" Off he goes with me quickly following at a carefull shuffle over the ice in the yard.
It is good to be back in the warm house. I feed the kitchen wood cookstove and pour myself another coffee. I should just settle in in time to listen to the BBC International.
Gage is back in bed before I can even sit in my chair. He has finally laid in a place were there might be room for me. He gives me that look, "Well! are you going to get in. I left you a place." He even left me my pillow, which he also likes to use.
I finally do lay down and rest my eyes listening to Deutsche Welle, the German International radio broadcast.
. . . . . "Damn it is 5:30 AM. I must have dosed off. Gage is sleeping with his head on my shoulder. Bless his doggy heart.
I'm up! time to make another trip to the shed. This time Gage doesn't want to leave the warmth of the bed. I go alone.
All is well in the shed. All the piglets are fine . I load the woodstove.I give the sows some feed and each cow a little grain as a promise I will return when the morning breaks.
The all night vigil is worth it. I read the weather is going to warm a little. We, two old dogs, might get to sleep tonight.
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 2:27 a.m.
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8 Comments:
Oh I love this post, you are so eloquent in the middle of the night!!!
Aren't dogs wonderful?
I'm praying for your piglets and their mums, that they all make it through this cold weather safetly although with you taking care of them, they should do just fine!!
Don't forget to take care of yourself also!
I take my hat off to you my far away friend... your commitment is just how it should be, your live must seem hard at times but I bet you'd not swop it... you cheer me with your words and Gage is a cracker of a dog. A true 'Man's Best Friend' I hope the weather warms and you get a good night rest.
Great news about the piglets... hope alls well.
Aren't we trained well to care for our animal family. LOL I go out every 2 hours to check and make sure no one is delivering and everyone is warm and sleeping.As much as I love winter (which hasn't been really cold this year) I am actually looking forward to spring and warmer weather for the baby animals.
You deserve a medal ... and several rashers bacon for breakfast.
What a lot of excitement you have now that the piglets are born. They are so very endearing and I would not be able to even think of eating them. The winter storm you had was exactly like the one we had here. The temps fell from 40F at noon to 3F by 8 in the evening with those same howling winds. Luckily we had only about an inch of snow, but it was like a blizzard at times! It's too bad that it came right when the babies were born and you and Gage have to keep a vigil through the night. You are lucky you have such a sweet companion.
Philip,
It seems you and Gage are getting along together very well. He is a great companion for you and I see he gets your bed warm. Once his body heat warms your bed and he moves over for you to get in, you can cozy-down in those flannel sheets.
Glad all your animals are doing well. We had a bad day on Wed with blowing forceful winds and whiteouts. Yesterday was like a spring day and today Old Man Winter is wrecking havoc and has been since 3am.
Take care, keep safe and warm.
Drop over to my Treasures blog to read about eagles.
Blessings,
Mary
Gage is adorable. He looks quite a bit like my dog Ginger. Ginger is a Collie and German Shepherd Dog mix. What's Gage?
I enjoyed reading this. We have one dog who snores heavily and seems he may have bad dreams from time to time. He makes all kinds of nosies while sleeping. The other one sleeps with one eye open so to speak. I don't think he ever deep sleeps.
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