Okay, let me preface everything that I'm going to write by saying this, "I love Iowa and would never ever in a million years want to live anywhere else but in this state. I love the people, I love the land, and I even love the weather! But..."I am tired of cold and snow and doing the chores in said weather! I guess it isn't so much that I'm tired of the weather (it is supposed to be in the - teens this week) and doing the chores outside as much as it is that there is so much I want to get done and I can't get things done. Add to that the fact that we don't have everything set up yet and we have been dealing with a couple sick Dexters.
You can see from the picture above that we have a little dun calf and our red heifer Jasmine hanging out in the storage part of our house right now ... just on the other side of the kid's closet. The little bull calf was having a tough time and we brought him in to help keep him warm and put some energy back in that little body. Jasmine came in for moral support and extra body heat.
One thing that I was able to get done today (even though it only reached a high of 3º) was to build a bale windbreak on the edge of the pasture. Last night I broke down and bought a three-point bale stabber for the tractor and was finally able to move the big round bales with ease. Now we have some permanent windbreaks that won't blow down when the wind changes directions. Also, I am able to wire the portable ones in place and we are set for cold winds out of any direction.
Hmm... must be nice farming down in Texas right about now. Of course I don't think I would like it so much when it is over 100º. In fact I know I would hate it! So, I'll just keep trucking along and get done what I can get done because I wouldn't trade this place or this life for anything.
