When you think things couldn't possibly get any crazier around here - well that's when they normally do.

From Saturday until yesterday, according to our neighbor, we've had nearly five inches of rain. Combined with the rainfall during the past month or so and we're looking at around 15" or more -- that's a LOT of water. You learn to plan ever minute of every day and every chore around the rain and you really learn to "make do" when your normal routine won't work. It's simply exhausting dealing with that much water. At one point our entire property, except the small area around the house, was literally standing water - you couldn't see a single drop of grass. I woke up nights scared a horse wouldn't get stuck in the mud and break a leg and worrying about Moo going into labor in the middle of a downpour. But the sun always comes out doesn't it? The past two days have seen a little bit of sun, just enough so we're down to mud and not standing water any longer. And the best news is the next three days are expected to be sunny and in the 80's.

On Saturday Brian and Kim arrived for a working day and oh my goodness, did they ever work! Brian, Ed, and Kim's oldest son spent the day cutting boards to hang on the barn where the chickens tore off the insulation. Kim and I spent the day mucking the barn. I gotta say, for a cute little thing, she's one tough lady! If the smell alone doesn't debilitate you, the weight of a winter's worth of waste will damn near pull your arms off. The men had cleared out the maternity stall for the goats and that's where we had their horse, Fizzle, for several weeks so it was the worst. But after a full day, we had it done and the guys had all the bottom layer of the inside neatly boarded off. We finished right as a downpour arrived. After eating dinner they hung around for a while visiting and left in the evening. I didn't know it, but Ed forgot to put the cable up as they left and the next day Moo was gone. I walked around the pond and everywhere looking for her and finally glanced across the road to Howard's house. There she was, enjoying his freshly planted new lawn. I hollered at her and she immediately came trotting back to the drive way and then waited for Ed to entice her on back with a bucket of grain. The next morning I couldn't find her again and this time, started to panic. I began hollering for her and then I started hearing her answer me but I couldn't see her. Finally I realized she was in the chicken coop. I think the boys had left the door open Sunday and somehow that huge cow had gotten in there then shut the door, locking her in. I opened the door and there she was, just laying on the ground literally touching both sides of the coop and damn near filling the entire thing. She always did like hanging around her chickens, that's all the company she had when we got her until the dogs arrived. So I opened the door for her and realized we'd have to leave it open because she took to standing at it and moo-ing at me telling me to open it. Oh well, it's soft and fairly dry in there, so if she's happy, so be it.

I think my coffee just finished so I'll have to finish this later.