Cabin Fever Festival, Windsor, CT/ Ice Festival, Ligonier, PA

We have four town facilities that we use for going for walks and hikes with Jock. Northwest Park is the largest, and has umpteen choices of lengths and variety. Basically, you could switch and join and combine and walk all day if you wanted to. Its mostly woods and field type trial, some going by a reservoir and some by barns and soccer fields. Depending on the weather and time, you can be in mostly shade or predominantly sun.

These days, I prefer as much solar help as possible. I don't recall the last time above freezing. Poor Jock's feet are either not as tough as they used to be, or the cold is just taking its toll. We tend to choose our destination by temperature this past month. Some days we get to the park, only to turn around minutes later because Jock begins to limp on three legs, trying to hold up one foot, then another. Its also hard to tell if its just the cold, or the product being used on the roads to melt the ice. Either way, we haven't taken too many walks past a half hour in the past month. We've tried greasing his feet with salve before we head out, but its hard to know how effective that is. Its actually too bad we didn't attend the Cabin Fever Festival yesterday as one of the features was a show with huskies from the Connecticut Valley Siberian Husky Club. Maybe they could have given us some advice.

Left over today was this ice sculpture that I imagine will be there for a while with our weather staying frigid for the rest of this week.

It was a fun reminder of the week-end Ice Festival back in Ligonier, PA, also this week-end. 

If you are passing Ligonier in the next week, I bet you can enjoy the many sculptures there - and maybe a hot drink too!

Is Arctic Cold Warmer Than Frigid?

No news to anyone watching the telly or reading the news - our part of the country is days into an "Arctic Freeze". Well tonight's forecast has a blue thermometer and the word "frigid" next to it. Are we to surmise that means its getting worse? Or have they run out of ways to express the cold we are suffering through.

I will tell you that the goats have had mostly indoor recess, with a short outdoor stint where they spend most of their time standing together in the shed, watching my kitchen door.  I can hear them cursing my name! When the sun is out I want them to get a little fresh air and solar heat, even if that is tough to feel when the wind kicks back up.  Yesterday I even went into the shed with them to show it really wasn't that bad out there. I was met with blank stares.

Little Brianna followed and waited for something exciting to happen like heat blowers to start up. Kids! They are so eager and gullible.

I had my camera in my pocket. That's where it was when I tromped back into the house. Taking off my gloves for anything is quick and painful. My rubber boots feel like rocks on my feet as I walk over the frozen ground.

Normally this would be kidding season here, and I am sure it is on other farms. I'm betting the electric bills are going to be high to keep everyone warm for those that survive being born during this freeze. As it is, I have cracked skin. Imagine kidding and maybe milking to get the slow starters going.

God bless the farmers working out there this month!

Pond Hill Clean Up

Remember when I mentioned that a cat can be a big distraction to the goats?

Not sure if you can see that the majority of the herd is staring down Mia.

She slunk into the weeds from their stare, even though there is a fence between them.

Today was another clear, blue sky day, but when we went up to the hill, the surface of the water bucket had ice on it for the first time.

The leaves should be turning fast now.

 The goats worked as a herd the whole day, browsing as a team.

I imagine one more day and they will have thinned things pretty well for the tractor to finish the job for the winter clean up.

Everyone is growing a thicker coat of fur, and getting plenty of fresh, protein filled weeds and grasses before winter really takes hold.

 As you can see, the all-you-can-eat buffet is well stock for these goats.

Busy Week

 The first half of the week was white and cold. 

 We were using up a lot of power keeping water from freezing in the barn and out.

 The twins are big and hardy, so they have been out every day now.

 My favorite part of the farm.

 Jock enjoyed a walk with Dave in his favorite type of condition. Cold.

 Kids Brooke and Lillian on a school day off with kids Angus and Anakin

 Finally a warmer day to get the triplets out with the twins, and they loved it.

 The snow is completely gone and the mud is back big time. Will it ever dry up?

 This is job training. Now eat the tree.

 And as always, all the animals do their best to get along, share toys, and even food.

The biggest and the smallest manage to live peacefully together.

Wish they rest of the world could learn from them, don't you?

Freeze and Mud

Since the last post, the weather has gone as low as 12 with a -4 wind chill, and as high as 50. 

This is what happens to muddy footprints overnight.

The twins are pretty tough at two weeks old, and have been out in the snow and rain - with shelter - most of the week. 

They are pitching in with the Christmas tree recycling already.

 The triplets have been in the barn, and know how to find a sunny spot...

and mom.

What else do they need?

Once again, as soon as we brought the trips out for their first outdoor day, a hawk showed up. Here are all five together and almost standing still for a split second.

Angus is getting so huge and runs through the barn like a wrecking ball.  He is nuts! 

Anakin is just having fun, and plays with the triplets a lot since his brother is just flying around.
Check out the VIDEO HERE.

Anakin and Angus

Today was pretty cold so no gloves meant no fingers! 8 degrees when I first took hay around the stalls at 7AM.   I have the monitor on by my bed and at 4AM had to whack it a couple times because of the static. I had this fear of loosing a kid to the weather like last year, and it was Twee who lost a doe in the snowstorm last January. She is due now, and I was watching the field with her out there all day, worried that she might kid in this extreme cold.

Here's a little goat video that is already a day old, but I though you might enjoy four day old goats. Its hard to believe how much more mobile they are today.

Oh! And Angus is the larger kid with lighter ears. He was the slow starter, but is catching up fast

Anakin (Skywalker) is this little, noisy guy.

Our five year old neighbor Aidan chose his name.

I like it.