Huntress-Gatherer

Well, I finally got them. Normally, I tend to not be so 'brand' enamoured, but hey, what can I say? I like them and now I can stop looking at pictures of them and they were on sale, in town....yah! Okay, I went with the black which is always classic and goes with everything (since everything else I own is black too, I suppose this was no-brainer). Now when I go mucking around the property visiting the compost pile I can feel quite stylish while finally finding the perfect footwear that combines fashion and function. Usually, one has to make the choice between the two and sometimes it ain't so pretty. Thank you K-grrl for the fleece inserts that arrived a full year before the boots!

marching through the wilderness

For lots of us, what is sometimes referred to as a ' winter wonderland' translates as...it is uber cold outside.

My girl tends towards the winter/wonder view of her world.

She is still a skinny, short-haired, typical mexi-mutt who by some quirk of nature (street genetics perhaps?) never, I tell you, never gets cold.

These days the most I do for outdoor exercise is put 4 or 5 layers of clothes on and grab the recycling stuff,

the compost stuff,

and the trash and march through the wilderness to the various and sundry containers for all of the above.

It is an aerobic work-out and I kid you not.

It is also playtime for PonyG. She has a neat trick of racing around and attacking me from behind because apparently, me falling on my arse in the snow is a great game.

By the time I get back inside those layers come off quick and I say a silent thank you for not breaking my neck and also feel a little crazy-but-good for continuing to do

winter composting, which could be called rural cross-fit.

Chain Mail From Canadian Tire

Can you guess what this is? I know it's not everyone's style so no need to state the obvious.

But, it is functional.

And, most likely, long-lasting.

I made it.

It almost made the guy at Canadian Tire go postal on me.

Actually, he was a real good sport even

after I explained to him what his assignment was.

I had him cut 55 linear feet of chain into 33" lengths which came out to 20 pieces.

Each length required 2 cuts on his machine.

We worked together... like... on a... chain gang.

(Sorry)

A real life situation that required 'higher math'.

Yay, math!

(PonyG enjoying the noise it makes.)

'hugh heifer'

I have had this cow skull for a lot of years. Actually, found it while on a trip in Baja Sur. It was just laying out there in the desert. I was with a couple of friends and we had all decided we were going to get us some skulls and so we were all scanning the sides of the hi-way as we cruised along. Each time someone saw a glint of white bones, we stopped the car and checked them out. Back then, there was hardly anyone on that Baja hi-way so just stopping anywhere was no problem, as you could see for-ever in either direction. We ended up finding several cow, goat and horse skulls, but my 'hugh heifer' was perfection in every detail. Although, it was a little stinky, and really, really dirty. So, when we got back to the cheap hotel we were staying in, I decided I needed to clean up this thing before taking it on the plane with me . Yes, I fully intended to 'carry-on' as there was no way I was going to check Hugh as 'baggage' and risk losing him. So, we showered together and that was even stinkier, if you can imagine. But, there was improvement. He still smelled, a little, even after a few more days....but what the hey? I wrapped him in a beach towel and a few days later-- off to the the airport we went. Seriously, we only got amused snickers from the Mexican airport staff when he went through the x-ray machine. There were no restrictions on size or dimensions of carry-on stuff at that time (way before all that nonsense) so, if you could carry it, you could bring it. I settled into my seat with Hugh on my lap still wrapped in his beach towel. We took off and no one was the wiser until Hugh started smelling. You see, he was still a bit damp. Rumblings from the other passengers like, 'what is that smell?' were ignored by me, for the next few hours. Well, we made it safely home and Hugh has been part of my home decor (!) for all these many years. Not the end of the story though. Here you see his latest incarnation. He is now a light fixture! Yup. I made him into my kitchen light! I am so excited and pleased and every time I turn him on I remember that whole, long story of how Hugh Heifer came to be. I know, I know....long. story.