A typical morning? We'll see about that.

This morning started out pretty good for me. It was freezing outside. Everything frozen solid. About 20 degrees. I got my Carhart jacket, leather gloves, boots and the hat my mom got me for Christmas. Makes my head sweat, it's so warm. Got the dogs and cats all fed. Went to the milk-feed room to get all the other critter's feed ready. Go out to get the sheep back next door to their feed bowls.

Here they are, at the starting gate. 1,2,3 GO!

And they're off! Tails flying, leaping in the air in excitement. Who will get there first?

I give all the animals bread that I get free from a bread store in Chattanooga. They love it. So the sheep get their feed and bread and hay in the mornings.

Then I go feed the chickens and let them out for the day. Sometimes they get impatient waiting on me and lay eggs in the coop. They'd all rather lay in the other nest boxes next door though. Got 10 eggs today! They are picking back up again. I had to go get them all fresh warm water too. I heard that a friend up the road had a frozen hen this morning. That's sad.

The dogs are full and happy. Ready to play. They love each other. Stella always wins. I think Bubba lets her.

I go to feed the goats and left the bucket in this little holding area. The sheep managed to get it there and one of them, I think it was Bridgette, wanted to see if there was anything left in the bucket. And ended up with it stuck on her head! I laughed so hard I could hardly see! And the other sheep couldn't figure out what this strange thing was and all started running from her. She of course ran too and hit the fence. Twice! It finally fell off and all was well again in the sheep kingdom. No one was hurt. Just embarrassed.

 Sandy and Penelope wouldn't come out to eat this morning. It was TOO cold for them. I wish you could see how fluffy they get when it's cold like this. They are almost doubled in size.  And they are getting bigger every day. I couldn't get the gate open to go inside the goat yard this morning. It was frozen.

Then I go feed the alpaca boys. Misha will eat out of the bucket. He lets me pet him now. He's a sweetie.

Then, I saw this happening. Leelah was the only one at the fence. The others were all eating hay like good sheep are supposed to, under the shed on the other side of the yard.  But not Leelah. She leapt right over the fence, just so pretty like. Out into the wide pretty green yard. Off she went, happy as a, well, loose sheep.

So I ran as fast as I could on frozen solid ice to get to the gate across the yard before the others realized that they could do this too. Nipped that in the bud right quick!

Finally got Leelah back to where she was supposed to be, after much running and cursing. I just never know what's going to happen around here from one minute to the next. One minute I'm laughing at the darn sheep, the next I want to kill them.

So this is what I got to walk on today. See my nice dry boots? Isn't that cool? I would so much rather walk on this solidly frozen poopy mud than wet poopy mud any day. But it sure is cold out there y'all.

I hope everyone is staying nice and warm out there. It's going to stay like this for awhile. But ya know what? It's winter. And it's supposed to be cold. Right?

Oh, forgot to say that this is just the morning routine. I have to do it all again in the evening, except backwards. And haul lots of water during the day too. Frozen hoses and all.