This country living is kind of exciting at times, especially during this particular Mountain winter in New Mexico. Mostly, things are cozy and fun. But there are exceptions…

For example, we are not off the grid electrically speaking, but we have our own plumbing system and well water from an underground source. So in that way, I guess you could say we’re “off the grid.” Chlorine and chemical free water, on tap! The best ever.

But all the waste water goes into a septic system, which unfortunately was not properly installed by the former owners. And…you guessed it! We are reaping the “rewards” of that. So for the past couple of weeks we’ve been gathering all dish water and washing machine water in buckets and dumping it ourselves on our 20 acres while a new septic field and pipe system is being installed by my son and our neighbor (who does this for a living).

I don’t mind roughing it a bit, and it is a short-lived inconvenience. But I did pull a muscle yesterday while being a little too confident in my strength while lugging 5 gallon buckets of water outside while doing a load of wash. No, I didn’t have to do it myself, what with a big, strong son and a daughter-in-law more than willing to help. But I like to do stuff. And I’m pretty strong myself, all things considered.

Weekend Chores

I’m still making loads of new designs, more than any other recent year in Magic Zoo history. Have you heard the latest? “They” say that a person’s most productive years are the decades between 70 and 90. I’m planning to prove that in my own life!

But on the weekends I get outside and do chores…filling up our log holder by the fireplace, gathering kindling, sweeping out the mudroom. Our winter New Mexico sky, when it isn’t snowing or overcast, is an azure blue that I haven’t seen anywhere else. So any excuse to be outside…And the night sky? Milky Way from horizon to horizon. My eldest granddaughter (Ada) is an amateur astronomer, and at 17 knows more about the skies than I’ve managed to learn in my 72 years! Needless to say, she is in her element here.

Home Schooling Champions

Ada and her brother Cassidy are also fascinated with things closer to home, especially what can be seen using a microscope. In fact, they entered a contest recently with their on-line science instructor for a digital microscope…and they won!

Here they’re examining snowflakes, but for a couple weeks they’ve been searching for the elusive “water bear” in local moss and lichen. (You know, those little 8-legged creatures that practically have their own fan club) Apparently, they live EVERYWHERE, and there are supposed to be 19 different species of water bears (tardigrades) in New Mexico. So where are the little buggers?

I imagine they’ll show up on a slide one of these days. These home-schooled kids are not giving up.

Country Pets

Our animals are, of course, a continuous form of amusement for us all. Both Willow and Firework like to be very high. This photo of Firework (my son calls her a fuzzy gargoyle) shows her relaxing on a viga which is about 10 feet above the floor. In her little pea-brain, I’m sure she’s asserting her natural superiority over us mere humans.

And the horses? Sweet as ever. David has built them a training pen, and as soon as the gate is installed, the kids can start working with them. Lena, the appaloosa mustang mix (about 30 years old) may have earned her retirement. But Sweets the quarter horse, shown here, is strong and well-muscled and should be very ride-able. The kids are getting professional instruction, and are raring to go.

Am I glad we moved to the country? Absolutely. I have my husband to thank for that. It continues to be his gift to us all. Have a wonderful week, and tell me what you’ve been up to in your neck of the woods this winter!

Love and best wishes from Your Animal Loving Artist,

Merry