The Fist of Winter has Hit

That swirling cloud mass that was threatening winter has finally reached out its fist and clobbered us with our first dump of snow. The sheep are looking mournful and bedraggled as they lie in the cold. I feel like I want to go out and lead them into my nice cozy house but then it would be horribly crowded and all that poop! Just kidding, but I do wish Hubby and I had gotten their shelters finished before the snow came. This will be our first winter as shepherds and so it is all new to us. We watch diligently for signs of ill health that may be weather and cold temperature related. I watch to see if their feed is enough by looking at their bellies and judging if this one or that one is looking skinnier. I'm worse than a new mother in my nervousness. But so far so good though they do look sad and pathetic. And it hasn't even hit -30 degrees celcius yet.

I have discovered that in the shock of no longer being in October but one week into November that I need new footwear for winter. My faithful old mules just won't do anymore.... Last spring after a trip where I was expected to stay in an army barracks, I discovered the reality of athletes foot. Never go barefoot in a barracks I was told two days in to my trip. To late. The nasty fungous had set in and so after months of trying to eradicate it from my shoes I threw them all out and stuck with my trusty mules that I hadn't worn until then. With the end of the athletes foot came a reprieve. The only shoes I now owned were my dress shoes, which managed to avoid the fungous, and my mules, which I have worn pretty much non stop except when I've been sleeping. So now the crunch is on me and I am shoeless for winter since my faithful mules have disintigrated to little more than rags. Out comes the catalogues yesterday and I spent the afternoon pouring over page after page of shoes.

Since my winter boots died last year I thought to buy them as well. What I discovered was that nothing is cheap anymore. The first pair of boots that I thought would do the job was $249.99.... OUCH! Like what happened to $79.99 and $89.99 for boots. I finally settled on a pair for the equally exorbitant price of $149.99.. that was enough!

While I was at it, I found a nice winter jacket and that was a little more reasonably price. I also found a pair of snow pants! Hay... I say... it was pretty easy to spend four hundred dollars in a jiffy.

Daughter #1 and Daughter#2 both need winter jackets too. So they will come next payday..... I think Hubby could do with new winter boots. Ok..ok...ok... that fist of winter hit in more ways than one....