Invigorating After-Effects of Rugged Country Life

So we're weathering our first winter here out in the quasi-country. Every day The Mister of the House and Rainbow Girl trudge to the back of the yard...

say hello to the neighbor's horse : "HaaAaaaaaaAaay" [burring neighing sound].

...new footprints in a fresh layer of snow. Hauling fresh water on a daily basis, or the occasional load of chicken feed.

Hello Bok Bok Cottage, what have you got for me today?






Oh dear, I see you're not finished yet. We'll check back a little later. Tootalootie!

There's eggs to pick up every day, haaAaying the horse, hauling the water, scattering the feed, collecting the eggs...the physical results are inevitable...


...and invigorating.

Invigorating = burning of the nose hairs within a 100 foot radius when temps are above 40 degrees

Holy Shittake Mushrooms Batman! What have you got there?

Do not be fooled by the very thin layer of snow. This is not a wheelbarrow of snow, it is full of shittake mushrooms minus the mushrooms part.

Also minus the take part (pronounced tah-kee).

Here at the Olsen household, we're still figuring out

A) how to get the wheelbarrow over the creek bed without spilling shizzam everywhere.

B) what to do with the shittake mushrooms once they're removed from the disgusting premises. Does anybody know if chicken poop is good for the garden? If it will burn your crops?

In the meantime, our feathered friends are finding life happier inside the cottage and rarely venture out into the yard. The layers of poop in the boots is phenomenal. The smell of the coop is disgusting whenever it's a little warm.

We're shoveling out the coop occasionally, but the layers pile back on quicker than the layers of Liberace's birthday cake. Spring Cleaning will take on a whole new meaning in the coming months.