Today is a BUSY day. We have a significant snow storm coming in tonight and running through Sunday night. We've had snow on the ground for a few weeks and have been getting a bit but nothing like what is coming tonight. What's coming is the snow that one has to prepare for. It's also going to be the snow that stays and continuously builds up til we hopefully get a January thaw right at the point I'm really into cabin fever!
Yesterday I made a trip into town to stock up on feed and get a few grocery items that were on sale. So I need to finish unloading the van and have it back up to the house so it doesn't get snowed in and stuck out back.
Today I drag the hoses out and top off the stock tank, give water buckets and tubs a good washout, make sure there is adequate bedding, shelter and wind block for the poultry and 3 goats in the buck pen, outside. There's a bit to do inside but that's mostly done and protected by the barn itself. I had 2 round bales delivered Tuesday so the convicts in the buck pen and my cherished mare have adequate hay to keep their systems running well and providing body heat. (The chickens and turkeys are REALLY into hay. I've always given them chaff to pick in, but this bunch likes to pick long green stems out of the hay I give the goats, which is fine with me.)
I've looked and looked and looked for my purple plastic "tobogan" sled that I use to move stuff around, and no luck. How it has disappeared I don't know and the searching has been a time waster! So, yesterday I grabbed a new one at the dollar store. This one is a pretty blue and will slide along better. The purple was starting to break up so it was about to need replacing anyway. The wagon has gotten hard to drag in the snow we have so it's time to switch "wheels". I also got my 2 wheel hand cart up to the house to use for fetching wood.
I also want to pick up a couple more buckets of twigs, bits of useless wood, etc that I collect and use for fire starting. Buckley was really into bashing the pallets that are the compost bin so there's still more I can collect.
I've also drug my boots out and now have to give up my garden muck shoes that I prefer wearing because they are so easy to slip on and off. They also have great traction which I dearly need with my balance problems.
I'm almost ready for this and today is my last chance to get it done before it's much more difficult to accomplish. Everything has been freezing down so it's a daily billboard type of sign for the impending difficult period. Plus it's COLD out so it's hard to stay out too long without coming in to warm up some and catch my breath.
One thing about this outside work on a farm, one keeps finding other jobs that could be done so the work NEVER ends! I'm at that point. I'll also throw a roast or something in the oven so I don't have to "fuss" with getting dinner ready.
Yes, it's a busy day, but one with a huge purpose that will affect everything for the next 3-4 months! Off I go! So much to do and so little time!
(By the way, go ahead and copy this graphic if you wish. It was a snag from a graphic sharing group.)
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