Saturday, February 12, 2011

Progress on School

The windows are in the Maynard school and it makes a huge difference. I am able to get the room up to a temperature I can work without gloves. The rough electric is just about done and the walls have been covered with a half inch foil covered foam board in preparation for the the expanding foam insulation to be sprayed on next Tuesday. The reason we put the board up was to keep the insulation from sticking to siding as there is siding we need to replace soon and in the future.
Once the insulation in the walls and ceiling is done working inside the school will be so much easier as I won't have to wear snowpants to do it.
Bending and moving in general with many layers of clothes on is difficult.
The outside work will be waiting until the snow and ice is gone at this point. Moving the ladders around in the ice covered snow was a bit more than difficult.
Thursday on the way to the lumber yard I saw a calf, which had been born laying in the field. Normally this would be fine but it was -4 and the calf was freezing to the ground. I stopped at the farmhouse to tell them, but no one was home. So I went to their neighbors and had them call owners. I continued onto the lumber yard, but the sight of that calf struggling and freezing stuck in my brain.
I decided if no one was there by the time I returned I would have to do something. Well, no one had come so I trudged out into the middle of the field. The calf's ear tips looked frozen much of its body was covered in ice and it could barely
move. I kept an eye on the mother as I struggled to lift the limp 80lb calf. I half lifted and half dragged the calf about 300feet through the snow with its mother watching me.
I got to the truck and shoved the limp calf up next to Scooter. He wasn't impressed. The wierd creature made him nervous at first, but then he started to lick it. I don't know if he was being kind or wanted to taste it.
I drove to a friends down the road with a barn hoping they would have somewhere warm for the calf. They didn't have anywhere so I told them I was taking it to the school house until the owners showed up. They called the Browns and let them know where I took the calf. I keep the calf in my truck with the heat running full blast until I could get the school house warmed up a bit. Then I brought the calf inside and set him on some insulation board by the heater. The calf was so weak and cold it wasn't able to lift its head. The owner arrived shortly after and retrieved the calf. I hope the little guy did okay, but it didn't look good. So I spent the rest of my day working and smelling like newborn calf. Never a dull moment in the middle of nowhere. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Paula,
Have you heard how the little calf is doing? I commend you for your efforts!
We have a cabin in the Cedar Run area and love staying connected through your site...
DS