Tuesday, February 12, 2013

HayMan and the Watchdog

HayMan came yesterday.  

It was the first time he has ever chosen not to attempt the plowed driveway, but to park at the first slope and carry three bales all the way up the driveway, past the house, into my barn.  

One bale per trip.  Back and forth.

Because Piper is such a phenomenal watchdog, she stood at the parlor window watching HayMan do this, and never uttered a peep.  My first indication that there was a human on the property was the loud knock on the back door which just about made me jump out of my skin.

Nice work, Piper.
"Sorry. Can't discuss this now. I am on Guard Duty."

If there had been a squirrel in sight during any of this?  
She would have barked the roof off.
~~~

For those who were interested in the structure of snow crystals the other day, here are some ice crystals on the edge of the goats' water bucket.


And for scale, here are my boots again.  The snow is packed down around the bucket, so you are seeing the cuffs of my Filson chaps.  


I love my Filsons, but this is the first time I have ever worn them "just" for snow.  They are wonderful for working in brush (especially thorny brush) but after my my first bootfuls of melting snow on Saturday, I retrieved the Filsons from their nail in the workshop and have been wearing them for chores, over my jeans and muck boots.

WHAT a difference.

I am intrepid.

I am invincible.

I am wearing dry jeans.

~~~
Because I think someone may ask, I bought my chaps and lots of my other fieldwork equipment years ago from an outfit called Forestry Suppliers.  These folks have always been a pleasure to do business with.  One of the most fun shopping experiences I've ever had was when I was replacing my snowshoes and had a lengthy phone conversation with two of the Forestry Supplier people regarding the angle of rise on the toes of two different snowshoe styles.  When I called them, I had not realized the company is located in Mississippi; a State which may be generally called "a snowshoe-free zone."  But those folks sure went out of their way to get an answer to my question!

My chaps (getting back to the subject) were made by an old US company, as was my orange timber-cruising vest.  In the interest of providing accurate information here, I just googled the company website.  Sadly, so very often, even products that have been made in the US for ages have been farmed out (usually to China) in the past 20 years or so.

I am SO glad I googled Filson!  Because, guess what:

Filson makes 276 products in the US.

Not everyone needs chaps (or a timber-cruising vest), but for those of us who appreciate well-made outdoor clothing, or even just rugged and practical gear (they have luggage! and laptop bags!) there are a lot of items on this website that may be welcome news indeed.  It is hard to find good, strong, functional stuff.  Stuff that looks like it will be working for as long as we will be working, and then perhaps be handed on to someone else who will be very pleased to have it.  I am not much of a shopper, but several Filson items made it to my wishlist today.

(I probably don't need to say this, but just in case: I have nothing to gain, personally, from recommending either Filson or Forestry Suppliers.  Neither company would know me if I walked through their door.  Well, there are a couple of employees from Mississippi who might remember me if I walked through their door and started talking about snowshoe toes, but that's about it.) 

~~~

And that's enough about snow for a while, isn't it?

Maybe it's time to make something nice to eat.  It's been soups and quiches lately...lovely comfort food that takes almost no effort and tastes like, well, comfort.


Here's hoping you have a lovely, comfort-filled day!
~~~

"Wait, did somebody say 'quiche'?  I'm pretty sure I  LOVE quiche."

~~~~~

14 comments:

  1. Piper is so gorgeous,(I'm sure she is a distant cousin of my Roobarb). I did laugh, my 2 adopt the same style of guarding.

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    1. I agree - your photos very often remind me of Piper! People often ask me what breed she is. My best guess: a Scottish Monkeyhound (a Scottish Deerhound crossed with a monkey).

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  2. Awww...Piper is so cute!

    The snow crystals look like tiny feathers. Nature is amazing!

    Stay warm!

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  3. Will be checking out Filson - love me some good outdoor clothing (not that I need it anymore, here in the desert). My favorite things are my old Sorrells, for keeping my feet dry and warm! And, I LOVING that quiche loving goat...and Guard Dog Piper! Happy Valentines Day to you all - Tanya

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  4. And, nothing like bad grammer...LOVE that quiche loving goat! Sheesh! :-)

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    1. I love reading comments. No Grammar Police here! :)

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  5. Was Piper snorting hay? :) She is a cutie! And so is the goat. That quiche sure looks yummy. One of my best friends and I used to go to Sam's Club, buy the frozen mini quiches, take them home, bake them up, then sit on her deck with a bottle of wine and just talk. That was before kids (a long time ago). Best wishes to you, Tammy

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    1. That sounds like a perfect way to enjoy quiche! I make them partly to use an abundance of fresh eggs, but I buy frozen pastry shells to guarantee success ;)

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  6. Filson's has fabulous goods; love them! Sadie, my Ridge, is the largest dog and the one who will run to the gate, barking, to see who/what's coming up the driveway. As soon as she spies "whatever", she RUNS back to me and tucks in behind my skirt. The UPS guy laughs his head off while I'm just shaking mine.
    I'm pretty sure I'd do something evil, like push a goat out of the way, to get to that quiche first.
    Just sayin'.

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    1. Thanks for that great description of Sadie - LOL. I can picture your UPS guy...and I spend a LOT of time shaking my head at Piper's antics :)
      Glad I'm not the only Filson Fan. I think you and I might have very similar wardrobes, Sandra!

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  7. Late to the party! But loving all the snowiness and OMG FILSON--out of the blue I received a catalog from them recently, and it's all so great. And quiche! Everything! Fantastique!

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