Cold

As I type this, the weather outside is mad!
And that's crazy mad, though it could go the other way, too.
Thanks to Global Warming, those balmy and wet winters we expect here in the PNW have given way to unpredictable extremes: it's to freeze again this week.
The  alerts on my fancy phone are pretty amusing- explaining how fronts work, they're warning it's going to be cold and we should bring tender plants inside if we've not already.
Last week contained dire wind rants; it's as if a hobby meteorologist grandmother is writing them.

After the POs' bio-hazard carpet was replaced with new floors

But now convoluted confusion runs rampant because ours is a large county bordered by The Cascade Mountains on one side and The Pacific on the other.

Barrett's favorite pillow was eaten by the washer last year

Grandma is all aflutter trying to caution the many residents of such geographic diversity and varying patterns and potential storm effects.
I think I'll just hunker down and make sure the back-up generator has enough fuel to keep the pellet stove burning, because not only do we more often than not lose power out here in The Boonies, but this house gets bloody cold.
When I told my mother last week we just put on hats and an extra layer, she thought it was a little too pioneer.
But we prefer "fresh" air to canned heat and lighting up a fire thrills all the critters.
They've even got special pillows for lounging that they wait patiently to be placed by one of us with opposable thumbs.

Ed would prefer my lap be closer to the fire

A new season begins

Rhoda, our Rhode Island Red, has yet to molt and it's concerning.
Up until late last week, she was even still laying her big, beautiful, brown eggs.
(Agh! Correction- there was a large beige one in the nest box this morning.)
We allow our gals to cycle through the winter season and take a break from production by not artificially lighting their environment.
This typically occurs early to mid-fall coinciding with the feather change-up.
But that hen just did not get the vaca memo.
Despite their brand-spankin' new coop, I worry if she's butt-assed bald in the frigid temps out there, her health and safety may be in peril.
See, the sisters find you to be a total freak while in this natural, yet alarming state and remind you frequently by pecking at your feet and other exposed spots.
Cuddling up for warmth is not a luxury offered, adding insult to the already delicate circumstance.
So it looks likely she'll also be joining everyone here inside, which is fine by me since she's a lovely guest.

The birds are actually able to withstand pretty cold temperatures, being, well you know, birds and all with their whack-daddy physiology.

RC & Large Marge testing the new system

I'm not terribly worried about them. Yet.
But their freezing drinking water is not okay and since we still haven't installed one of those nifty rain barrel nipple fountain systems, a solution needed to be implemented quickly as trudging out at all hours and chipping away the ice ring just wasn't going to cut it.
So kudos to CAM for assembling this little dandy!

Large Marge reminding me frozen waterer from inside the coop doesn't do anybody any good

I've been dubious since reading about it on Kathy's blog last year. (She's been an invaluable help and I can not give her enough credit and thanks. If you're even curious about chickens, you must connect with her.) And because I totally spaced on a photographing a tutorial as he built it lickety-split, I link to hers.
Liquid and electricity make me nervous in such close proximity, but so far so good.
And not a second too soon.
Word on the street is- COLD!
Here are some more pictures from around the joint to show you just how frosty it was this morning.
Brrrrr.

Hens & Dog co-opted this planter as a water bowl: also all frozed up

Cowboy Porch is slick and poor Prudence is all frosted over

Hens hunker down in a sunny spot and blend in nicely with that vine-y thing we don't know what to do with

Our backyard & neighbor's horse pasture both crunchy white

The ERS Memorial Back Deck all put up for the season

The spot where nettles are harvested in the spring

The trough into the creek

I don't think it's this curved; I was messing around with the 'panorama' setting (poorly)

Did I happen to mention this is actually a *plum* tree?

Ed's glad to be spending his second winter here inside with us