Snow, ice, the deep clean for 2021 and goodbye Morris!

We have had some gorgeous and interesting winter weather of late! Besides "normal" snow and ice, we had one incredibly fluffy snow that coated everything and then we had ice where the snow under it melted, leaving a hollow space between the ice and the ground. And now the ground is slowly reappearing from our most recent snow/ice/sleet storm. That one is making for some slightly treacherous walking around outside. Though it was the mud that actually was my literal downfall this morning!

The ducks are so fun to watch in the snow. They seem to be just a tad confused about the difference between snow and rain, as they dip into the snow just like they do in puddles. 

We are able to savor moments of the extremes of temperatures and weather outside, in part because we have a warm cozy place to return to after our chosen outdoor adventures. We feel very grateful! And it is an even more inviting place, knowing there are puzzles to put together and grandparents to be with.

We have been so grateful to get through the most recent storm with no power outage. While Alida in particular is getting very into candlelit dinners and attempting not to turn on the lights, we are also rooting for the eggs in the incubator - the first rounds of hatching of 2021. Power outages and artificial incubation are not highly compatible phenomena.

There was a lot of pink, red and white in our house a week ago. I'm not sure we would have been in the "Valentine's Day spirit" if it were not for Alida who decorated the house with many hearts, and made each of us a card. The love on that particular day was especially focused on my mom who had just celebrated her 76th birthday away from Tangly Woods, so we were a few days late celebrating together.

The project for this weekend was the one and only deep clean we scheduled for 2021. We did all the interior rooms two years ago, and most spaces are still holding up ok. Not so the bedroom that houses the 3 youngest Tangly Woods members. They are doing amazingly well as three growing humans who, like most of us, slowly accumulate things. But over time, it built up to a point where it seemed increasingly difficult for them to find what they were looking for and we found that many days a path had to be cleared to keep tripping hazards at bay. So Friday morning we dove in (the "we" included all of the Myers-Benners, along with my mom and Tala. I did not blame my dad for steering clear of the project for the most part - smart!). 

Emptying the room and cleaning it always feels like the quickest and most straightforward part of the process. Then you have a clean and empty room and the contents of the room are spread out through the rest of the house. Then the slower and more tedious process of sorting and making decisions starts. We are nearing the end, but Kali still has some piles to get through before we can say it's 100% done.

I didn't do great on the before and after photos, but here is my best attempt. We rearranged a bit, flipping the location of the bunk bed and the dresser. So far everyone seems happy with the new arrangement. 

And that brings us to today! And also to an update on our most recent pig drama. We made the decision to advertise Morris on Craigslist, with the concern that in the end we might end up not being able to sell him and then might have another butchering/canning job. How surprised we were to get an inquiry/offer on him in less than 24 hours, following by another and another and another of the next few days. In the end, we had 5 inquiries! But today the first person to express interest made a trip from Maryland to pick him up. He should be settled into his new home by now and we hope he likes it - the 8 sows he'll be living with should help!

The pig pick up today did have us shuffle around our Sunday plans. I was just about to do some "mental fitness" (Jason has just finished up his 6 week Positive Intelligence program and has managed to convince/encourage me to also give it a try) while Jason did the morning chores, when we learned that the person buying Morris wanted to come today. So I bundled up to do the chicken chores, while Jason prepared for how we'd load Morris up. In the end, I was so glad to get outside and it probably did as much as anything could have for my mental and emotional health. Especially with my little side kick!

Emily, Jonas and Ivy also came over for an outdoor hang out/visit time. We enjoyed showing them our snow covered woods trail to the top of the hill and then they got to be there to see Morris leave Tangly Woods. 

What a surprise to see how eager Morris was to leave! While I think the animals have a pretty good life at Tangly Woods, I do not blame him for wanting some new adventures outside his small winter quarters, with no other warm body to snuggle up with at night or to root around with and make life more interesting. While the loss of Rosie meant he didn't have to fight for his breakfast and dinner, it seemed he was a bit bored and eager for something different. As Jason got things loosened up to open the panels up, Morris seemed to want to help keep things moving along. It was surprisingly easy as he took a few sniffs and made his way into the trailer. Off he went. 

So Tangly Woods is "pigless" for a month or two until we get new piglets. We will not be bothered at all by not needing to keep a pig paddock dry in the muddy mess that is coming our way as soon as warmer temperatures return...