Snowed-In Sunday

Snow. It’s just three days until June, until SUMMER, and we have a foot of snow outside.  I am very happy for the winter gear I picked up in Buffalo last week, particularly for the fleece jacket and waterproofing spray.

Snow means that I did not make it to church today, although I did have every intention of going, so I think I get points for that. I got up before everyone else (not a difficult task, there was a party last night and most of the others were sleeping off their alcohol) and took a shower. As I was rinsing my hair in the shower, the power flickered off and on. It did the same thing a few days ago, and after a few flickers we had lost power for a few hours, so I figured we were about to lose it again. I was right. Three minutes later it started flickering again, and down it went. The water did not go with it, fortunately, so I stood in the dark for a few minutes more, enjoying the warmth.  I played the ‘what if I was blind’ game as I groped around in the dark for my towel and bathrobe, and frowned briefly as I realized that no power meant wet hair for another hour.  Having nothing else to do, I got dressed up like I was still going to church.

The cowboys took quick advantage of the snow, and packed snow against out front and back doors. !! We were stuck inside for a while then, because they made the walls pretty strong and thick. We knocked them down eventually.

Power down meant that the heater was down also, so it was getting dang cold in the Hen House. Then I remembered a rumor that over at the Bunkhouse (Men’s Housing) they had a woodstove. So Mary and I went on over there and sure enough, there was Ethan, melting snow into a coffee pot (the water had failed at this point, too) and spreading butter into a dutch oven in preparation for breakfast over a woodstove. I was suddenly not sorry at all that we are all snowed in and the power was out. Ethan was a good sport and made breakfast enough for Mary and I as well. Then we all sat around, talking while I mended my dress, and feeling very much like pioneers. After about a half hour the cowboys who were out haying the stock came back, and let a lot of cold air in with them as they stomped the snow off of their boots and shook snow from their coats and hats. They looked surprised to see Mary and I, but they didn’t tell us to split, so we hung around. 

In true Western character, Ethan broke out his fiddle, Jackson his mandolin, Bartender Mike his guitar and they all started jammin’. Soon we had a good jam going, and we all stomped our feet and sang and even danced a little. They cowboys were drinking (of course) but it was a rambunctious, happy time.

I’ve noticed that Nikona doesn’t drink as much as most of the other cowboys, and I caught him praying over his food a few days ago. Maybe Nikona would make a good friend out here. I like all the cowboys here, tho. I haven’t met a one I don’t like quite a lot.