I was in bed by 7:19 last night. And that is with the timechange, so in “real” time, it was 6:19. Headache. Sore throat. Crazy tired. The sore throat got steadily worse overnight, migrating into my right ear. Between that and the obsesive looping my brain was doing, trying to figure the stovepipe placement out, sleep wasnt as restful as it could have been. By the alarm at 7 this morning, I already knew today was a write off.

Usually, (meaning for the last week), I drive husband to work and then pick him up in the evening. This leaves me with the vehicle. Today, I said “just go ahead and drive yourself. We arent going anywhere.” I got the kiddos their breakfast, got their crayons down for them, told them mommy wasnt feeling well and needed a nap, and went back to bed with my hot water bottle.

I got up at 10:30. Got dressed somewhere around noon. PB&J for lunch, and then I dragged myself out to do the barn chores. It was a beautiful sunny day — which means ankle-deep muck. Yay!

Rooster is still being a butthead. I don’t go in that pen without a rake. Today I also had a bad attitude.

The goats, I took out for a browse walk for about an hour. We cut them fresh browse every day anyway as part of chores, but sometimes they like to choose for themselves what to nosh on. We don’t have pasture fencing yet, so that means leashes. It gets fun when they want to go in opposite directions.

They were very much into the bared-down grasses today. Normally they go for the scrubtrees and tall weeds, but it was all about the fresh ‘hay’ today. They’re getting along better. They can eat side by side without feeling the need to stick the horns into each other. Progress.

When husband came home, I walked partway down the driveway to meet him. That driveway is becoming my active nightmare. Sometime either yesterday or today, it has developed several good-sized sinkholes. Someday, maybe, it will be an asset and not a liability. For now, though, it sure keeps us private out here.