It has been pointed out to me that I neglected to talk about how our dogs and cats fare during the cold weather. To put your mind at ease, I thought I'd show you their accommodations.

We have an old heated dog bed that we leave on our front porch during the winter months for any of the dogs to use, specifically the older dogs. It has gotten a lot of use over the years. But, so far this winter, the dogs have barely touched it. It has been hovering around 0°F, you would think there would be a pile of dogs on that old bed just trying to stay warm. Strange, you say? Not really. A couple of interlopers have taken over the dog bed.

They appear to be quite comfy there. I believe they have found their winter home and I see no signs of them moving back to the barn anytime soon. (Please try to ignore the cobwebs in the corner. It's on my to-do list, I swear!)

So, where have the older dogs taken refuge? On the other side of our front door, of course. Otherwise known as in the house, making them house dogs, if I’m not mistaken. We have a small entry way at our front door that is now littered with a different dog bed, a dog crate and a variety of dogs.

So, no need to worry, the dogs and cats are well-taken care of this winter. What? I heard you! And you're right: they are spoiled. (Don't worry, you're not the first person to tell me that!)