Weird/Bad Dreams

I have really weird, and usually scary, dreams several times a month. Brian says I'm crazy but I blame it on watching too much America's Most Wanted as a child. Watching CSI in recent years probably doesn't help either.

Last night we went to the snowmobile races. Several of our friends were racing and it was a pretty good show. There were a couple wipe outs that made me cringe but no one got hurt. We got home around 11 PM.

I let the dogs out right away but soon after I let them back in I heard our cat, Baxter, meowing frantically. He was outside on our front porch!! Now in the summer he does go in and out as he pleases but he hasn't been outside since the first frost last fall and he never tries to get out when it is this cold. I still don't understand how he got out. Brian insists that he must have darted out when we left and I hope he's right. Our door was unlocked and I question whether someone stopped by but I still think they would have pretty much had to throw him outside to get him to go. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

So the cat was fine although the dog had obviously mauled him. They play nicely in the house but outside he does not defend himself and Maci gets about half of him in her mouth at once. He was wet with drool and had little snowballs hanging off of him. I cleaned him up with a bath towel, then went to bed around 11:30 PM.

I had weird dreams off and on most of the night. First I was dreaming about some kind of hostage situation, then someone running from the cops, then I started to dream that our friends had a sick baby and they were calling me to ask how to take care of it. That last part makes a lot of sense because people call me constantly to ask how to take care of their sick pets. They baby thing was a new one though.

So in my dream, I could here this baby making funny noises in the background. Then, at 3:04 AM, I sat straight up in bed and realized it was our cat making those horrible noises!! It sounded exactly like cats that come in the clinic who are blocked and can't urinate. That is a very painful condition and they make sad, pitiful noises when it happens. I woke Brian up because I was scared to go looking for Baxter myself in case he was in a lot of pain. I told him that Baxter was either sick or he had another mouse. We had a Momma mouse move in to our kitchen and he has been catching the babies.

Well, needless to say Brian was very confused and so I jumped out of bed and went to figure it out. I found Baxter batting a mouse around under the kitchen table. Thank god!! I didn't disturb him and went to lay back in bed.

I left the light on while I lied there and tried to think happy thoughts. I figured out a long time ago that if I go straight back to sleep my dreams will just pick up were they left off. Then at 3:24 AM, Brian's boss called. Brian got up and went to work since the wind was blowing and the roads were getting bad. I fell back asleep after he left and sleep without incidence until this morning!

Do you folks ever have bad or weird dreams? Why do you think that happens? If you don't, what's your secret? Am I crazy like Brian says or is this more common than I think?

P.S. Those rooting for the mouse can breathe easy for now, I think it got away and is hiding behind the gun cabinet. Baxter just took a break from siting in front of it to come over and try to lay on the keyboard.

Our Winter in Pictures!

I'm away from home at the Michigan Vet Conference this weekend. I want to get a post up but don't feel like saying a lot so I thought it would be a good time to post some pictures. These are all from the last few months (some are from fall). I'll take advantage of the hotel's wireless and upload these now instead of fighting with my connection at home. Enjoy!

Brian's grader, our grain setup in the background.

Our first batch of Seventh Generation TP, Maci apparently wanted it out of the box!

The TP neatly stacked in the cabinet. We really like it BTW.

Sam doesn't help much when I'm sewing.

Our Christmas tree with all western ornaments this year.

It is hard to see but look close: you can see Maci's paw about to clock Baxter upside the head, and him about to fight back. They box all the time!

He crammed himself behind the printer to recuperate.

And they're friends again...usually not this cozy.

This is from early fall. Brian built this calf shelter in one day. I had mixed feelings about treated lumber and decided it is better for us than replacing/rebuilding every few years. I was so proud of him. :)

My first every meat loaf. I'll post the recipe someday. It was a special request from Brian when I announced that I'd like to start making a meal plan. He said it "tasted like meatloaf" which is what I was going for!

Our new logo, many hours in the making. What do you think?

An interesting pic I thought, it shows how badly we need to insulate around our basement.

Brian's latest project - a new sheep feeder!! We used the plans found here and he made it in just an hour or two. Works great and saves a lot of hay waste.

Rocky & Shady, our two Arabians.

Pistol & Pooh Bear, relaxing in the sun.

They have hay 24/7. That is how they stay warm. They have been doing great even in this extreme weather, with only a couple wind blocks. The four of them can eat a round bale in 2 or 3 days in this kind of weather.

This is a typical Sunday, when we're lucky.

Funny, I have similar pictures in all four seasons now. Don't believe what you hear - chewing is not always a phase!! :)


I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse in to our life during the past few months. It can be kind of crazy around here but we (usually) think it is worth it. How do these pictures compare to scenes from your own life? Which pictures do you like and want to know more about/see more of?

I'll have a more substantial post up sometime soon!

Respect on the Road

It sure is time to cuddle up and settle in around here. We've had one blizzard after another and it is still snowing. Friday was so bad that a lot of businesses in town closed. The other girls at work left early and so did I.

Blizzards like this affect our household a lot because Brian works for the road commission. That means that he came home at 10 PM on Friday, worked 7 AM - 3 PM on Saturday, and then 14 hours yesterday. Since he gets a lot of crap from people who think his job is so great, we're quick to point out the downsides! When the phone rings he has to go, regardless of what he's doing. He is allowed to decline, especially if he's had a beer or is out of town, but he rarely ever does. I am hoping now that he worked all weekend that maybe he won't get called on Christmas Eve. That is when my family's big Christmas is and it would be a real bummer if he couldn't go.

The picture up above is Brian's road grader. That is what he drives most of the time, pushing back snow from the sides of the road or scraping the berms in warmer weather. In the interest of safety for everyone, I have a few suggestions for dealing with equipment on the road:

-Don't pass unless you have LOTS of room. Road commission workers (at least around here) are not allowed to pull you out if you go in the ditch, and most will just laugh at you if you ditch it trying to pass them. Of course if you get hurt they will help, but if you're stuck plan to sit there awhile. Don't you think you deserve it!? If you have plenty of room go ahead and pass but do so slowly and cautiously.

-Stay a safe distance back. This means stay back far enough that they can see you in their mirrors (like a semi) and far enough away that flying snow, etc. is not going to hit you or impair your vision.

-Slow down when you see flashing lights. You never know when a guy is out of his truck fixing or adjusting something, and I'm sure you don't want it on your conscious if you hit him.

-If you don't have 4x4 and/or aren't completely confident you can stay on the roads - just STAY HOME!! Even if you stay on the road, constant traffic really slows down the process of getting the roads cleared. The county does have to plow a path for you if you are stuck ON the road, and that is just a big waste of time when most people who get stuck like that could have taken a much better route. Which leads to...

-Stick to the main roads whenever possible. Even if it is a few miles out of your way, the state highways will be cleared first, then primary roads, then secondary roads.

I hope this helps a little with your winter driving woes. I know it can be very frustrating when you get stuck behind a slow moving plow. Just please remember that those guys usually don't want to be out there any more than you do, and you won't get there any quicker if you're stuck in the ditch waiting for a wrecker.

Be Safe! :)