Winter in January

This winter has been brutal to say the least. This morning it was 1 degree. Yesterday morning it was 2 below. Everything is frozen except for us and the animals. The skidloader took all day yesterday to warm up enough to start. The hydrants were froze and the water line in the basement was froze. Did I mention the hose was froze too? Even though it was in the basement where it usually stays thawed out. We took it out to do chores but didn't put it on the hydrant soon enough and it froze again. Back to the basement. Dad put the kerosene heater down there and thawed things out. Yay! But at 8:00 last night when we went out to try the hose once more, somewhere near the end it was still frozen. The cows were VERY thirsty so my sister and I bucketed around 30 pails of water to them under a very cold, starry sky. At least we don't have anymore cows than we do! So yeah, farming in the winter can be a nightmare. We're surviving but LONGING for warm, summer days!

 

Here are a few pictures of our usable-but-not-finished barn

 

 

Right now everything is frozen solid and covered in snow. This pic. is from when it thawed up a bit.

The cows on the farm where Dad works

He is the feeder and feeds around 1,400 cows every day so that they make milk, so you can run to the store and buy a jug of it. Don't underestimate what farmers go through to feed 7 billion mouths all over the world. Its a ton of work, esp. in the winter.

 

An icy sunset. Almost looks like mountains back there. :)

Amy's oatmeal bread rising.

More of Amy's handiwork. (Thanks Em!!)

 

Love this picture of the cows huddled around their bale.

My cow. :)

 

Lula helping Amy making meatloaf

and Laurel with her tea

So cute

 

 

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater:

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11