"Unofficial" Winter

The date may not reflect it but the weather sure does. December has come in with a growl. I do hope that this will not be a repeat of last year.

It began snowing this past Saturday right at high noon. The weather folks got that right. They did fairly well with the amounts also. Anywhere from 1 to 3 inches they said but here in places it was 5 inches.

Due to a bad decision on my part I was out looking for some hay on Saturday when it started. The fellow that I usually get the round bales from was out seeing his father so I called around to find some square to tie me over till he gets back. All of this SHOULD have been taken care of already.

When I got home it had already gotten the ground a little white and I needed to get the hay hauled up before the tractor couldnt get back up the hill. Hauled the groceries and hay up so at least we all could be eating when the snow set in.

I moved the goats back down to the lot closet to the house for my convenience. I also have one that is very pregnant and I am a bit concerned for her. Got to really keep an eye on her.

As playful and funny as goats are they are NO big fan of any precipitation that I am aware of. They will stand in the shed and just watch and chew their cud. Alot of the goats I have are seeing snow for the first time and it is still amusing to just try to imagine what is going through their minds. The same with the hogs I have. This is their first snow and they were a bit more active. They were running around and playing tag with each other for a little while. That was fun to see. There is alot to be said about the critters. The longer you have them the more you learn. Their likes dislikes and mannerisms. They have personalities also. No doubt in my mind about that. When I am blessed by a moment of them just being themselves its really neat. Kind of a kin to spying on something you dont fully understand. I can get as wide eyed as any youngin about some new things I learn.

Sunday, I got up and the temperature had dropped sharply. The wind was gusting to 30 plus mph. Not fun at all. First thing I did was check my animals to see how they were fairing and I could tell they were wondering what the heck happened also. You could tell by the way they were looking at me.

Anyway, I needed to get some more water hauled so I set out clearing a path from the house to the bottom of the goat path (driveway HA ) It was a very fluffy snow so it was no big thing to sweep it. I was going to use my blower but the priming bulb on it has dry rotted and busted. I dont know why they had to replace a mechanical choke with a piece of plastic bulb. Somebody must have had to pull the string more than four times. LOL Dont get me wrong...... I HATE when something is stubborn to start. It usually dont last long around me if it gives me a fit to fire up. But anyway my driveway is fairly long and VERY rough but it wasnt too bad to sweep. I stopped and just took in things around me every now and then. I was about 30 feet from the end and the cheap aluminum broom handle broke. LOL It broke about half into and I knew I didnt have another one anywhere so I pulled my Leatherman out and bent and squeezed one end until it would just fit into the other half. I was close to a big rock so I just started pounded the two pieces back together until it was somewhat sturdy again. Worked like a charm. I didnt have to walk all the way back to the house to repair it so thats always a plus. If I had got to the house it would have been twice as hard to get back to the task at hand. So I named my rock. LOL "BroomHandle Rock" Just one more mile marker in the world. If I need someone to meet me in that area now they can pretty much tell where I am. (The ones I share the location with anyway)

Well got all that mess done and then tried to see if the tractor would make it back and forth and luckily it did. Went to my Moms and swept her porch and steps off then came on back home to finish up the day.


MONDAY

WOke up to even colder temps. In the teens this morning and the wind still whipping. They say it aint likely to stop for about two more days. In the mean time just brutal cold conditions.

Fixed the hog pen so that "Crazy" the goat cant jump in and steal their feed. Got tired real quick of having to stand guard against that big old girl. SHe is slick though. Always keeps a corner of her eye on you pretending she isnt looking at you. You walk away and after a triple take she sneaks up the back side of the pen against the shed and then just stands at the bottom of the fence and jumps flat hoofed right over into the hog pen and starts eating like crazy. The hogs "squeal" on her LITERALLY. You walk back up to the hog pen and say Crazy GET OUT OF THERE. And poof.. Over she goes. Then starts her spy act all over again. That is one goat that can jump like you have never seen. I Half over raised the height so maybe now I can feed with out having to do guard duty. Its that time by the way so better get out of here and get my golf club for busting ice and get these critters took care of for another terribly cold night.