The Triangle

   You may have heard of the Bermuda Triangle. And how it sucks up technology and ships get lost in it and never come out...it's here. Yep, our farm is the techno triangle of Central Illinois. There must be something about the word "historic" that makes technology think it shouldn't set foot here.
   The last few days I've been struggling with getting online so I could write these delightful blogs. No such luck. Marty called the server (Verizon Wireless) and spoke to some very nice people that finally decided to send us a new box, thinking this one has a problem since it "roams" for 3/4 of the time. We are still waiting on the box. But, after five hours of trying to get a book order through...I did it! And now, strangely enough, it is still working. If I blip off, you'll know it.
   I was trying to update some of the pictures for you to see our farm family...got Swee on there! I'll keep trying over the next few days. This year one of my goals is to get a new smaller camera and take more pictures. The techno stuff isn't my strong point anymore and I think the internet hates me. I used to work ten hours a day on the computer. About ten years ago, when I moved here, decided to be free of all of it. We don't wear watches, we don't carry our one cell phone that I can't remember the number for, and we only get online about once a day for a little bit to do some research and business. Needless to say...the techno demon is getting back at us. We basically live like people did when I was a kid...no computer, no internet, no phones that didn't have a cord, etc. The problem is now that we are in the age of everyone using it...we are struggling with it.
   But, anyway...here's the news...if you want pictures and a description of the blizzard, check out the Midlife Farmwife blog (to the left). Donna has great pictures and a funny description. And, since she isn't that far from us, you'll get a very good idea of what it looks like at our farm also. We had our neighbor, Tom, plow our two lanes and out to the barn yesterday. Thanks Tom, you're GREAT!! We still can't get our tractors out yet, but will work on that today. And, there is a five foot drift between our north and south lanes.
   We had moved the pigs and cows into the barn before the storm...thank goodness. But, my littlest runt piggy, Feobe, wasn't feeling good anyway and the move was too much for her. She died on the 2nd. Everyone else is doing okay so far. And, they are loving the warmth since it was -1 degrees yesterday morn and only 8 this morn when I looked out.
   Being a sustainable farm is great! We have food for months in our freezers and canned in our pantry, we have firewood for about a week and then can find stuff around, and we have stuff to do. We are loving it! Being snowed in is a great vacation and a great excuse to just hang out. There are the chores, and the nice walks outside in  the sun (like today), and the knitting/reading/furniture fixing. I was able to finally finish fixing the bathroom floor yesterday and then took apart a chair and am re-upholstering it today. Marty is going to play in the snow and try to get the loader tractor started to bucket out the massive drift. Then he's enjoying his hobby of cooking (I need to get out in the drifts and lose the weight tho!).
   I hope to be able to write more again later...wish me luck!