Time is My Enemy

I'm struggling. In fact, panic is starting to set in. There's just so much that has to get done before the snow flies. And now the Old Farmer's Almanac (I think that's the one), is calling for a cold winter. I cant' remember if that included more than average snow or just super cold.


But I can feel the nip in the air when I'm doing chores. It should be hot, hot, hot. But it's downright chilly some mornings (and evenings). The seasons seem to be getting messed up. Earlier springs, earlier falls. I'm not ready for it.


There's so much that has to be done. So, so very much! I could really use the help.


I'm struggling to find the time to get everything done. By the time I get home from the paying job, take care of the kids, and do my chores, there's no time for house work, horse work, or paperwork. I really need to buckle down and get focused on a few things and I can't seem to get there. I have a fundraiser idea that I'd like to do but need some help with that.


I need to get blankets washed, repaired, waterproofed, and inventoried before the first snow flies. I expect the horses will be wearing blankets more this winter. Jim destroyed his blanket last year and there's others that tweaked their blankets so its' not as easy to work with this year. I need to get those tweaks fixed if we are going to have a long winter and blankets need to go on. Each year the horses get a little older and a little stiffer in the winter so they need that little bit of extra lovin' to get them through the cold South Dakota nights.


The weekends have been packed with family activities so there hasnt' been much time to get anything else done around the Sanctuary.


I'm also super stressed about hay this year. We are switching hay guys because he'd never give us a price. So now I'm stuck paying for last year's hay this year because he wanted to see what the going price was. Little did I know he was going to stick us with too expensive hay prices. We have a new hay supplier and he's not going to pull the same stunt but that means we need to come up with two years worth of hay right now. I haven't done any fundraising to help offset the price of hay and I've missed the deadline for every grant that I've looked at. We need funds for hay and if that means fundraising, I'll do it but need help with a few fundraisers that will at least help take a small bite out of the hay money that I need to come up with.


The mare pasture is pretty much done. I'm throwing hay morning and night but I need to get out and walk the fenceline in the other pasture. The other pasture Junior managed to get out. I don't want to put Mayhem or Lace in that pasture until I can figure out where they are getting out. I walked the fenceline before and never saw a break so I don't know what's going on. I  may have to electrify it but that is a challenge all on it's own. :-)


I basically  need, money, time, and volunteers (but then again, every rescue needs that!) 


Yesterday we had to run in to town to do some shopping (daughter is almost one and we didn't have any birthday presents!) As we were driving, I noticed that a group of trees/bushes were already starting to turn. Although I do remember that same group of trees/bushes turning the beautiful fall colors early last year...not sure why I remember that in my pregnant fog.) I'm also struggling with the fact that it's been almost a year since my daughter was born. Time is flying by faster than I want it to.  When my son was born, the days didn't fly by as quickly (but I blame that on all the additional trauma that we went through medically).


So I guess I'm struggling with knowing winter is approaching, trying to pay for hay, squeeze in some fundraisers to help pay for the hay and see if the fundraisers would even work, get everything prepped for winter (at least blankets and the barn), and realizing that time is my enemy and that it is flying by faster than I can work.


If only I didn't need sleep (or money).