Never a Dull Moment

We got the broken arm dealt with, the puppies settled in, Christmas put away, and my lesson plans ready. This week we were going to settle into a normal routine and hit the books. Ha.

Monday, much to everyone’s excitement, we were FINALLY hit with some real snow. 

Like enough to actually go sledding.  Up to this point it has been a very sad winter in WNC for those of us who like winter (Great Grandpa Winters sure did pick the right surname out of the phone book when he moved to the US).  We squeezed in a few hours of school while we watched it accumulate and at last there was enough to really enjoy.  It covered everything and it still came down.  The kids were out in it late into the evening, reluctant to come in even once it became dark.  We even managed to find a way to get the broken arm out in the wet mess but cutting up a few old gloves and taping them together.

Shortly after dinner, the power went out and then began the excited scramble for flashlights and candles and the propane heater.  The puppies were moved out into the middle of the house and received the spot of honor in front of the heater for the night.  If their little body temperatures drop too low they can’t properly digest their food, so adequate warmth is essential.  The rest of us got extra blankets. But no one complained because power outages are always a bit of an adventure. 

Tuesday was just a day of fun in the snow.  There’s absolutely no point in trying to rein kids in for bookwork when that white fluffy stuff they’ve been waiting for all winter long is finally here!  And so we added a few more local kids (6 to be exact) to share the snow fun and it has been a relatively quiet day for me because they’ve all been outside :).  I love snow because it gives the kids something TO DO besides beg for screen time during the long, yucky days of winter.  

We had a minor incident with a small car and a slippery road but thankfully our neighbors have tractors and chains and such things. Other than that it's been sledding and snowballs, hot cocoa and puppy snuggles to warm up afterwards. I took a walk up to the goat pen to check on them and Lucy, my constant buddy, kept me company. Snow just brightens up the whole landscape. Winter is somewhat bleak without it and these long, brown and muddy days really make me miss our northern roots. Overall it was a pretty good day :)

I took the time to give the puppies their first nail trimmings, which I've needed to get to.   It’s incredible how quickly their nails grow and poor Lucy will be glad to have the sharp little things a little less sharp when she nurses. Man it's hard to get those little nails cut while they squirm around. Even if I catch them in a milky stupor, they don't sit still for long.  Redwood (red collar) and Shenendoah are being trimmed in these photos :).

Wednesday was the two week birthday for the puppies and several of them have their eyes all of the way open, most are almost there! It's always exciting when they start to wake up a bit and start developing a bit more personality. There are still many hours of newborn sleep each day but they stumble around a bit more on wobbly sea-legs and make attempts at barking and growling at each other before collapsing in exhausted little heaps.

Katmai (left) completely knocked out and Denali (middle) one of the first one with open eyes!

Wednesday was also Malachi's 12th birthday! Birthdays are always a day off from school for us soooo, yeah, the school week has been going really well so far. We enjoyed games and sledding, more hot cocoa and friends and I reminded myself that fresh air and exercise is just as important as reading and writing :).

The puppies graduated to their collars and there are now photos coming that will help distinguish one puppy from another a bit more easily :). The kids look forward to weigh in everyday to see if Katmai will continue to win first place for biggest puppy!

As always, please email us at bramblymountainfarm@gmail.com come if you have any questions or are interested in our last two puppy placements!