Sorting Cattle and Layering Wardrobe

We're a little late weaning our calves this year, but we finally got it done.  We brought the cows and calves to the corral, sorted off the calves and worked the cows.  When we wean our calves, we use the nose to nose method.  That means that the cows are on the outside of the pen that the calves are in.  They can not get to each other, (unless they tear the fence down, which can happen, and it has happened) but they can touch noses.  Supposedly this method keeps the stress level down.  We will let the calves settle down for a few days before we vaccinate them, which also plays in with keeping the calf's stress level down which is very important.  If they get too stressed, they are more prone to sickness, which obviously is not a good thing.  But we did go ahead and vaccinate the cows while we had them in the corral. 
Over the years, I have learned the importance of a layering wardrobe when working outdoors this time of year.  I started the morning out with all my winter layers on and my new non-fashion statement boots.  But knowing that the weather could change at any minute, (and it did) before I headed to the corral, I packed extra items with me that could not be layered.  Since I was wearing my non-fashion statement boots, I took my Muck boots, and my Georgia work boots.  I also had 3 hats, my warm fussy one with ear muffs, my beanie hat, and my John Deere baseball hat (this was in all hopes the sun would shine).  And I had 4 pairs of gloves, my warm leather mittens, liners for inside my mittens, warm rubber gloves, and of course my nice fitting leather gloves.  (I have a thing about gloves, but that's a blog all in itself)  I felt I was totally prepared for what ever the weather did.   And believe me, I stripped off layers, changed hats and gloves, and put back on layers, a million times that day.  And my new non-fashion statement boots, (I guess I had better find out the real name of them, so I can call them correctly) were wonderful and very warm, but they do have one draw back.  They are very heavy.  I'm glad I had some lighter boots to change into!  I think by the time I wear those boots all winter, my legs will be looking SO GOOD!  That's livin' the life, the farm life that is........................