Signs of Spring

Today, as the temperature was a seemingly balmy 45 degrees, I decided to venture out.  I cannot remember the last time I ventured out just to enjoy the day.  If I did, it was with uncomfortable full winter garb on.  I am feeling so tired of being cooped up in the house with the windows shut and freezing my buns when I have to go out to do chores!  While outside I decided it was nice enough to let the chickens and ducks venture outside also.  They loved it.  The ducks played in a puddle and the chickens were looking at the outside like "we haven't been out here for a while".  The goats and cows were just laying around soaking up the sunshine. 

While out there I noticed some sure signs of impending Spring!!  Yay!  There are buds on the trees!  It is muddy as ever around here, which I don't enjoy.  The kids usually bring in plenty.  The best thing I saw, though, was some little white flowers up and in bloom and my daffodils are starting to poke out of the ground!

With next week being the first day of spring and my self diagnosed seasonal affective disorder (spring fever) at its peak, I am DEFINATELY ready!  I already have a list a mile long of things that need done outside like fences and better goat pen to house the mommas and babies away from Billy. We will also be starting round 2 of pasture reseeding. Tomorrow is looking to be a wonderful day, too, then it looks like back to cold temps.  Double ugh!  I love Iowa and everything that entails EXCEPT winter!!

I am still waiting on baby goat kids and keeping a good eye on her every day.  When that finally happens I will be sure to post some new kid pics!  I am hoping that I may even get to see the birth.  If so, I am going to try and video.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Winter -The Inevitable

After being a little spoiled by last winter with little snow for the season and only a few days of unbelievable coldness, I am a little weary of what this winter may hold for us.  I have been watching the winter outlooks since mid-summer in hopes of knowing ahead of time what it will entail.  The outlooks, however, all vary in the degree of super cold and amount of snow.  I would like nothing more than to be able to skip winter altogether.  I only go out if I have to and if I could hibernate, I would!

I do, of course, go out every morning all bundled up with coat, hat and mittens to feed and water the animals.  As I trudge through the snow dreams and anticipation of spring fill my head.  My countdown til spring begins as soon as winter hits. Morning chores generally take me over twice as long since I have to get hay for everyone. The water tank heater has to be kept going so they can drink, so I fill it with wood and relight it if it went out overnight.   All the animals get a look over for any problems with them.  It usually ends up being quite the workout for me.  By the time I get to come in I am usually sweating in all my winter garb. 

I don't think the animals like it much either.  We do our best to keep them as comfortable as possible and make it through the winter without illness in the sometimes treacherous weather of the midwest .  They get so excited when we let them on the pasture when it starts to grow in the spring!   I think they are a lot like me when it comes to being in the cold.  They just would prefer not to! 

Winter is, however, inevitable! 

It will come, we will a survive it and eventually it will end.  Those of us who hate winter will once again feel the giddiness of spring when it returns.  The land will come alive once again, the flowers will bloom as always and birds will return home.