# merry Christmas & happy holidays



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That you Merryellen. See what I did there?

I hope you and Bill have a special holiday this year in your newer surroundings and no virus to hold you back.


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Hi ME 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! What's Santa bringing you? Chickens, of course!


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

No chickens Dawg!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I thought you had a few yard birds now, @Maryellen.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

No I sold all my chickens . I can't take a chance of the bird flu since I have parrots.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I knew you sold the ones from up north but for some reason I thought Bill had snuck some back into your life. You know how he is.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

No I bought some down here, but working full time and raising the cockatiels was more time consuming and with the bird flu I decided to sell them


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thank you. That means my brain isn't as bad off as I thought it was.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Happy New Year 🎆


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

He got the 1st bunch and I added to them lol


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

NYhillbillies said:


> Happy New Year 🎆


Are you ready for the cold blast coming your way. Stay warm, stay safe and enjoy the New Year.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's better the cold here then when I was in nj lol. We have a generator too in case we lose power.
Are you going to get any of the cold coming in?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, it's going to hit the upper teens for one night. It's not the first time but it doesn't make it any less miserable. 

Generator here too but I deal with hurricanes a bit more than you do.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's gonna be -21 wind chill here lol


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ouch, ouch, ouch. That far south it's going to be that nasty? 

OK, I'm not whining anymore about what's going to hit me.


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Ouch, ouch, ouch. That far south it's going to be that nasty?
> 
> OK, I'm not whining anymore about what's going to hit me.


I'll whine for you. Waahhhh! 😭


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Yep lol. Tomorrow is supposed to be Brutual cold with 50mph winds. I'm so used to nj cold weather so I will see how this weather is here in va


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's not so much that you're familiar with that cold. It's the fact you're in a place that shouldn't be seeing that kind of cold.


----------



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

It's a polar vortex so places that shouldn't see this type of cold are seeing it. Global warming unfortunately is real


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I remember the polar vortex in 1985. Nine degrees in Jacksonville, Fl 
I believe it runs in cycles. Blazing hot for a few years. Then freezing cold for a few years. Same with rain. Our weatherguessers said that Jacksonville's temps this past year were actually a couple degrees below normal. Hard to believe. It must be because I'm an old fart.
Now they're saying we might go down to 17 tonight.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm going to see cold tomorrow. Not minus anything but feels like single digits cold.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

OK, I just picked up my phone. It said temps are dropping. They are. From 32 this morning to 28 now even with the bright sun.


----------



## 444lover (Jan 1, 2018)

I know Christmas has passed but I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Doesn't matter if you're late or not. Just knowing you're OK is enough good news.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Well hello! We survived the vortex! Here’s the wind map!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I am so very thankful I don't live up that way anymore. It was bad enough down here.

At least we have another survivor checking in. @444lover lives in Ind or Ill. I forget which. Now watch, he'll pop back in and say he live in MO.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Wouldn’t you know…. Silly us! We weren’t paying attention to the weather (no tv for years). The chickens (5 hens & Big Red) went out from the coop into their pasture in the morning as usual when we opened the popdoor, enjoying the cold, sharp day and sunshine. Life was, as always, good! I had shoveled paths for them in the pasture after a previous heavy snowstorm (21 inches) so they were off exploring . At dusk they dutifully heading to the coop to bed. Promptly at 5:00pm, we checked the coop camera for a head count before walking out to the coop. 
Yikes! 3 girls missing! We quickly check the 2 external cameras in the pasture. No girls! Temps are dropping fast. We head out. Its now getting quite dark. We know chickens can’t see well in the dark. Did they get over the fence? Predator? 
We look everywhere with flashlights, and discover them UNDER the coop. (Coop is a 10x12 building up on cement blocks). Waaaaay in the back corner, well out of reach. We called and called, and they wouldn’t have anything to do with us. We had no choice but to close the popdoor to protect the other 4 inside. We tossed out some grain under the coop to help them get through the night. 
We tossed and turned all night as the temperature continued to drop. It bottomed out at wind chill -21f. We prayed for the girls, and monitored the temp in the coop (got down to zero). 
The next morning, at daylight, we went out to open the popdoor, and were happily greeted by 3 hens, none the worse for wear. We wanted to paddle their fluffy little butts! They were reunited with their coop mates, who also were worried & didn’t sleep well. The next 2 days, everyone was confined to the coop. We installed a panel heater and a safe heat lamp so they could get through the bitter cold days & nights in some comfort. 
Considering they have NEVER been confined longer then overnight, they were very polite and respectful to each other the whole time. 
Today was their first day back outside. We were nervous that the girls might try a slumber party under the coop again, but nope! Those 3 made sure to be inside early!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wonder, did they know it would be warmer under the coop? 

Nothing like getting caught in surprise by the bad weather coming. Down here with the cold we had we better be aware of suffer frozen/ruptured pipes. 

What are your temps doing now?


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

robin416 said:


> I wonder, did they know it would be warmer under the coop?
> 
> Nothing like getting caught in surprise by the bad weather coming. Down here with the cold we had we better be aware of suffer frozen/ruptured pipes.
> 
> What are your temps doing now?


Right now, we are well past vortex. Today, almost 40 degrees! 
i think animals know a whole lot more about the weather then we do!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm so over it now. But then I say the same thing about Summer.


----------



## 444lover (Jan 1, 2018)

robin416 said:


> I am so very thankful I don't live up that way anymore. It was bad enough down here.
> 
> At least we have another survivor checking in. @444lover lives in Ind or Ill. I forget which. Now watch, he'll pop back in and say he live in MO.


Nope, you're right, Indiana.
I can let the ducks and geese out again tomorrow since most of the snow's melted. It's suppose to get to about 50 tomorrow too.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The snow melted? How in the heck did that happen? I haven't even had warm enough temps until the past two days to melt snow. If I had any snow, that is.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

robin416 said:


> The snow melted? How in the heck did that happen? I haven't even had warm enough temps until the past two days to melt snow. If I had any snow, that is.


Robin- stop rubbing it in!!!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, well you can pound on me in July and August when the heat and humidity turns on here.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

robin416 said:


> Yeah, well you can pound on me in July and August when the heat and humidity turns on here.


I am writing in my daytimer, as we speak, to “harass robin without mercy” in July and August……


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

“We’re havin’ a heat wave, a Tropical heat wave….”


----------



## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

NYhillbillies said:


> “We’re havin’ a heat wave, a Tropical heat wave….”


Time to turn the a/c on, eh? LOL.


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep, no coat for me yesterday or today. Might be a short sleeve day to boot.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Today was 70 in the sun! Snow is melting fast. The chooks were free-ranging today, the first time in maybe 2 weeks due to snowstorms and vortex. 
They DID NOT want to go into the coop at dusk! hubby had to wrangle them in. A laugh a minute on the RING cam!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Does hubs know you were sitting back laughing at him instead of being out there lending a hand?


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

We sometimes take turns on being a chicken wrangler. We were both out there tonight. Big Red & Miss Vistoria refuse to go into the run. So, tonight, there are roosting in the east garden on a raised bed. Silly gooses - I mean chickens!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Time for a time out. Lock down in the run for a few days. Birds with names don't need to feed the wildlife.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Will do! Hubby said that too! Thanks for your response!!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Bad birds. Bad, bad birds. Not the way they should start their new year. Or make their humans worry about them.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Happy new year robin. We’re off to bed. As fuddyduddies, We haven’t made it to seeing the ball drop in over 25 yrs. Gnight! Catchya in 2023!


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thank you, NHB. It was a noisy night, thanks to an inconsiderate person on our road. Both dogs were terrified. Jerk.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Oh my! I am sorry to hear about your night! Do you know this person?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, it's the house to the south of me. He didn't make any friends in the area last night. It also woke the folks in the house North of me. And the older woman across the road.


----------



## NYhillbillies (4 mo ago)

Well then… is he always this way or just New Years?


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I get texts asking for forgiveness because he's going to be (fill in the blank) doing something to upset the dogs. This time he upset several of the humans. 

No text yet.


----------

