Day 1: We are Not in Seattle Anymore

This is a whole new type of adventure for me…. I am now living in a renovated barn as I keep for two horses, a dog and two cats. To paint the picture, there is no television….limited cell phone range…and no internet. What is a city girl to do? I will say that the surrounding area is just trees---tress and more trees. It looks like a perfect holiday card. I figured starting a blog all about my adventures and mishaps of country living would be a good way to document it all. Although it is not as glamorous or exciting as my life on ships this country lifestyle will allow me to try new things.

Speaking of which, today alone I handled many new tasks this stiletto wearing lady is proud to have accomplished:

1. I drove in snow flurries without spinning or getting stuck, until I hit my drive way. Of course that is where I got stuck, after driving for nearly 90 minutes for a drive that takes about 30. Why wouldn’t I get stuck at the last minute of the drive. Talk about irritating. Then I had to figure out how to actually get my car out of 2-3 inches of snow. Not much, but the ice underneath made the driveway super slick.
2. I successfully used a snowblower! And not one of those hand held kind, oh no imagine a snowblower that is the size and shape of a lawn mower! Here is was with inches of fresh powder trying to steer this huge piece of machinery in the slippery snow and ice. Yes, I wish someone recorded it as it would have been just hilarious.
3. I maneuvered haystacks without them toppling on top of me as I fed the two horses. I put my fear of big animals aside and remembered what Jason told me, “Horses are just like big kittens.” Thinking about that helped as I fed them hay and oats. They haven’t warmed up to me yet, but I bet they will once it is figured out that I am now the new food provider.

After unpacking and kissing my Yaris for getting me to the barn safe and sound, I decided to get settled with my knitting (yes, another new thing…) as I watched a DVD of the television show The Tudors. After my adventures outside (see above) I returned inside to stoke the fire that I had already made. That is when I discovered that for my first night in the barn, I would be left in the dark….literally. The power was out and the sun was quickly setting. Nothing like getting familiar with a new place in the dark, right?

The weather is projected to snow on and off throughout the week. It looks like I am going to be a hermit for New Year’s Eve.