They are calling for more snow tonight and tomorrow, should be interesting. Here are a couple pictures from this morning, in the sunlight, and -10 degrees.
It was really frosty out there. The horses had frost on their muzzles, whiskers and back. Both water containers had almost 2 inches of ice on them. The water was freezing as fast as I broke the ice and scooped it out. No auto fill today, the float was frozen. Oh well, never had the auto filler on this late in season anyway, back to filling with hose 2x a day, no biggie. Will break it out again in the spring.
The water container for cows cracked from the ice. That is a little ironic because the second container that I took out to horses had been turned upside down by the chicken coop since spring, not being used for anything. Guess will just have to let it get emptied and bring it up for cows. The horses do just fine with one bucket since it will be filled 2x a day now.
I have the animal pics loaded on my puter now, and will get them posted tomorrow.
Cindy
December 14th, 2008
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The wind picked up a little more. It was making noises that I had not heard before. Through the trees, around the green house, and around the buildings across the road at Bruno’s house.
At 2:45 PM we decided we better go feed as the snow was 7 miles to the north of us and it was a mean looking sky when we got outside. I got an extra water bucket for the horses and filled that so they had 2 full ones due to having to disconnect the auto fill this early. By that time the tumbleweed was piled up all the way to the top of the fence that was only 1/2 way that morning. Wind still blowing SW. Not to worry though, when the wind shifted to the N-NW it would all blow off the fence again.
All the animals got fed in their shelters so they knew it was there and it would draw them in when the snow started. We felt some snow or rain while we were out feeding, but couldn’t see it, just feel it.
About 3:30 PM it started to snow like it meant business. 6 hours later and about 5-6 ‘ later, it stopped.
I had to unbury a place to feed the birds. They didn’t even mind that I was standing there.
Cindy
December 14th, 2008
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Cindy |
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Yes indeedie doo it did. We had been monitoring the weather underground for about a week and knew what “should” have been coming our way. As I have said before, weather out here is weird. Not sure if we are in the mountains, or the valleys at 5300′+. So its a little hard to decide if weather reports include us or not.
We prepared anyway like I said in the last post. The predicted wind did happen just about the time they said it would. I looked out about 8:30am yesterday and decided I better get the wood tarped that was outside the kitchen door for easy access. In the time it took me to get my jacket, hat and gloves on, the wind started to howl. The tarp on the sheep hay stacks was whipping and really in sad shape as far as on the way to coming off from the wind.
That was the first stop, to secure enough to hold it till I got done feeding. By then, about 15 mins later, there was tumbleweed piled against the horse fence about 1/2 way up. OK, get them fed and watered fast, then on to the cow, and sheep.
There were a couple gusts of wind that almost knocked me over. I had to grab the tarp to keep my balance. Estimated about 40 mph on the wind, and sand blowing all over the place making it sorta hard to keep eyes open.
It took me almost an hour to get the tarp secured by myself, Bev and Shari were getting hair cuts, and weren’t home yet. Their timing was impecable, just as I finished the last tie down, they pulled in the driveway.
Then on to the cow shelter and tied down that tarp a little better that was over their “home”. With all the hard work done, it was time to feed the chickens. No problem there.
At least it wasn’t all that cold, about 50 and a SW wind. Then inside we went to let it blow itself silly.
Will pick this post up in the next one that happened later on in the afternoon.
Cindy
December 14th, 2008
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Cindy |
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