Layer on....Layer off....Strip tease Act

As many of you know,  when we are feeding cows, I usually drive the tractor and my Farmer throws off the hay.  There are a few times when I will "give him a break" and let him drive while I throw the hay off.  Tonight was one of those times.  He was already in the tractor, the sun was shinning (remember I am only a fair weather farmer),  so I thought, what the heck, he can just stay in the tractor and I'll toss the hay this time.  Now you have to realize that we are having spring in the mountains right now, which means it is cold one minute and warm the next, which means you dress in layers and it is a game of on/off all day.  Well just before we fed, it was cold, so I was layered.... winter hat, snow pants, heavy coat, snow boots....yep I was pretty much bundled up.   As we headed out to the field, the wind stopped and the sun was warm....it was just plain beautiful.  As I got about half way through the first bale, I started to get rather warm, so off went the coat.  Then the hat.  Then the snow pants. Then the vest.  Then I realized,  if anyone was watching,  it probably looked like a strip tease act!  On a hay wagon! That made me laugh.  I kind of wanted to keep stripping off layers just to see what my Farmer would do. That really made me laugh.   After all, it is all about livin the moment and keepin life exciting right?  But then that would make this blog x rated and well, we can't let that happen now can we.  Haha!  But ya know.......Thats livin the life, the farm life that is.   And I'm still lovin it.....all bundled up. 😊

Snow Painting......the Farmer way

My Farmer and I did a little "snow painting" yesterday, the farmer way.  Let me explain.  One of the problems we have when we get a lot of snow around here (note I said one because there are many) is that it can be hard on our wheel lines.  If the snow covers them then crusts, it will pull the lines down as the snow settles.  Believe it or not, the snow can crust so hard that as it pulls the line down it can break the pipe.  One year we had enough snow that it pushed down hard enough to flatten the metal wheels.  Crazy! And wheels do not roll so well not round.  Snow is an interesting object.  Anyways, to prevent this from happening, we remove the snow from the pipes.  In the years past, or lets say when my Farmer was younger and had lots of energy, he would walk the wheel lines and shovel the snow off.  As he became, ummm, lets say "wiser", he started saving the ashes from our fireplace and spreading them on the pipes, which made the snow soften and melt.  It worked pretty darn good, only we never really had enough ashes to do all the lines.  Well....this year we used lime.  This is where the "snow painting" comes to play.  We put lime on our fields every year, something about needing it for the ph in the soil or something, not my expertise so thats all I know.  So my Farmer decided why not use lime instead of the ashes, should work the same.  I like the idea of using the lime.  We have lots of it AND it comes in pretty colors.  Now let me admit something here, I normally do not help my Farmer do this task.  Main reason.....he does it early in the morning, when it is cold out.  I guess that is two reasons, early and cold.  Yesterday, the sun was shinning, it was a beautiful day, I went outside for a little walk and there he was, working, and I had a guilt moment. But he was riding on top of the snow with the atv so I didnt have to walk, it was a gorgeous day, and I did need a little exercise.  Turns out, it was kind of fun painting the snow.  We had purplish lime and a beautiful pink color lime.  I kept wanting to make flowers or something, but I was suppose to be working, it was a job, and the boss was watching.  I did manage to snap a picture or two, when he wasn't watching.  hehe. 

So, if you drive by and see this image, you now know the reason. 
Well, the sun is shinning, there are three more wheel lines to do, and I had so much fun yesterday, I think I will go help my Farmer finish.  Besides, have you ever riding on top on the snow with your ATV?  It is a blast!!!   That's livin' the life.......the Farm life that is!

Lots of Snow keeps a Farmer Hoppin'.

Its been a little crazy around here lately.  We have been getting a lot of snow, which is a good thing,  it just keeps us hoppin'. Plus we have had a lot of wind and power outages.  Besides feeding our 250+ head of cattle,  we also have a snow removal business.  Our daily schedule has been get up way before dawn (which I totally do not like), blow snow for 12 hours, feed cows, eat dinner, sleep, wake-up and start over.  Thankfully we have had a little break in the weather so we could pay a little more, and much needed, attention to the cattle.  We have 100+ weined calves watering off of a well.  Which is a little worrisome when the power goes out.  Or when the power company warns you to be prepared for it being out for a couple days!  The cattle NEED water. Period.  Luckily it has came back on within 5 hours or so.  Thank goodness.   The big cows are in a field with a creek running, so we do not have to worry about their water if the power goes out.  What we do have to worry about is making sure they GO to water. Some of them can be lazy and not want to trudge thru the deep snow to the creek.  (Fyi they do eat snow and get a little water that way)  We also have to make sure they can still get to the creek and that it is not frozen over.  So thats what we did yesterday.   I snapped a picture of my Farmer shoveling the path to the creek for his cows. 

You can see how deep the snow is......level with the wagon and the belly of the bulls.  I am, of course, sitting in my warm tractor, listening to christmas music.  Hehe.  However, I was a little worried that I might get stuck down there, and I was really hoping I wouldnt drive into the creek, beings how I couldnt SEE IT!  But alls good, I didnt run into the creek, and I didnt get stuck, only almost 3 times.  I could have blown my way out with the snow blower, but that is for the last resort. Its a challenge to see how much snow I can actually drive my tractor through while pulling a wagon.  Makes me feel powerful. Hehe  (Unless I do get stuck,  then I feel pretty stupid, especially if I have to have my Farmer get it unstuck. Never a good situation.) One of the reasons for driving so close to the creek is to make a path for the cows. Also if we feed them closer to water they will more likely go to water.
Well, since today is Christmas Eve, and I am not plowing snow, I best get some packages wrapped before my Farmer calls for my help in whatever comes up.  Haha
But ya know,  thats Livin' the Life......the Farm Life that is.  I am thankful to be living in the most wonderful winter wonderland.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! ! !