I just love these cows. 




We're not sure how much longer they will be around as there are rumors that their owners are moving away sometime soon but their presence has me convinced that I will enjoy having livestock.  This livestock is raised in a traditional manner - let out to roam the pasture every day - browsing on whatever tasty thing is growing in season, getting some good sunlight, interacting with each other and with whatever other creatures - human, dog, bird - happen to come along.  They are a  curious (or greedy) lot and always herd themselves over to the fence when one of us steps outside.

This guy is particularly assertive.  He regularly bestows kisses (and slobber) and wanted to taste my camera Saturday. 




















 . . . .

So it has been a while.

We closed on the Beorningstead on October 18th and had this fantasy that we would be in by Christmas.  On Halloween, Maxx came down with the Swine Flu.  The following week, I came down with it.  It wasn't so bad, really.  Maxx got Tamiflu and I was only feverish for a day or so.  But then, two weeks later, I came down with and earache from the 7th circle of Hell and was literally out of commission for 5 weeks with pain, dizziness and an inability to think.  Bry diligently worked away at installing plumbing and wiring and had lots of wonderful helpers while I was utterly useless.  In spite of all that work, we did not get far enough to move in before Christmas.




Then the cold set in and Bry had sinus surgery and nothing has happened over at the Beorningstead for about 3 months.





Now Spring is almost upon us and things are warming up a bit.  (Did I mention that it is always 5 to 10 degrees warmer down at the Stead than it is up here in Ft. Jackson?  Slightly lower elevation and better exposure on the lot does the trick nicely.)  I was over Saturday and took some photos of the progress.

There's insulation in the kitchen, new windows in almost every room and I have never been so excited about a piece of wire sticking out of a wall in my life!

Oh - and we have a potty there that can be bucket flushed.  We're almost civilized!


















 . . .