A Winter Storm

Well, the doom and gloom huge snow predictions of social media were poo pooed by the local news stations.  They were predicting an inch or so.  Then on Saturday evening it was 1 – 4 inches.  By Sunday afternoon, social media was proved correct (how often does that happen) and they issued a winter storm warning with 6 – 11 inches predicted from Monday evening through Tuesday.  And they keep lowering our high temperatures for the weekend.

I am glad I don’t have to work Monday and can be home to check on animals.

The snow arrived by the time I finished chores Monday evening, and it was really coming down by the time I went out to milk.

heading out to milk at 6:00 pm

By the way, with those crazy cold temperatures coming, I’m drying Zinnia up so she can keep her udder from freezing.

Zinnia with a light snow on her back

The snow was pretty heavy and continued overnight.  It was fairly deep by the time I went out to feed the chickens/peacock and my barn kitty.

Sky likes to play in the snow (and then go in the house to sleep)

You can see how much I had to move to open the barn door

Luckily all the goats were in over night

It was definitely a stay-at-home snow day. I am so glad I have a job that has snow days.

plow camera about a quarter mile from my gravel road (photo from IA DOT)

It gives me time to actually scoop all that stuff.  Round one of scooping was the front sidewalk, deck, patio and a path to the yard side door in the Morton building.

the dog just watching the world

I had to use that door to go in and bring Antigone back inside and shut them in. They seem to be doing okay in there whenever I’ve looked in.

Antigone, Joy

Suppose Cupid is just waiting for me to leave before causing trouble?

BJ was out in the Quonset hut.  I might have to make an adjustment for these two’s health and well-being as soon as the weather allows before we’re stupid cold.

BJ–I’m glad we’re not too cold right now.

Round two of shoveling snow was in the barnyard. And I know why this kind of snow is called a “widow maker”.  I didn’t have a heart attack, but I can definitely feel my age.

One of my paths (was also a part of round three scooping)

But, we’re at a point I can feed everyone and they can get to the water, so I’m going to call it good.  Of course, that was also because I did some more scooping while I was doing those chores.

Popcorn waiting patiently for room service

throwing hay from the loft

everyone was eating

Cutie and Maybeline

By the time it stopped, we had right at ten inches. I’ll try to keep doing more scooping before it gets so cold this weekend, but we also have another potential winter storm coming on Friday.

In the Milk Room

Obviously, I milk in the milk room.  But that’s just a part of why I love my little milk room.  If I have to treat someone (like giving copper or wormer or putting on a horn apparatus), it works well for that.

Perdita and Moxie

Dolly comes in to get feed every day.

Dolly looks really good going into winter.

She is officially fifteen years and five months old.  Every day, she sets a new record for the oldest goat I’ve ever had.  And I want to keep that streak going!

Dolly chowing down on sweet feed.

Victoria barely made it through last winter, so I’m letting her come in to get a bit of extra feed as well.

Victoria

She has figured out the routine (a bit too well–she wants to come in when I milk in the morning too.)

She’s such a sweet girl.  I hope I can baby her through this winter, so she gets to come in  and eat.

Checking out what I’m doing in the soap room while she’s supposed to be eating.

eating sweet feed

As we get closer to winter weather, I’m trying to catch up on hooves.  It’s easiest to let them into the milk room while I trim.  They do a much better job of just standing while I do my thing.

Maisie wants to get her hooves trimmed about every day now.

I like it when they don’t fight.  Because when they don’t fight, we’re less likely to lose blood.

I swear I went through a streak of drawing blood on Wanda every time because she would kick to much.

Well, my long streak of not drawing blood ended with Astra.

Astra

And she was being good.  I either need to sharpen my shears or get a new pair.  Because their hooves are really hard with how dry we are right now.  My shears just slipped.  I am glad it was me and not her who lost the blood.

I nipped the tip of my thumb off. It looks worse than it really is, but it was pretty ugly.

But I still prefer when nobody loses blood.

The Time Change

I am ready for this time change. I’m not a fan of driving to work in the total dark. It at least gives me a chance to see the deer coming at me.

SOOC

Although, we did have a gorgeous sunrise outside my classroom window Friday morning.

SOOC

At home, I have been prepping several weeks for the time change.  I can just switch my clocks, but goat udders don’t work that way.

Joy in the milk room

I’ve been milking a little later and a little later until this past week it’s been almost seven o’clock (instead of my summer time of six and fall six-thirty).

Joy in the milk room

When I went out Thursday evening, it was already getting dark.

Joy smiling about getting to eat sweet feed

Ms. Goose hanging with the herd

Have I mentioned lately how much I truly love my milk room?  It’s clean(ish) and light and temperature controlled.

milking

That makes fall and winter milking so much more pleasant–not like the old days of milking in the cold open Love Shack.

Chiffon thinks she’d like to get milked too

By the time I was done milking, there was just a bit of an afterglow.

Popcorn with the afterglow of the sunset

I am probably one of the few people who didn’t get to sleep in after the time change.  Sunday morning meant getting up right at six o’clock to go out and milk–not a single time hitting the doze alarm.  But it’s been a seamless time change for the girls.