Warm & Cold

EJ was able to get today off from work so he left this morning to go hunting at his friend’s parents 100-acre woods on the other side of the state. He expects to be gone until Sunday.

Early this afternoon, I heard the chickens squawking in alarm. They were making a terrible racket so I went out to the garage check on them. I found the chickens all hiding in the coop in the garage and the ducks all on their side of the garage. I couldn’t see anything wrong, but they kept squawking so I went outside to check around. I looked up and saw the reason for their alarm: a large hawk was circling around overhead. The hawk flew off and after a few minutes my birds calmed down.

It’s amazing how alert the chickens and ducks are to threats. I’ve even seen the ducks look up and watch airplanes flying overhead.

Today was super warm–close to 70 degrees! But meteorologists are forecasting at least 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow as well as 50+ mph wind gusts. The winds began to increase this afternoon and have gotten stronger and stronger as the hours passed.

JJ texted me from work to tell me that people just a few miles away have already lost their power because of the wind. I know where our flashlights and battery-operated lanterns are, but I couldn’t remember what to do about heat. So I called EJ and asked what to do if our power goes out. He told me where our propane heater is, and reminded me of where he keeps the propane tanks. EJ taught me last winter how to hook the heater up and turn it on, but I’m not sure I can remember. I sure could have used a refresher course, but of course, EJ had to be gone during our first wintry weather of the year. Well, maybe JJ and I can figure it out between us. Either that or we can cuddle up with Danny and the cats for warmth.