I don’t know about you, but I have had just about enough of this winter weather. I’m pretty sick of getting chilled to the bone as I battle these below zero temps, hunching forward, trudging out to the barn in the morning. Even layered as I am, the frigid air seems to have a life of its own, finding a way to creep down my collar or up my sleeve. It seems it’s been this way for far too long.
The other morning when I fed heifers, I bundled up in my usual manner, every inch covered with multiple layers. We had parked the skidsteer in the barn the night before after realizing we’d be in for yet another glacial night. It fired right off. Backing it out of the barn, I was immediately hit with such an icy blast of cold air it took my breath away, even though my mouth was covered with a long scarf, wrapped twice around my head!
After feeding heifers, I got into the warm milkhouse and, unwinding everything, realized I had what felt like a cold headache, like I had eaten ice cream too fast. One tiny sliver of exposed skin just above my eyebrows was not covered and I felt it.
One morning, the tractor would not start, even though my husband had plugged in the engine block heater overnight, as usual. So he ended up cleaning barn and pushing it off to the side with the bucket just to get the barn cleaned. I didn’t happen to be at home at the time or he’d have gotten me out there with a tractor hooked up to his, pulling him around the yard to get it started. I’ve done that before. Not fun.
Along with the seemingly endless cold weather, I am dealing with a sinus infection and just buttoning up a 10-day antibiotic treatment. (Lovely material for a weekly farm column.) How does one aptly describe how miserable one can get when sick? Head-throbbing stuffiness, bone-tired fatigue, chills and fever battling for control, add a persistent, annoying cough and along with owning stock in Kleenex, that just about sums it up.
Thankfully I’m feeling better, but there for a while I was not up to handling my full workload, sloughing some of my duties off on my hubby. Every chore felt like triple the effort just to complete it. I was exhausted attempting even the smallest tasks.
My sister text-messages me every day and one day she wrote: “U promise me u will rest this aftrn?” She had sent it in capital letters like she was hollering. What I’ve come to realize is that I had been taking my good health for granted. Now that I’m feeling so very much better, I understand how very sick I was. It’s like a fog lifted.
Ah shucks, I am so sick of this winter; it’s cold and hard and uncompromising and so annoying already. One day, I saw a commercial where a herd of black and white Holsteins were grazing on a grassy hillside, content and serene. It was so soothing, I could almost smell the sweet spring air. Yearningly, I remembered, the good Lord willing, that season will come again one day in the not-too-distant future. I’m feeling better and I’m ready for it!
(“You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James 5:8)
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