Things in 3's

Really do things happen in threes??? 3's? Threez?

I had made an appointment with the Subaru dealer to update my Starlink on the vehicle. Over the weekend I noted that the NEW tires on the front end were not holding air like they should be. I decided to complain to my man Seth at the Dealership.

He again assured me that um, that happens. I said 'You said that 3 months ago. Every 4 weeks I am having issues.'

I mildly asked if he wanted me to go all Karen on him. [Internet Slang...I think...] His eyes widened behind his mask and then he sighed and said he'd take care of it.

I calmly explained that we'd been dealing with a 'tire' issue for 3 months and I was frankly looking to figure it out. I'd bought new tires as he advised me to...and yet here we were again.

My upgrade happened. 

4 hours later, Seth came to me with the paperwork. 

"Your tire stems were bad," he said, "but I took care of the cost of replacing them."

He couldn't see my Karen smirk behind my mask. Both Seth and I knew that I'd raise holy hell after 3 months of him telling me 'it just happens' and replacing the tire stems. OH Wait! I had said this exact thing 3 months ago! I gently reminded him that the TPS was under warranty.

This morning I popped open the laptop and....got...

Eternal spinning dots...updates then a message

We couldn't update your computer so we are removing the updates.

 4 hours later [I did chores while the little dots spun, I took Charlie for a walk, I made coffee...I danced in the morning dew, I emptied the rain gauge, and did laundry....

I resisted the insane urge to throw the laptop out through a window...

I found a frame and glued my pressed flowers into place...

Finally I got the laptop working again and paused all updates since this had happened last week also.

Nifty. I was on a roll!

Until I wasn't.

I went to the basement to get some bacon out to thaw for our special spaghetti dinner.

The freezer door was open.
Wait. What?

Holy crap! All that meat I'd gotten at the butcher for the next 3 months? 
Soft and mushy. 

I would have made a sailor blush with my cursing. I'm sure somehow that I alone....had been the culprit as the other half never goes down the basement. Ever.

They say, make hay while the sun shines, right?

I retrieved some plastic tubs and said to hubby as I walked out the door with the messy drippy stuff and threw it in the yard.....

Gosh I sure wanted to defrost that freezer downstairs! Guess today IS the day!

And then I laughed as I piled the messy crap in the little cart attached to the 4 wheeler.

Hubby came to watch me. What's up?

Me: Oh nothing much, just doing a little defrosting. 

He looks at the melted bloody meat and says: Surely you are not throwing that out?

Me: Of course not. I'm going to feed Shirley the coyote.

He shrugged  and headed back to the kitchen table to watch out the window and drink coffee.

And I thought to myself that at least he was unaware of what really happened and it doesn't even bother or faze him. The old hubby would have been yelling and screaming his bloody head off.

Sometimes issues with the thought process are a blessing.

The 'yotes will eat well. Flavored brats, cracked pepper seasoned hamburger, a few steaks and lots of old Tough Bart. I had been thinking of getting rid of that old Tough Bull meat. 

I know. A waste of food. 

It was.

However, the newish freezer will be brand spanking clean and totally defrosted.

I 

am 

so 

done

with 

threes!

9 weeks?

64 days since we went out anywhere as a couple. We visited Rich's mom in the nursing home. Before that?

Rich was at the VA in February. 75 days ago.

At first I was really put out. I missed my CrossFit time at the gym, it had become a daily ritual I really looked forward to. Good friends, good exercise, and camaraderie.

Then we had to make some tough choices. Being social was suddenly out. I've arranged some socially distancing hikes with my friend Bill.
Another would like to join us but at this point she has stated that she doesn't believe in isolation, masks, or washing unnecessarily... she believes the virus is a hoax and that when she gets it she will be just fine.
And the statistics are with her.

However they are not with my husband. So I've made a choice to not include her on our hikes.
I simply cannot risk bringing the virus to Rich.
Eventually it will happen right? I can't avoid it forever. And that is a scary thought.
No matter what, Covid-19 will find its way here, eventually. My hope would be that we find a vaccine.


I'm getting used to this isolation again. After all, I do live with a bonafide Hermit. He has no desire to go anywhere at all.

So I enjoy my walks in the woods. Yesterday I went in a light rain and just wandered about looking at tracks in the dirt/sand/mud along the creek. Looking at flowers that were struggling with the cold weather, and just exploring.

And then there is this:

Morning coffee

Or...Covid-19 Hair. Friends don't let friends do their own hair...
[It's a wig]

What a person with a camera can do when a bit bored.

Meat.
I went to the store on Friday morning and noted that the meat shelves were pretty scarce.
Yes, I have old Bart in the freezer, but on chance I messaged a friend of mine who has a country store and raises home grown beef.
I asked her to put together a beef and pork package for me [her choices...surprise me] with a few of her country store items.
I gave her a price and asked her to use her own judgement.

I'll drive to her farm this morning and hand her the money while she puts my goodies in the back of the Subaru.

Our area is unique in this way because we are rural. Neighbors are calling up other neighbors with cattle and arranging butchering on the farm or at one of the local shops.
Those who work the Farmer's Market in town on Saturdays are trying to figure out how to do something similar as we are not sure that the mayor will allow the Farmer's Market to go on as planned.

Again, we are lucky. Our rural people are moving towards the rural Farm to Table model they have been suggesting all along.

And since this was already in the works, it is working better in our local area.

However.
How do cities deal with food? I see in the news that inner city people are waiting in line for food at pantries. Our local food pantry has had a huge uptick in visitors according to Bill.

What next?
I don't know.
And I think that is what worries us so much.
There is no guidance from the folks that should be in charge.

So after my meat/store pick up, I'll be back to doing mundane work around our farm.
The yard needs a trim...
The woods need me to hike them...

and Spring is coming on fast...
I would like to enjoy it.

Goodbye Bart

Here is a photo of Black Bart when he first came to our farm. He is a polled American Dexter Bull. He was very productive at our farm. My husband's intentions were to raise some Dexters and sell them.
Well that never quite worked out. Bart did the breeding, the gals did the birthing and somehow we ended up with just more Dexters to feed.

That is another story however.

Bart produced some beautiful calves!
There was Stella, she was so cute when she was born!

I'd like to keep her as she is so tame, but she is another mouth to feed and hay prices are soaring.

As you can see, they are not huge cattle, but rather a nice size. However, I can't justify the cost of just keeping them because they are neat.

Anyway.
I opened the electric gate and fully expected to have to convince Bart to leave his pen. Bart looked at the open gate and walked regally through it and quietly down the electric gate into the pen where we'd ship him out.

He didn't run, buck, or even bat an eye. It was almost as boring to watch as paint drying.

I commented to my neighbor who had come along to close the fence gate while I walked behind Bart that I'd rather it be ho hum and boring.

Bart spent the day grazing and being quiet.
I worked in the garden and picked more buckets of beans. I peeked into the one squash plant I seeded and saw dozens of squash!
I pulled up more carrots and beets with Charlie's help, of course.

My garden may be messy this year, but it has been very bountiful.  I hope I am done by the time the corn is ready to start to freeze!

Here is a view of the garden from the porch...

Just as it began to rain, Jeff showed up with a trailer and we loaded up Bart. Rich actually came out to help which I was so surprised at and happy about.

He even visited with Jeff for a bit. Jeff had climbed into his truck and gotten out of the rain. Rich stood with his hands in his pockets and chit chatted with Jeff.

Bart will provide us with a lot of meat this next year. I will freeze and dehydrate my vegetables to add to our winter food.

Goodbye Bart.
Hello food.

And so it goes...