It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

Somehow with the drought last year, it didn’t dawn on me that we could also be in the midst of setting a good record.  But we were until it came to an end yesterday.  We had 359 consecutive days without a tornado warning in the state.  It was hot and humid, and we were warned of storms coming.

I did my storm preparations of picking up feed pans and then I went out to pasture to tell the goats and llama they needed to come to the barn.

Millie

The bovine wanted to go back north, and I tried letting them, but I opened the gate too late.  They’d changed their minds and were going to stay in the pasture.  Now, if you think I can convince a 3000 pound steer to move when he doesn’t want to, it’s not going to happen.

MJ and Maxine

I jumped up and down behind him and hollered, “Get up, Hyiah!”  He stood.  I had a hand firmly on each rump roast pushing as hard as I could, and he didn’t notice me.  I finally gave up and reminded them they could come to the barn. They drive me crazy when they stay in the pasture in stormy weather.

I sent my nephew a text saying it was time to quit farming for the day and then went into town to get my mother since she doesn’t have a basement.  We got back to my house just as the first jagged streak of lightning hit.  Mom went in, and I went to make sure some silly Cinnamon goat was getting her butt out of the pasture and into the barn.  About that time the thunder came and everyone was scared inside.

By the time I got inside, I saw we were under a tornado warning.  I looked out the wind0w again (yeah, I know that’s not what you’re supposed to do in a tornado warning, but still) and saw I had a goat outside.  I headed for my boots and had just gotten them on when my mom told me the goat went in the barn.  For some reason the geese just sit out there in the tornado warning.  They could go in.  Really.

Then they said a tornado had been spotted five miles south of State Center.  Well, that’s just north of town.  Then we got a text from my son asking if we had electricity and did I have any ice cream.  I can’t make this stuff up.  Of course his next text was that he’d driven through the funnel cloud (I believe he meant the rotating wall cloud that is associated with tornadoes and not the actual tornado).  That would have been just about five miles south of State Center.

Well, our streak of no tornadoes has ended, but everyone in my world is safe.  The cows survived. The geese are all here and everyone is fine.

We had more storms come through in the night and there are more chances again tonight.  So how do you prepare for storms?

Linking to Homestead Barn Hop and Clever Chick’s Blog Hop

There’s Something about a Thunderstorm

Maybe I’m a little bit too optimistic here, but I think our drought has ended.  We’ve had about three inches of rain since Thursday.  While that isn’t a lot, it really seems to have soaked into the ground quite well.

The goats have been spending most of their time in the barns.  I did discover I need new steps for the boys because the two step plastic step stool that I had out there broke.  I had to lift Fionn into the building twice in the middle of the rain and thunder and lightening.  Really.

Fionn

Also in the midst of rain and thunder and lightening, the geese decided that was the time to go play in water puddles.  Unfortunately, I’ve been remiss about reattaching the chicken wire to the big red gate and they’ve been spending a lot of time in the driveway.

The puddles that they decided to play in were IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!!  I was back out there and chewing them out.  Luckily they know when they see me and hear, “Get your goose tails back where they belong!”  they move as quickly as they can to get back through the gate.

Of course the second time I put Fionn in, I had one goose out again, so I had to reinforce my hobbling job.  The night of the worst storms, I was very lucky that they stayed to the south of us.

There were tornadoes in the southern part of the state, but we didn’t have any damage.  I am so grateful.  In the high wind warnings from last night, this quonsit hut was flipped over by the winds.  I hope Fionn wasn’t in it at the time.

Boeris by the hut

Ironically, the other quonsit hut was on its top, but now its standing back upright.  I hope they don’t sprout wings and take off flying as much as they’ve been thrown around.

It seems like there’s just something about thunderstorms that ends up with me outside in the middle of it.

A Lazy Day

We’re finally getting some spring showers.  This rainy weather has me feeling lazy.  Instead of working outside or cleaning house, I’ve spent the entire day putting my family tree on Ancestry.com.  It’s going to take me a long time with the thousands of names I have.  It will take way longer than our spring showers I think.

Of course, there are a few things I have to do no matter what the weather is like.  My two bottle kids want fed.  If you’ve been reading for a while, you know my Millie goat gifted me one of her babies, Myson.  I’m also giving Pam’s kid, Maisie, supplemental bottles.

Maisie

Whenever they hear me, they come on the run.  This is also why you hardly ever see them.  They are constantly bouncing on me and trying to find a bottle.

Maisie

With the threat of severe storms, I also took pity on the llama and let him back into the barnyard on Thursday evening.

Djali Llama

He’s enjoying the round bale again, but he did want out this afternoon.  I’ll wait until the severe storms are past tonight.  I also got all of my boys put together~Marley, Boeris and the little buck, Fionn.  Now they all have a good shelter to get into.

Marley and Boeris

Surprisingly, when Boeris would start to push and fight with Fionn, Marley would step in and protect his kid.  I was really surprised that a buck would have that protective instinct for a year old kid.

You can see we brought in the second round bale.

This side of the bale (below) was on the ground and drew moisture, so they didn’t want to eat it.  I spent a bit of time after doing chores pulling the icky hay out.  Again even if I’m feeling lazy, I have to feed the animals.

Now they are enjoying it too.  I had thought about taking Casey and Cookie to the sale barn today.

Casey

I really do need to sell them.  I hadn’t planned on keeping them, but I never got them down there, and now I’m kind of used to them.

Cookie

The threat of severe storms was all it took to convince me to postpone that trip.  Maybe next weekend, unless I can find another excuse.

Well, I think I’m going to finish my lazy day with more genealogy.  No, wait.  I’ll be holding the dog’s paw all night because of the thunder.  Hope you all have a chance to do something you enjoy this weekend.

Linking to SOOC Sunday.

Linking to Skywatch Friday.

Linking to Your Sunday Best.