HAPPY NEW YEAR

Winter has been a jerk this year and I am ready to it in the snowballs as hard as I possibly can.

Two weeks ago we were blessed with a winter storm that covered us in more than 15 inches of snow. I wasn't able to make it to work for 2 days because my driveway was filled in and nobody was around to blow the snow out. It didn't matter too much because my car was barely visible in the back yard. My father eventually made it over and blew out the drive. *Thanks Pops!*

The amount of snow we got it pushed down the west fence to my horse pasture. Dumb and Dumber (aka; Mack and Oreo) got out and were running around town. Someone was nice enough to chase them back into my yard and closed my cattle gate going across the driveway. I called into work and told them I would be late. I finished fixing fence and got the horses put away around noon. I walked to my car to leave for work...and the back passenger side tire was completely flat and was sitting on the rim. I had to take the tire off, run up to Cenex to have it repaired, and then put the tire back on my car. By this time it was already 1:30. I called the barn and the barn manager told me not to worry about getting to work but I do have to find time to make up the day.

The following day we had bad weather moving in so most of us out-of-towners left the barn early. When I got to York I noticed that Dumb and Dumber were standing down at my neighbors barn "visiting" his horses. I went home and checked my place. Some deer blew through my electric fence scattering wire and insulator clips everywhere. I quickly gathered up the clips and repaired the fence and then drove down to my neighbors barn and herded the horses home with my car. They have been behaving since repairing the fence. The next time they get out I am going to let my neighbor shoot them on sight. Okay, maybe not literally, but I am sick and tired of chasing horses in the winter.

There was icky weather again last night for New Years. Jessie and I went to the Leeds Community Center for supper. Cassidy didn't want to come with so she stayed with her Nana. Jessie and I gorged ourselves on primb rib and a lobster tail prepared and served by KJ's bar. The food was outstanding. We hung out at Nana's place for a while and I left around 10:30 because I was supposed to work early New Years morning at the barn. My mom kept the girls over night so I didn't have to wake them up at 5 in the morning.

Unfortunately I didn't make it up to the barn. It was still blowing really bad at 6 am. Snow plows had not cleared highway 2 yet making driving conditions extremely tough. I made it half way to road 281 when I had to give up. The white-out conditions and the huge snow drifts were very bad.

So far, I have missed 3 days of work due to bad road conditions. The way this winter is shaping up, I am sure there are going to be many more storm days I will have to take. Things would be so bad if my driveway didn't blow in so darn bad. I tell ya what....I will give a $50 Cenex fuel card to the first person who cleans out my drive after the next snow fall so I can get to work.

I hope everyone has a splendid New Year!!