Monday, January 15

Farm Photo: 1/15/07


Our Wet Weather Creek Started Running This Morning

Shhhqwit! Shhhqwit! Shhhqwit!
From what I've heard, we've been very lucky so far. That predicted freezing rain and other nasty stuff ended up coming down as regular old rain instead, but boy did we get plenty of it. The creek is running. The overflow from the spring box--which is often not more than a trickle--looks like a baby Niagra Falls. And there's mud. Lots and lots of mud. The barnyard turned into a mushy, yucky mess.

Shhhqwit! Shhhqwit! Shhhqwit!
In my beloved rubber boots and thick woolen socks, I can slog through the barnyard just fine--even with my hay cart in tow (no sense in feeding those bales that are safely in the barn just yet). I cannot believe I survived the first 26 years of my life without rubber boots. They are so liberating! Today I marched right through a puddle that came halfway up to my knees.

As for the sheep. . . well, they avoid puddles whenever possible. And I can't think of anything they despise more than having to walk in the mud. You don't know what pure disgust is until you've seen it staring back at you on 56 faces at once.

By choice, the sheep and their guard donkey spent the day plodding around in the wet and nibbling on low hanging branches of cedar trees rather than munching on hay in the muck. It is obvious they blame me not only for the mud, but all of the bad weather as well. So when I tucked them in for the night, I consoled them with their favorite treats and the comforting news that this would all be frozen solid by morning. Which is good--because I hate to think how much it would cost to buy 112 pairs of little rubber boots.

As for us, we are hunkered down and awaiting zero degrees. The fire in the woodstove is crackling, there is freshly baked bread in the kitchen, and the two raised beds of my special high dollar garlic have been mulched with a thick layer of manure hay from the barn. I even managed to install a makeshift plastic tarp drop ceiling in the greenhouse to help hold in the heat from the space heater. There is nothing more to do but curl up, get some sleep, and hope there's running water in the morning.

A year of photos ago:
1/14/06: Patience Is Not One Of Their Virtues
And WCB #32: Posted Patchy Cat
1/15/06: Nice Green Hay On A Very Cold Day
And WDB #17: Robin & Leopold

18 comments:

  1. Susan, sounds like you have a great plan to ride out the weather. I might need to borrow it later this week.

    Give Cary a warm hug for me.

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  2. Hey Susan, hope you've escaped the worst of the weather. Think of you whenever we get snippets on the news.

    Ah rubber boots! Or Wellies as they should be known - I know just what you mean. I bought a cheap old pair 2 years ago but NOTHING is as satisfying as a great pair and this month I splashed out (geddit?) on a pair of Le Chameaux (Camels to you), wonderful neoprene lined and warm as toast. Mmmmm. I now look out at the weather trying to find excuses to wear them!

    As for mud .... welcome to my world!

    Cheerio. X

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  3. mud? water???

    i now live in Senegal, i barely remember such things!!!

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  4. That is a lot of little feet to keep dry and warm! I need to get some of those boots for myself, the fog valley is mucky a lot; I think it's the 120+ inches of rain a year.

    Stay warm and dry.

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  5. I have this funny picture in my head with happy little sheepies with some cute little rubber booties. I saw some see through rubber boots at the yarn shop the other day. I think some nice hand knitted colored, say international orange, socks would be lovely. You would be able to see them even in the fog and rain.

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  6. Susan,
    Happy to hear all is "well" there for now. The news reports here about MO look like there was a lot of ice and damage.
    We are still eerily warm here but cold is coming today and we have high winds.
    Glad to hear the furry friends are OK, despite the mud.
    Little boots on all is a very funny thought....pats to all.
    Cape Cod Kitty

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  7. Farmgirl,

    I'm relieved you've weathered Old Man Winter thus far. Would we dare face him without our trusty rubber boots? I just put a picture of mine on my blog this week... Seriously, I wouldn't trade them for all the designer shoes in the world!

    Thought: you know how Mary Jane Butters has an (expensive) program on her farm that allows folks to stay for a week, pitch in with chores, and learn farm and cooking/baking skills? Well should you ever do that, I'm THERE. Definitely.

    Be warm and cozy!
    brin

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  8. looks cold and wintery.

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  9. I love my rubber boots, but at -17ยบ, it's a little too cold for that, so I either wear my "mukluks" - thermal boots or my regular going-to-town snow boots if it is frozen enough so I don't collect all kinds of 'foreign' thing on the boots.

    Glad you missed the worst. We have 4" of snow and the COLD.

    Blessings

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  10. The weather is so bizarre in Virginia right now, I look at your photos and yearn for something like an ice storm. Years ago, when I lived on a farm in Louisa County, we had a huge ice storm, and no one could get out (there was a main house and several little cottages inhabited by grad students).

    4-wheel drive vehicles littered our long, long driveway and even the tractor got stuck in a ditch. After a day or two in our pajamas in front of the wood stove, my (future) husband and I realized food was a little low and decided to give getting out a shot anyway. Our third-hand Suburu station wagon putt-putted it's way over the ice and to the grocery store.

    (Sigh). I really want just a little winter--just a touch, to remind me I do in fact live in a part of the country normally subject to seasonal change.

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  11. Funny how animals (and children) always think you (we) are to blame for anyting that isn't going exactly right or to their expectations. I'm sure the sheep will get over the weather soon. Raincoats, they don't have, but they're set with winter coats!

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  12. That's so funny that the sheep won't walk in the mud! My dog's the same way, but he's a pampered New York puppy.
    Well, hope all freezes over and I love the idea of those sheep in booties!!

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  13. 112? what about donkey?

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  14. I can only imagine what the looks on those sheep's faces must've looked like as they trudged through the mud! It's funny how particular some animals can be.

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  15. Can you help me? I am recently retired and love cooking. I have a receipe asking for metric amounts of flour. I assume that when they ask for teaspoons of this and tablespoons of that, they want the metric amounts not imperial measurements or whaever we have in the US. I can find all sorts of measuring spoons with metric equivalents---but no metic measures. Or does it matter?
    Thanks and I hope this is not to inane.
    bill

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  16. do you feel shut in in winter??do you have cable tv--do you have time for cable tv??I love you photos and your sense of adventure--Happy New Year to you and yours--I love animals-

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  17. it's a good idea to have a tank of gas and a burner which you can cook on if you loose electricity--I had one of these in the Caribbean where I was staying and when we lost the juice we could always cook--do you have a fireplace??Store up on plenty of flour and staples--dried beans etc..oil lamps and candles and matches--stay warm--get a good down comforter--

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  18. I'm glad that the bad stuff missed you. We did get a dab of it here in north Texas. Fortunately, most schools around here closed, so the roads were not quite as crowded for those who couldn't delay in getting to work.

    I hate it when the pipes freeze. May your water run clear.

    Blessings,
    Sandy in dreary, cold, north Texas

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December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

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