Four Legged Toddlers

I was home today, enjoying the cool air-conditioned-less home (not being facetious, it was cool) and M came running in, "Pecos is eating a cord!" What??

So I went outside, and sure enough, those brats had torn off the cover of the waterer, snatched out the heat lamp and smashed the light bulb to smithereens.

I have decided that "farmer rigging" is really not such a bad thing. When I first moved in, I was mortified at the amount of things that were tied together with baling twine, wired together, or just cobbled in some fashion or another. Well, I have since realized that it's about getting things done. Have you ever set out to do a project, and then couldn't find your supplies or tools? And then, after rounding up what you needed, you went to do it, and something else was wrong or missing? And by the end of the day you didn't get anywhere near finishing what you set out to do?

Well that happens here a lot. And it's hard, because the nearest hardware store is 20+ minutes away (and the selection is limited), so you could waste a lot of time if you had to run back and forth for your supplies. So, you just grab the nearest fix (and most of the fixes are free or nearly free) and you move on so you can get something done!

Anyway, I digress. But you have come to expect that from me.

So we had this waterer farmer-rigged. It has a heat lamp on it, which keeps it from freezing. I found this handy gizmo that is an outlet converter with a thermostat on it. So if the temperature gets below 35 degrees, the outlet comes on, thus turning on the heat lamp. I left it plugged in over the summer, as I don't expect it to get below 35, so it should be just as we left it until winter.

OR SO I THOUGHT! I didn't count on some overgrown toddlers with hair trashing the cover, tearing out the cord and stomping the light to bits.

As if there isn't enough to do with 3 acres to eat!!

We really, really need some llamas. Or at least some goats. Somebody's got to eat all of this pasture. I bet the goats would eat more than the heat lamp, though.

Now, back to enjoying my cool house.