December 13, 2008 

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Relief! Well, partially anyway. The splinter in my finger which has been lurking in there for about 3 weeks now has finally been half removed. After I dug for it and dug for it and dug for it since I got it.  Finally it came out last night, after digging for it again. My finger is half again the size of the opposite hand's finger, and it still hurts, but so much less!! The splinter was as thick as the 18 gauge syringe needle I used and just about 1/2 of an inch long. The paint was still on it as well. But I can bend my finger now. I had kept hitting it every day since I acquired it and just drove it in deeper. I was really thinking I was going to have to go to the hospital to get it removed. I hope the rest comes out soon.

The temperature was -20C/-4F when I woke up this morning. 

Photo below: Over half of my chicken order unloaded before I thought to take a picture

My poultry order came in yesterday. I ordered organic free range chickens & turkeys for my freezer from the Hutterites way up north. I figured since I did not butcher any out of my own birds for my winter freezer, I may as well support someone who does and cut out the middleman. It was a huge savings from the store and I will be ordering more from them in the spring. Next fall we should be eating our own again.

It was snowy/icy enough that I couldn't take my truck, and I was not sure how plowed the streets down in the main city were, so I left 'Cyrus' at home and took the dog sled myself.

Hauling 150 pounds of poultry a couple of miles over hill and dale for 2 1/2 hours was not one of my wisest ideas. There was indeed enough snow that 'Cyrus' could have been helpful. But as I was bemoaning the fact he was not with me, I thought about all the silly people who were at Gold's Gym somewhere, when they could have been out in the fresh air like I was, gasping for breath up that last hill. There were a couple people who honked at me (I think) in hello, but I did not recognize the vehicles at all. Even the police waved at me with smiles.

I have sore arm and leg muscles this morning!!