A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

baymule

Sustainability Master
Joined
Nov 13, 2010
Messages
10,920
Reaction score
19,518
Points
413
Location
East Texas
-3 here this morning. Sun is up and going to warm up to low 20’s. Another ice storm coming tonight and more snow Thursday. I am exhausted from carrying buckets of boiling water to the animals, especially the ewes. Breaking ice for horses and steer but had to start melting it with hot water. Extra feed to help them keep warm.

My sweet husband is on the tail end of sickness, I won’t let him outside to get chilled and relapse. He runs the boiling water pots and has been feeding the two bottle lambs. He frets because he’s not doing enough but he is a huge help to me.

It takes me 3 hours or more to care for animals and repeat it in the evening. 5 more days to higher temperatures. Bring on Sunday, the day the Lord has made!
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,028
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
It's sunny we got a good 10" of dry drifty snow yesterday and 1F outside currently. They say it's gonna be a heat wave this weekend 🤣

Screenshot_20210216-083609.png
 

Chic Rustler

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
2,807
Reaction score
4,885
Points
287
-3 here this morning. Sun is up and going to warm up to low 20’s. Another ice storm coming tonight and more snow Thursday. I am exhausted from carrying buckets of boiling water to the animals, especially the ewes. Breaking ice for horses and steer but had to start melting it with hot water. Extra feed to help them keep warm.

My sweet husband is on the tail end of sickness, I won’t let him outside to get chilled and relapse. He runs the boiling water pots and has been feeding the two bottle lambs. He frets because he’s not doing enough but he is a huge help to me.

It takes me 3 hours or more to care for animals and repeat it in the evening. 5 more days to higher temperatures. Bring on Sunday, the day the Lord has made!
that makes for a long day for sure
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,028
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
CRAP I got two Tom's. Not good... When mating season starts shortly. They will fight to the death. I thought I had 4 hens and a Tom, SURPRISE Sigh...

Two in the center are toms, my breeder Tom and his offspring hatched last summer. Maybe my neighbors' childern would like a Young Tom (I hope). If not then there's always the oven ☺️
IMG_20210216_143555147_HDR.jpg
 
Last edited:

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,028
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
-3 here this morning. Sun is up and going to warm up to low 20’s. Another ice storm coming tonight and more snow Thursday. I am exhausted from carrying buckets of boiling water to the animals, especially the ewes. Breaking ice for horses and steer but had to start melting it with hot water. Extra feed to help them keep warm.

My sweet husband is on the tail end of sickness, I won’t let him outside to get chilled and relapse. He runs the boiling water pots and has been feeding the two bottle lambs. He frets because he’s not doing enough but he is a huge help to me.

It takes me 3 hours or more to care for animals and repeat it in the evening. 5 more days to higher temperatures. Bring on Sunday, the day the Lord has made!

You ready for mud city?
 

CrealCritter

Sustainability Master
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
11,214
Reaction score
22,028
Points
387
Location
Zone 6B or 7 can't decide
we haven't left the farm since Feb 8th (8 days). I ventured out to town today, what a flipping mess. I'm like where's my driveway? I made it out, I think it was on the driveway, but can't be for sure?

Roads are snow packed, drifts across the highway, abandoned cars in the ditches, what a mess... Ole Farm Truck did good in 4WD high though.

Rural king looked like it was going out of business, never seen stock so low. I mean you can actually walk in the isles now. Who knew they had isles? No snow plow has seen the Rural King parking lot. People stuck in their little front wheel drive hybrids trying to get in or out of the rural king parking lot. I would have offered to pull them out but I was afraid I would rip those little plastic cars in half.

But hey I got rockstar parking, very first non-handicap spot. wow that never happens. (Intensity in ten cites, Double live Gonzo). I walked in and shouted to the service desk, as I passed "Ya'll too poor for a snow plow?" A bunch of people start laughing 🤣I grabbed the very last bag of dog food, but they had a full pallet of 18% all-flock. I wonder... if a guy could brew up a batch of beer out of all-flock? I wonder what it would taste like? Gets me thinking... 🍺

Filled up on 88 octane because it was cheaper than 87, why??? Who knows? I filled up last time on e85 so I decided I best not this time. But ole Farm Truck don't care much... about alcohol in her gas, as long as it burns, she's good.

Somebody is getting rich off the price of gasoline and it ain't me! It's probably a bunch of somebody's honestly! What the flip? It's about like Texas, with all that oil and gas underground and putting 23% of their electric grid on wind turbines only to freeze up. Don't people have any common sense anymore?

IMG_20210216_170443421.jpg



Sorry to hijack your thread. But thanks for letting me vent. I guess I should just stay home. People are crazy out there. It makes a lot more sense here at the farm.
 
Last edited:

Chic Rustler

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
May 10, 2017
Messages
2,807
Reaction score
4,885
Points
287
this morning the house was 68 when I got up. 18°f is like a heat wave! we got more snow last night. both towns are under boil order...if you get any water at all. lots of folks without water and electricity. lots of kids going to bed cold. I'm done with this crap
 

wyoDreamer

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
1,798
Reaction score
2,448
Points
267
As a kid, when we lost electric during the winter, mom had us all sleep in the queen size bed. 5 little bodies seem to make enough heat to stay warm with a couple of extra quilts on top.

That reminds me of Dolly Parton talking about growing up poor. They all slept together and during the winter, it would get so cold that when one of them would pee the bed, the warmth felt so good!
 
Top