Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Greeter

The Rancher and the Bag Lady took some steers to the abattoir yesterday. They were surprised at the lack of snow on the fields in the area, which is roughly an hour's drive north from the ranch. It was almost as though spring had arrived in that part of the country.

This was the parking lot at the meat shop.


This was the field across the road.




This was the official greeter at the door!



You see the pile of snow beside the table? That is what the Bag Lady's entire yard looks like! But that was practically the only snow around the meat shop, and it was just piled up there from being shovelled off the walk!

It has been mild in the Bag Lady's area, too, but definitely not to the same extent. And the forecast is for nasty weather today - the Bag Lady is afraid to look outside, because the weather was changing last night, with a cold wind blowing, and she is determinedly doing the "ostrich". ("If I can't see it, it isn't there!")

16 comments:

JavaChick said...

We just keep getting snow, snow and more snow. It hasn't been terribly cold, which is nice, but pretty soon we are going to be buried.

Leah J. Utas said...

What a great job for a pussycat. It does look like spring there. I bet it won't last.

the Bag Lady said...

Javachick - I saw something on the news the other day about the amounts of snow in your area and was wondering how you were coping!

Leah - according to the owner, the cat just showed up one day and elected himself official greeter! And he does an excellent job.
Yes, apparently winter returned to that area with a vengeance today (as it did here, darnit!)

Geosomin said...

It's been beautiful here the last few days. I was up at the lake to see my Dad and it was about -5 and sunny. I wish I'd had some snowshoes- the lake was frozen and covered in snow. Gorgeous. I keep hoping perhaps spring really is here. I can only hope.
All I know is now as I walk across campus from the gym to work in the mornings the sky is growing light! All that light has to warm up things a bit I figure :)

Hilary said...

We've been getting changeable weather here too. Melty mild at 5C(41F) yesterday but -12C(10F) right now. It's supposed to be up to 12C(54F) by Friday but I'm used to them lying to us about that. ;)

Love the kitty.

Reb said...

Pretty kitty! That is a lot of melt! Our weather sucks today and will be worse tomorrow. I think I will go back to bed for a few more weeks ;)

Anonymous said...

Yesterday was lovely and warm here -- 50 degrees! But the wind arrived at noon and blew the bird feeder down (really!), chased by some really cold temperatures.
"The abbattoir" is such a pleasant phrase. Do you think the steers are fooled?

solarity said...

That is an expert greeter cat.

Yesterday in the bank I overheard two men greeting each other as follows:
#1: How are you?
#2: I'm so tired of winter I'm ready for summer now! I don't even want to wait through spring.
#1: I'm with you!

Mary Anne in Kentucky

the Bag Lady said...

Geo - it was mild here, too, until last night. Now it's -35C with the windchill! Brrr.

Hilary - It sounds as though we are all suffering through similar winters. When it's mild here, it's cold where you are, and vice versa.
Come on spring!

Reb - it is tempting to climb back into bed and pull the covers over our heads, isn't it? But at least the daylight hours are getting longer.

kcinnova - sshhh - I didn't mention the word abbattoir in their presence, just in case they knew what it meant!

Mary Anne in Kentucky - I agree with your man in the bank - or I would, if spring wasn't my favourite season!

messymimi said...

In my warped mind, i hear "Doing the Ostrich" to the tune of Bert (of Sesame Street Bert and Ernie fame) singing "Doing the Pigeon". Guess i watched a little too much of that when the kids were little, and it's stuck.

The Ostrich sounds like something nice to do on a bleak winter morning.

the Bag Lady said...

messymimi - now I will be forced to google "Doing the Pigeon" - I didn't watch enough Sesame Street, obviously.

JavaChick said...

The snow is ridiculous. It's halfway up our cat fence which led to me crawling around in the snow at 9 pm on Sunday night trying to figure out how I was going to free a neighbor cat who managed to get himself stuck in there. That fence designed to keep cats in? Works really well.

Behind the house we have a pretty narrow area between the back of our house and the neighbor's fence and the snow is drifted quite high - I'm pretty sure that's where the cat got in because I saw paw prints on top of the drift. I tried digging out the gate, but of course it's frozen shut.

Finally the poor cat clued in and climbed the cherry tree which is right up against the fence and got out that way. Of course now we're a little worried that our cats can get out, but hopefully they are so used to being in there that they won't try that hard.

the Bag Lady said...

JavaChick - holy cow! You'll have to keep an eye on your cats until the snow melts. It sounds like the kind of snow I remember from when I was a kid. (and thanks for the chuckle - I was imagining you crawling around in the dark and the snow....)

Cheryl Kohan said...

Okay, what is an abbattoir? Something to do with cattle, I'm guessing. Our snow is probably like your snow...waaaay too much. Love the shot of the cat!

the Bag Lady said...

Cheryl - abbattoir is another word for slaughterhouse..... sounds far better, doesn't it?

That cat took his job very seriously! He was most friendly.

the Bag Lady said...

Except, apparently, I keep spelling abattoir wrong. Sigh.