"Winter" Blech

Christmas was great fun - and then we slept through New Years' Eve to awaken to a brand new year . Ahhhhhhhhhhhh- a brand new year- where we can create more good things happening here, where we can 'start anew'- Right ?

Nope- Just the year's date has changed... Pretty much the same as 2014.....

January was cold- we got a little snow. Just small increments of it, thank goodness. Then it got COLD. We now had ice under the little snows. That makes walking upright a little tricky. So far the snow/ice is winning.

Then good ol' February arrives. Bitter cold days and nights- well lets say, more than bitter. Winds from various areas constantly blew, making wind chills in the minus temperatures.

Today, we hit a whopping 7 degrees with a big wind, taking the "feels like" right into the minus 4 area. Snow flurries as well. Very little sunshine- but when it IS shining, oh wow, it feels Wonderful. This weekend is going to be brutal; 'oh joy'.

Our hens have totally stopped laying- I don't blame them. Who wants to sit still when it is So cold, waiting to pop an egg out? RC is being rather docile except for the time he decided that a little 4 yr old was NOT allowed to slide down our manure pile, on snow. She wasn't very happy about that what so ever. Now, she's forever watching out for RC, and is pleased when he's in the chicken house.  Earlier this winter, some decided that perhaps it was wise to molt. Duhhh- we had the most horrid looking, featherless chickens for miles around. Luckily, they were all re-feathered by late November. Whew- I could just see them needing little crocheted chicken coats to keep warm. Speaking of those , a friend created one for us and I really need to fit it on one of the girls, and get some pictures!

The horses are coming thru winter really well. No one has been colicky or feeling badly at all. Thank God, they've been fine. Of course when it is this cold out, I hit high speed at keeping them all drinking and eating well. They have all been going out during the daytime as it's been to blasted cold at night. Makes more work for those who help out in the morning, but I know the horses appreciate coming in for dinner and remaining there till the next morning.

So, from now til April, I will be impatiently waiting for warmer days.... and sunshine.
My husbands' gelding is already shedding like crazy- let's hope he knows that it's going to be warm sooner than we think !!


Stay warm out there !