Chicken in the Closet, Goats in the Garage

I know that in trying to be positive in my writing I often make life here sound unrealistically perfect, so today I thought I'd give a clearer picture of "real life".

Life here has been completely upside-down this week. It's 10 degrees outside in Central Texas and we are expecting snow tonight. Thom has been traveling this week. He is scheduled to be home tonight, if he can get a flight in. It's not looking likely.

I've had an upper respiratory infection since Saturday, as have 6 of the 7 kids. Theirs is about like a bad cold, but I've had to get on steroids and antibiotics just to get out of bed. School is on hold for now until we are feeling better. My priorities are to keep us fed and the house moderately clean. We are trying to stay on top of our daily Bible reading and do a little extra reading as able. Late this week we've been able to pick up our history again, with the kids doing all of the reading aloud. I hope next week to be back on a full schedule.

January is supposed to be the best time for a garden in this area. Harvester Ants ate all of the chard and the rest is covered to keep it from freezing. I don't have high hopes, as I know several plants have frozen already, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Right now an urgent priority is to keep the animals and pipes from freezing. We had one pipe in the wall freeze, but got it thawed out by turning up the heat and opening the cabinet door. Another outside is currently wrapped and frozen and we are hoping it doesn't burst. I have no idea how to repair it if it does.

The older boys put up a tarp tent shelter for the older goats to give them shelter, which rather than getting under, they jumped on top of and tore down. So far they haven't accepted any of the shelters we've built for them. Our two little orphaned baby goats we are keeping in a corner of the garage. This is working so far. It is easier for the kids to bottle-feed them twice a day there where it is closer and warmer and we don't have to worry about the goats freezing.

Yesterday we picked up 100 hatchling chicks that were ordered before the onset of cold weather. We're keeping them in the bedroom closet under a heat lamp until we can let out the baby goats and move them to the garage. One of them was weak and died by the time we got home and two more died overnight. I think they were trampled by the others. The rest of them seem to be doing well, although parts of the house are beginning to sound and smell like a barnyard...