It's been a week of ups and downs. I am thinking we are on our way up now, though. Hopefully I don't jinx myself...lol.

At least the temperatures are on their way up. It was easily fifteen below last night, still nine below this morning, but now weather.com says it is thirteen balmy degrees. Above zero, thankfully. We are supposed to get to 23 degrees. We just might. And, for the weekend, temps in the forties. Yippee!

I drove to my horsey friend's house Monday morning and helped with removing Buck from the pasture. Apparently the people the owner hired were able to bury him because they have a backhoe. We have had very few days around 32 degrees in the past couple months, so I'm sure it was a challenge to dig a hole.

After lots of conversation, we think it is possible that Buck had colic. I'm not an expert on horses by any means. It was just so shocking that he died so quickly with few symptoms other than some shivering and lack of eating just before he died. If you have anything to add, feel free. Regardless of the cause, it is just a shame that Buck had to die. He was a wonderful soul.

I've kept busy in the past week, doing more around the house and running errands rather than spending so much time here. I miss reading blogs and making comments. So much is going on in everyone's lives.

I went into Flint on Wednesday and it was really weird, kind of surreal. I don't miss it any more. My apartment is still up for rent, as are others that have been for rent for nearly two months.

I have become accustomed to living in the country again. I grew up in West Virginia and I am familiar with rural areas and life. I like the peace and quiet, the serene views, the wildlife that is everywhere. I'm not used to stores closing at 7 and less choices for shopping or driving further to get where I have to go, but I am adjusting. And my horsey friend is less than fifteen minutes away.

I wanted so much to move out to Tuscola County over two years ago, but it just wasn't the time. Now is my opportunity.

Being here for the past month hasn't been all wonderful times. My daughter's granny is still weak and dying from stomach cancer. My parents made their obligatory monthly phone call a couple of days ago and seemed anxious to keep the call short. My beloved son is angry at the whole world (and mostly me) and emailed me that he wished he had never been (can't write that next word) born. And R couldn't understand the boundaries and respect them, writing me and stating that we could be homeless and he didn't care. Consequently, R is completely out of our lives and I refuse to allow him and his abuse back in. (Must I mention again that it is because of his unwillingness to work a regular job with regular hours that daughter and I lost our home?)

But not our life. We have that wherever we go. That is something I have learned through all of this. Good things are ahead, despite difficult times.

So many people are in a boat that is sinking, and we are doing everything we can to bail and bail and stay afloat. Let's hope that the powers that be are behind us getting lifted out of the water.

Speaking of wildlife, I'll share some pictures I took today of a turkey in one of our trees eating berries. Usually there are more than one that fly up into the the tree. If you look in the middle of the pictures, you can see the turkey, and the head is more obvious in some than others.