It's been an interesting end to an interesting year here at our place. The weather in 2015 was a force to be reckoned with. The tobacco drowned out and died rather than growing. The corn was flooded under four feet of water and never made a grain. No hay was made due to weather and mechanical failure. Beef and pork processing had to be rescheduled for the early part of 2016. We usually celebrate "Old Christmas" on January 6th, but that was the only day I could get cattle into our processor, so I was out sorting cattle. Both my partner and I came down with the flu Christmas eve and we haven't shaken it yet so sorting and loading hogs and cattle we were like zombies just going through the motions. One of the neighbors helped me out with loading cattle and hauling for us and things ended pretty smoothly. The end of the year saw one of my mules come up lame in a hind hoof, and she's still hobbling but mending every day. Bought in enough hay to do me a while and shouldn't need to get in much more. Thinking I have enough firewood to see me through and the new wood cook stove is fast becoming the best thing I've seen since sliced bread. I've used my electric stove only twice since the first of November and that's only because we had a couple of days near 80 here in December and it was too hot to cook on the wood stove. Setting my feet and gritting my teeth with bared knuckles to face what ever 2016 sends my way. Made a few "resolutions" that I think will see us starting with some improvements if I can stick with it. Hoping for a continued mild winter with enough cold days to kill off the bugs. Starting a contract project to hand rive enough shingles for a local man's cabin, and as soon as the last board is rived I hope to be in the field plowing. I think me an the mules both could use the relaxation!