Cold Ham

Stove picked the wrong day to get cranky.  Before dawn an icy-cold wind was howling, seeping into the house through any available crevice.  I fed Stove a good supply of wood and used one, two, three starter blocks (usually one will do) and he still refused to cooperate.  I put on the warm pig hat long before going out to the barn, it was that cold.

Missy led the way to her room and made it obvious that she wanted to be, not only petted, but rubbed warm while she got a start on breakfast.  Either Sheila is used to the hat or she was anxious to get outside where she could move fast enough to warm up a little.  Barn chores did not take long!

Back in the house, I wheedled and cajoled Stove and he finally relented and fired up.  There were places I had to go and I didn't want to leave the house cold for the insiders.

Ordinarily I would not have worn the pig hat out in public, it's more of a private joke, but it was not an ordinary day.  Truck needed gasoline and the wild birds were nearly out of food, so a trip to Mt. Aukum was necessary.  What the heck, my hair was a wreck anyhow after being jammed under the hat and it wasn't getting any warmer outside.  If you're going to do something eccentric, own it.  Laughing inside, I pretended like wearing a large pink pig on my head was the most natural thing in the world.  It was people's reactions that really got me.  There was a glance, a widening of the eyes, and a quick look away as if it could be contagious.

It wasn't until I got up to Holiday that someone finally mentioned my unusual chapeau.  "I really like your hat!"  "I do, too, and it's the warmest one I have."  A daddy was pushing his little girl in a cart and she asked to stop and get a better look.  I guess he thought a woman who would wear such a thing was harmless, because he did.  Cute little girl, and she said she would name the piggy Gracie (her dad said that was her name).

The rain began in earnest on the way home, and the wind was strong enough to push Truck sideways a bit.  I'm not sure that some of those raindrops weren't snow splats, it was cold enough.  Stove had finally accepted his responsibilities and walking into warmth was a relief.  I did not, however, remove my hat.