Denim Deb Hay, hay, hay. Thank the Lord!

[hqueen13]

Glad yall missed out. We had a lovely layer of ice yesterday morning. It's always fun when even the chunky mud is slippery!

 

[Denim Deb]

I carry a container of ashes for just that reason. I don't need the horses slipping on the ice an breaking a leg!

I am so over the cold. And, it's supposed to get worse B4 it gets better. If it were easier for me to do things, I wouldn't mind as much. I've gotten some stuff done, but not what I should have done by now.

We've been having problems w/the lock on our shed. I went to unlock it the other day and couldn't. So that meant no chain saw and no extension cord. I had planned on going in the woods and cutting enough wood for a whole truck load. I couldn't do it. Instead, I ended up dragging a bunch to the truck. I had to go farther in than I would have, and haven't done anything w/it except unload the truck.

I have the manure in about 1/2 of my section of the garden. I cannot get the rest done since it's frozen solid. I won't be able to get more of it in until it thaws out and I don't know when that's going to happen.

w/as cold as it is, I'm not penning up my chickens at night. They'd have no access to water if I did. As it is, they can get up on the horse watered. I couldn't figure out why I was going thru so much feed. When I was leaving the other day, I noticed one of the farm ducks very calmly walking into my coop. I can't keep them out of my area since they fly.

W/the exception of some that's frozen to the ground, my field is clean. I'm now doing manure every day so I can keep it clean. When I get a whole cart done, I'll be dumping it.

I don't feel like doing much of anything except sitting in my chair and playing computer games. We have at least another week of really nasty weather. Monday, I'm supposed to go to KN's house. She has a whole pile of stuff that needs to be chipped up, and some that needs to be cut down. Some is good for firewood. But, they're calling for a low that morning of -2 and a high in the lower 20s. If it wasn't for the township giving her a hard time, we'd postpone it. But, they want to give her a fine because of the pile of brush.

I have figured out how to be warm in my tack shed. I actually got it up to 60! And, since it was only in the lower 20s yesterday, that's not bad. I had both the electric heater and the propane heater going. Only problem being, if I have the electric heater going, I can't thaw out the stock tank at the same time. It's too much on the circuit. But at least for the next few days, I won't be at the farm much. Next time I'm there, it won't be as cold so we'll see how it does.

 

[Denim Deb]

Today was a fairly good day. This morning I went to a ladies' Bible study group that a friend of mine is starting up. I don't plan on going every month, but she asked me to come and play the key board for her for today, so I did.

Once I got home, hubby and I went to Harbor Freight, and then the grocery store. I needed a new tarp on my hay shelter at home plus we needed some groceries, so we ran out and got them. After we got home, I ran out to the farm. I was able to get up most of today's poop! I'm just hoping it doesn't all freeze solid to my cart.

I thought I was going to have to cut up wood when I got home, but hubby did it! He almost got enough cut to top off the wood holder in the basement! So, after I fed the goats, I brought in all that wood as well as some from the wood shed. I won't have to bring in any now for a few days. I thought I wasn't going to be able to put the tarp on since it was so windy today. But, the wind died down, so I was able to get it on. I didn't realize that the old one had a leak in it and I've lost some hay because of it. If I hadn't been able to get it on today, I don't know when I would have been able to next. They're calling for very strong winds for the next 2 days. They're also calling for some snow (it's snowing now) as well as bitter cold tomorrow. I got a call this morning that church for tomorrow has been cancelled. I'm not sorry. I wasn't looking forward to going out in that cold.

Now I'm sitting back and relaxing. The house is warm. I have a good dinner (hubby made chili), and I have enough wood for a few days. What more could I ask for right now?

 

[Denim Deb]

I don't want to go outside today! Right now, it's 7* out w/a wind chill of -16*! It's only going to be in the teens, we got about 3-4" of snow, and it's going to be very windy! And, it is not supposed to get above freezing until Saturday. I hope I'm able to get in the woods and get more wood. If I can't drive in, hopefully I can at least find a bunch to drag home. I'm also hoping I can drive my mower into the back today. I wish I had dumped my cart yesterday, but I wasn't expecting the snow we got. They're weren't calling for much of anything, just a covering to an inch. Then they're calling for more Monday night into Tuesday.

Since I'm going to be stuck inside for most of the day, I think I'm going to work on getting my bedroom completely clean. I've been wanting to do it for awhile, just never have the time. But, since hubby's going to be home, he can help me move stuff around-I hope. But, I want to get the walls washed as well as rearrange the furniture. I've been wanting to do that for awhile.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

brrrrrrr! I could NOT do temps like that... Stay warm!

 

[Denim Deb]

It actually didn't feel too bad out when I was out there. But then again, I had on several layers and didn't stop.

OK, today is not going as planned. First off, KN couldn't make it out to the farm this morning, so I had to go out and feed. She'll be going out later, so she'll give Stormy his 2nd feeding as well as put out more hay.

RU is away. I understand why she went, but, IMO, she shouldn't have gone. She has a friend that has cancer in another state. She had the chance to go and see her by hitching a ride w/someone, so she went. She has almost no hay left, so I'm having to peel a round bale to stick out hay. She has no auto waterer in for her horses, so I'm having to break up ice so they can have water. Plus, I have to give water to a mini that's in a stall by itself. And her water bucket is tied in place. I'm sure that by the time I get to the farm in the morning, her bucket is going to be solid ice, so I'll have to cut the twine, place it in the sun and hope it melts enough so I can dump it, retie it, then fill it up. Doing the hay and the water was no fun in this cold and the wind. I got water on my gloves and it froze almost immediately. I just hope I put out enough hay for the horses. And tomorrow, I'll have to move another RB over to another herd, and peel that as well. I just hope she doesn't get snowed in.

Once I was done, I was walking to hubby's car (he insisted I take that this morning) and I slipped. I had a whole dozen eggs in a container. I broke 3 completely, and 3 are cracked. But, I should be able to use them for baking since the membrane hasn't broken.

Needless to say, I'm quite sore. Both knees hurt as does my right wrist and I have a head ache. I'm thinking of taking a nap.

 

[tortoise]

Nap sounds good. Take it easy for a bit. I hope you're not sore tomorrow too!

Frozen water buckets are no fun in winter - especially when it's this cold! We've finally gotten heated waterers sorted out so they're not freezing. But still no fun. Our animals are eating hay like crazy, and we give them grain too when it's so cold.

 

[Denim Deb]

I had a heated water bucket for the goats. I think I got 2 winters from it, so I'm just pouring hot water in the bucket instead.

 

[Britesea]

That's what I do for my ducks- Hot water first thing in the morning, and a second one in the afternoon if it's really cold and they've splashed out a lot

 

[Denim Deb]

Funny thing is, depending on conditions, hot water can actually freeze faster than cold. But, that doesn't seem to be happening. I dumped out all of the water for the chickens last night and left that bowl empty. And, I dumped out the water for the goats, and refilled it. Their bucket was getting a bit full.

I'm glad we have not been getting the storms that they've been getting up in New England. I'm just hoping RU doesn't get snowed in. She's in New Hampshire! I don't know what I'll do if she can't make it home. They're calling for 5-8" of snow tonight into tomorrow. At least it's supposed to snow overnight, so I should be able to get out in the morning w/no problem. I'm supposed to go and feed horses for EH tomorrow. She's having something done to her eyes, and isn't allowed to feed, so I told her I'd do it.

Today is going to be cold! I actually don't mind that I'm going over to help KN. Otherwise I'd be sitting around the farm doing nothing and I know I don't have the propane I need to get it warm in there. We just won't be able to do a whole lot because of the weather. But if we can make it look better, that will hopefully get the township off her back.

Once I get home, I'm planning on going in the woods and bringing home some wood. I got a battery operated chainsaw yesterday so I plan on cutting some standing dead that has no bark on it. I won't be able to get larger trees, but I should be able to get enough to hold us over. This week looks to be the last of the really bad stuff, then it's supposed to start to warm up. I hope so. So, I'll cut some down, then come home and cut it w/the electric chainsaw. I'll work until around dark. Then when it's not so bitterly cold out, I'll bring wood in.