Sometimes You Get What You Wish For - Groundhog Day

VIDEO OF GROUNDHOG DAY HAILSTORM

All our complaining about the cold and snow and this is what we get.

A warming warning! A sure sign of spring is mud, and yesterday's thaw that took us into the mid to high 40's, gave us a taste of it.All the manure that was getting hidden by the daily two inches of snow became exposed.
The underground springs that erupt from our hills started to flow.
Grass appeared in spots. So did the slush. Unfortunately, the puddles started at the barn door, so it took a little coaxing to get a couple of the fussier goats out. Also hampering the task was the high winds that did not allow me to block the door open with the usual rock. At one point the gust was so strong, it was all I could do to hang on to the door with all my weight, so that it didn't smash three goats in the head as they were thinking about stepping in the mud.

Walking through the calf deep, sloppy snow was akin to walking against the surf in soft sand at the beach. Boot sucking work!
Midday I had to drive along the Loyalhanna Creek just as the ice was breaking up and rushing downstream. Huge ice blocks were thrown up onto the causeway access road.

The causeway itself way blocked with ice and submerged in the rising water. I can't imagine what flooding problems we could have had if the freeze didn't return so quickly in the afternoon.

Aside from Punxsutawney Phil not seeing his shadow to predict milder weather in our futures, we have our own predictor at the farm. Egg production. Just a month ago we were counting the zero egg days, but soon enough the count picked up to four this week. Considering we are down to six hens(just lost one a week ago), that is great. There is one other way to know spring is coming - the calendar. If we are patient enough, Spring will be here soon, bringing her sultry friend Summer.