Monday, December 22, 2008

Unbelievable!

Woke up to MORE snow, and it's falling thickly as I type; this can't be the Willamette Valley! Last night on TV the official news was 10 inches in McMinnville, 12 inches in Amity. That much snow on the valley floor is so rare that communities invest little in snow removal equipment, so everything pretty much shuts down. A friend's sister who moved here from Ohio six weeks ago went to Wal-Mart for a snow shovel, and was told they don't carry them. She was dumbfounded; I told her that PROVES this is not normal weather for us (she's been saying, "Yeah, right")!

We still have electricity (some don't) and therefore water, and it isn't very cold, so we truly can appreciate the beauty around us. We have plenty of food for us and all the critters; the wild birds especially seem to appreciate the buffet. Our biggest hardship is that the snow is too deep now for Brian to sled or shred our moderate slopes, so all that energy is cooped up inside for me to deal with!

Rick headed out this morning with the front chains on, but turned around and came back to put chains on the rear tires, too. He told his secretary to stay home, and has a tow rope along should he run across anyone who needs help. There is not much weatherwise that fazes my Nebraska boy, and I really do appreciate his can-do attitude and helpful spirit.

My ButterBaby is still quite sick, and I'm worried about her. This morning after taking the above photos and doing chores, I sat with my sheep waiting for Rick to come down with her shots (Micotil for the pneumonia and Banamine for her obvious discomfort), and she was the only one uninterested in attention. We pulled Brava through worse, but that wasn't pneumonia, either. Remember the old Little Drummer Boy movie? The little lad brings his mortally wounded lamb to the stable, where the very presence of the Baby King heals it. Healing would be an answer to prayer here, too.

That's it for now from snowy . . .

9 comments:

Gone2theDawgs said...

geez, I sure hope Butter gets better. :( Good thing your husband is a Vet, she stands her best chance with him.

No one believes me (other than the people that are experiencing it here in WA and OR) about all our snow. And another storm is supposed to be on it's way....

MaskedMan said...

How many snowmen can Brian assemble? There's a challenge that should keep him out from underfoot for a little bit...

Nursing a sick animal can be trying... Bless you for keeping on trying.

A :-) said...

I agree with the snowman plan. A good snowman should keep him going for some time. Perhaps a snow family? :-) all your recipes looked fabulous, BTW. :-)

So sorry to hear that Butter is still struggling. I hope she gets well very soon. I'm struck again (and remember, I'm a non-sheep owning person) by how quickly they seem to become ill. I suppose their not being able to tell you that they feel kinda punk before the major sick sets in is a big part of that. I really hope the meds work - thankfully it's not so cold where you are as it is here in the Midwest right now.

Tammy said...

No snow here, but maybe some freezing stuff later tonight (I vote no). Temps are still pretty cold at 22, but a relief from last nights brutal 0 degrees. Whenever you come to mind, I say a prayer for you and Butter. I know it's hard.
Take care,
Tammy

Franna said...

C'mon Butter. Show us some of that tenacity and hardiness that Shetlands are known for. You can do it little one - you've got caring shepherds and lots of support!
- Franna

melanie said...

TOO DEEP TO SLED???!??!!??? There is no such thing. Trust me. (Madison is out in our 2+ feet right now)

Get that boy outside! There are ramps to build, snow forts, not to mention snow persons...

MiniKat said...

We are all praying for Butter. You're lucky to have a vet for a husband.

Stay warm and I hope you can keep power.

Juliann said...

Prayers for Butter! She is in good hands.

thecrazysheeplady said...

I'm sending prayers for Butter too.

And snow forts are the best! That snow is so beautiful I'd want to be out there all day. Stunning photos.