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Wonderful, warm day. Before the sun really even came up I scraped the back of my hand with the plastic fence feeder for the Blacks, and it did bleed, but my housecoat (yes, I feed in my housecoat) smeared it so it didn't really keep a decent scab.

It is acting like it wants to maybe rain, but I don't care. It is so warm! I couldn't believe I said out loud, "It's hot out here!" I had to change my shirt, put on a t-shirt. It was colder in the grocery store than outside.

I ran errands, getting gas, too. It was Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday, and every radio channel, even the rock stations, were doing Frank. That is some staying power, right?

He was not feeling well, or we would have ridden today, but instead we drove up to Frederick to see if we could get a round-pen. Nope. There was one, but the metal gauge was not thick enough. We have two kinds of gates: wimpy and industrial-strength. Guess which ones have dents and bows in them. I don't want the panels to be so heavy they can't be moved, but don't want them destroyed by our two young Blacks.

When we got back I noticed a dead mammal on the bridge, but it was on the other side of the guard rails. Looked like a ground hog, but it was really too big. I went for a look-see without Max, and ended up going through the culvert! There was water coming through, but I walked splay-legged through it, watching the minnows fighting the current, came out the other side and climbed the rocks, effectively crossing the road from below.

I'm sorry the beaver is dead. His back foot is knuckled over, but you can see it is an incredible assembly for moving and rearranging dirt.

Cleaned up the dry paddock. That's where I felt 'warm' and he spread manure while I went to the grocery store. He also 'cut' grass, and it is growing, but more for the leaves that are laying around. Still need to 'decorate' for Christmas. Hang the wreaths outside, and like that. No tree inside, because we have a cat and a knuckle-headed dog that will chase her. Don't want to destroy my beautiful ornaments, most of them were gifts through the decades.