Dad got his buffalo

I gave dad a buffalo hunt for Christmas/Birthday for this year and last.  I had offered to get him some kind of hunt last year but he never picked one out and this year neither of us got a deer tag.  So when dad was saying he didn't think he needed to go elk hunting I said "well I was going to get you a hunt last year and it didn't happen, do you want to do a buffalo *hunt."  *Many large ranches in the mountain/plains region that run their buffalo on large pastures will sell a hunting package rather than just selling the meat after butchering.    We went to a nice lodge in Nebraska that is set up as a hunting experience.   They import elk and some exotic game animals as well as having their buffalo herd and will also sell deer, turkey, pheasant hunts for wild game on their property or neighboring ranches that give them a lease for hunting.

Dad didn't care about getting a trophy, so we got the meat hunt which was a 3 year old bull.    The buffalo were hiding from stiff wind in 1F weather on Saturday, we were all over their 3000 acre leased pasture in p/u and ATV but only saw a small group of cows and calves and 3 of the big bulls.  But Sunday was warmer and no wind and the main herd was in one of the expected spots so Dad was able to shoot his young bull.     I had no feeling for how much room it would take up in a freezer so I had went through both freezers tossing some old freezer dried veggies and feeding our dog plenty of freezer burned meat.  

There is plenty of room in the freezer now so I could buy lots of bread or any freezable veggies.  I made a meatloaf last night with a package of the buffalo burger from one cooler where the lid had gotten knocked open a few inches and stuff was thawed.   We won't have to force ourselves to eat the meat :)     I must have dad invite the neighbors and wife's parents visiting from AK over for a meal either Monday after Christmas or on NYD or Jan 2 which I have as a holiday at work and ask if they want steaks or pot roast. 

Horses survived the cold weather.   CJ looks like he lost more weight than he needed to, but the rest look pretty good.    I must add pictures later or I will be late for my chiro appointment this morning.

Horses and I are still alive

Our old dog Ole did pass away since I last posted.  RIP happy wiggly mutt.   I miss having my pre-cleaner for the pots and pans.   Mia dog will do some, but she isn't smart about holding the dish if needed and being mostly outdoor dog she is not right there handy.   But we will not get a new dog until next year and possibly will wait quite a while and try to get a Rottweiler without buying a pup from a breeder.   Dad and I both like Rottie personalities and the hair coat would be better for the gaggle of burrs that grow around our place.

I have defrosted both our freezers getting ready for the Buffalo meat after dad does his hunt.  Mia is having a month of Christmas treats with the freezer burned meat, but there was not a huge amount of waste.  I can make scads of Rhubarb juice.  I knew Mom had a bag or 2 of rhubarb  but there was a whole box full.   Our neighbors who moved to AK and are visiting their daughter and SIL in December will be happy to take a gallon.  

I have been riding a little bit but have been in winter break mode even before it got cold this week.  I brought Lady home the Sunday after thanksgiving.   The family bailed on doing any trail riding so I just rode Tanza at home that morning before I got Lady in the afternoon.   It was passable at home but there was a cold wind where Lady was boarded so it worked out not to be trying to ride in that chill.

I have been having the most forgetful week.   Monday I could not find my purse before work and finally accepted that I must have left it in the office on Friday.  Today I forgot it at home and stopped to buy groceries w/o even registering "wait where is my purse" before I got to the cash register.  Arghhh and argghhh again.   So stinking stupid but I have food for lunch at work and plenty of gas to get home so there is no real harm even though I'm so annoyed with myself.  

Part of being forgetful is I've been so annoyed with dad lately.  I don't even know exactly why,  mostly I suppose because he has been dragging with a cold or allergies and he knows he needs to get his long term blood sugar level down but keeps eating way too much candy and chips and crap.  I fear having to deal with things if he passes away but I don't have it in me to nag at him to eat his veggies as though he is a young child of mine.  He knows he should eat well,  I make some effort to cook stuff he likes sometimes with leftovers available every weekend but even when I make something that reheats perfectly well he usually leaves leftovers sit and eats candy chips and canned soup all week.  And he could cook from scratch for himself but just chooses to be lazy about it.   And he is 77,  I really don't have any valid reason to say "You HAVE to take care of yourself to live longer."  He isn't yearning for the grave, he sees his docs regularly and takes medications but he isn't willing to give up eating junk food to be healthier.  

 Well I wouldn't be willing to give up yummy foods either but I did stumble on to this eating style that calls itself IF (intermittent fasting)   eating window would be a more accurate term since there is no "dont eat any solid foods for a day" involved.  It is just confine your eating so that you have 14 -23 hour periods including sleep cycle of not eating in a day.   I started with 14 hour "fasts" and taking the weekends off because I wouldn't make supper until after dark and didn't feel like I could push breakfast off for very long but with winter short days and having got into the routine I'm usually making it 15-17 hours of "fasting"  7 days a week and my weight is dropping and I've been feeling good.  I still eat some junk along with decent food but not as much and my body gets that break from being awash in blood sugar and insulin each day.