Driving home for working the night shift on Sunday morning I could hardly resist the temptation to close my eyes for a moment.
It was a cold Sunday morning, and we were scheduled to sing at a church's dedication service and had to leave in a half hour. I pull into the driveway and quickly walk through the drifts of snow into the house. Shocked at the realization that I only had a half hour to get chores done and get ready. I skip any thoughts of getting breakfast and head downstairs to change my clothes to something that wouldn't matter if it got wet and muddy.
Grabbing my awesome knee high totally waterproof boots I rush out the door. It is -5 outside with a crisp breeze, but the snow makes it beautiful.
Hurriedly I grain the colts, and to my dismay I find that they had 'somehow' pulled the water heater out of their tank. "This is where my boots come in handy" I think instead of having to grab the sledge hammer to break up the ice I stomp my foot on it, breaking it into enough pieces that the colts can easily get a drink. Next I head to the dogs. Their water bowls are also frozen as hard as rock. I turn one over and jump and Jump, and JUMP! "This is a better workout than jumping on a trampoline!" I holler to Luanna, who was taking a walk past where I was. Eventually it did come out though, I continue on with chores.
After the dogs came the steers turn. Because I take turns with the water heaters between our horse's water tanks I have to break the ice on his water too. No big deal. I hop inside his corral and jump on the ice. Jump, jump, SPLASH! The ice wasn't nearly as thick as I thought it was! Instead of cracking it, and then using one foot to break it up I fall completely through. Now, my awesome boots are waterproof, but they still have holes at the top...so as water runs in from the top I grab the metal corral poles and jump out as quickly as possible. The gloves and the front of my skirt immediately freezes to the poles.Wow! This is unique! It is cold out here! and now I'm SOAKING!!) I just have to laugh! What and adventure!
Hungry, tired, cold and wet I head to feed the rest of the horses. Surely nothing can go wrong with that. So simple...but, I do have to knock down some hay bales from the top of the stack. Okay, that does come with a little problem. The stack is as straight up and down as possible, and there is no easy way to climb to the top. The little nooks and cracks I normally use are filled with snow, and my now ice coated awesome boots are pretty slippery. Well, I have to get them down somehow. I quickly found out that digging your knife in the hay as an ice pick doesn't work with skinny kitchen knives, it just bends! After clawing my way to the top I start knocking down hay with my feet. I smile at the thought of possibly falling down with them, and 'carefully' climb down. "As crazy as this seems to be, I like the country life! So many things seem to happen when you're in the biggest hurry, but it just adds to the challenge! Maybe I should write a blog post about this."
After chores I run in the house. I have exactly eight minutes to get ready! Forget the thought of a shower. I get dressed, grab a yogurt and seeing the ring binder we keep our songs in I decide to be the good guy and grab it on my way out because we surely don't want to forget that!
"Ah, life is good! It's so fun to have a challenge and get it all done. I'm pretty amazing if I do say so myself :p"
With breath that smelled like yogurt, and clutching the songbook to my chest I manage to climb over and through all the stuff in our crowded van to the window seat on the far side of the van. Whew! I had made it! "Haha, Julie, why did you bring the recipe book?" Oops...It would be a little interesting to sing about meatloaf and potatoes soup! Of course, I had to laugh!
The day continued to pass with little or no other events to cause a disaster to laugh at (Other than the mounds of dishes to return to at home, which I don't think I laughed at.)
I do have two frozen puddles of ice on the bottom of my boots to remind me every morning and evening at chore time of my memorable Sunday. I found out that with the awesome amazing ability of my boots to keep water OUT of them, it also has the awesome amazing ability to retain it in once they get in them as well!
With that fact....
For some reason it's not so funny anymore...
