Snow on the Rooftop

Thelma and I are enjoying a visit from our boy who drove down from Maryland a couple of days ago - ahead of this snow we're getting here in the mountains. It's been snowing off and on since about lunchtime, and it has made a very pretty landscape outside our windows. With our Christmas decorations still up (in honor of the boy coming), the house kind of resembles a Thomas Kinkade painting, lit with white lights, a fire in the fireplace, and glittering reflections on the snow.

He will be here with us through next week, staying to celebrate my late daughter's 26th birthday. I suppose we'll have some kind of Italian food (her favorite) and maybe a strawberry shortcake (her favorite, too). Whatever we do that day, it will be special and tearful.

Thelma started physical therapy last week for her hip injury and was doing pretty well until the pool therapy session. Apparently the therapist took out his aggressions on her, piling on the weights and resistance until her muscles and nerves screamed in pain. She spent the next two days trying to recover; today she is doing better, but it was hard to see her in such pain. Still, the physical therapy seems promising and will hopefully help her avoid surgery. That would be a very good thing.

Despite her aches and mine, we have to keep things going here at the ranch. The cold air moved in and froze the pond, the pipes running from the pond (which is spring-fed), and all of the other water sources for the horses. Because we rent the ranch, we haven't installed things such as automatic waterers. (Listen to me trying to sound like I know what the heck I'm doing!) I'm just a city girl in the country. When we go out to take care of the big babies, I don Thelma's camouflage jumpsuit, pleather gloves, Boggs, and a hat. I help carry up the feed scoops, and I help scoop poop and clean up the hay. It gets me out of the house, gives me fresh air (sort of! LOL), and is better than an aerobics class for exercise. This city girl is finding that life in the wintertime around the ranch is tough, but it's better than sitting in front of the TV, stuffing my face :-)

As I write this, the boy is putting wood in the woodstove and the supper that Thelma has prepared is simmering on the stove. Life is good.

Peace - L