We're both still under the weather, so there's no fun, silly, bizarre exploits to document. But last night I was awakened by strange animal squalling sounds. It took a few to register that it was Berry, in distress. So, robe, slippers, flashlight and stagger out to the barnyard. There's Berry, head stuck in the loose hay mow. He had found a miniscule gap in the wire surrounding the hay (supposedly keeping them out of it) and wedged his head in and couldn't pull it out. I freed him and checked for damage. He has upset, but fine. The neighbor was just unloading his work truck (at 11:30!) and hollered over to see if everything was alright. He was just going to head over when he saw me out taking care of the problem. Back to bed. By now the un-forecast windstorm is going pretty strong. 2:15, we both wake to the unmistakable WHUMP! of some part of tree anatomy falling. Robe, slippers, flashlight....Can't see anything amiss, so it must have been a tree falling in the woods across the road. Back to bed. Toss, turn, dream about sleeping...
This weekend we (that's the royal we) plan to venture under the house to shore up some sagging insulation and bug bomb (we'd rather not encourage any "wood destroying organisms" to winter over with us). It's also a good time to see what's under the woodstove, for future plans to have the brick chimney rebuilt. Hopefully the floor can support more weight. If not, we'll need to have a mason build a platform there first.
So here's the customary critter pic. It's Stew, graceful as a gunny sack of cornmeal mush, wrasslin. Get a good look at his little dognuts. By tomorrow afternoon he'll have "celebrated" his Unmanhood Day at the vets, and joined the ranks of neutered males in the household.