Snowy morning at Outback Farm

I think it got to maybe 10 last night. 66 in the house. That's what I have my central heat thermostat set on. It did come on during the night but that's ok. I had the water faucet in the bathroom upstairs dripping. All the cats still inside in the barn with heat on over there. I'll keep them in til tomorrow.


The dogs are fine in the snow. I've seen Bubba laying out in it a few times. When they come in, they lay in front of the wood heater. I caught Stella all sprawled out on her back awhile ago in front of the wood stove. Ran to get the camera and of course she got up. Anyway, she sure did look comfortable.

Yesterday, the chickens all wanted to stay in the coop. So I went ahead and brought them their food. Locked them all up for the rest of the day and night. This morning, there were already 7 eggs. One was frozen solid and cracked. I guess that was laid yesterday afternoon. So I am going out to get eggs several times a day.

 Here's my one legged rooster, Black Bart, this morning. He really has 2 legs, but it's %#@*!

                     Here is the fire pit, all covered in snow this morning. I love the designs on the blocks.

The round hay bale after 4 days so far. Looking pretty good. It might last a few weeks. They do seem to be hanging out there most of the time.

April, the new ewe, is getting pretty big in the udder. She was in one of the stalls this morning. I told her she better keep those lambs right inside and not let them come out any time soon. I hope she does.

I saw this shovel in the corner with this snow that looks just like a heart. Isn't that pretty? And so farmish.

So Georgia appears to be closed/ Like the whole state. There were so many people stranded over night in their cars on the roads in Atlanta. And even some kids on school buses til way into the night. Poor babies. Lots of stores opening up to let stranded people inside to get warm. It's a mess out there, people!

The snow is actually melting from the roofs and awnings on the house. But when it hits the ground, it's turning to ice. So I have to be really careful when I go out. So that's what's going to happen during the day. Then tonight, slick ice all over the roads. So please be careful if you have to get out there. I am staying home. I have lamb bones on the stove, making broth. I'm going to make a lamb stew for dinner. Just sounds really good today. With a cast iron pan of crispy hot buttery corn bread. Yummo!

I'm firing my personal weatherman.

 This is NOT what it looked like this morning when I woke up. Nor did it look like this when I was loading up 2 ram lambs to take to the butcher. Nor did it look like this on the way to the butcher. OR on the way home from the butcher. But a few minutes after I got home, it started to look like this.

And it got whiter and whiter. And of course the C word. But I won't say that word.

So, our daughter called from work to tell us school was closing at 11:30 and could we go get Kansas. We  had to go to town anyway for an appointment at 1:30 at H&R Block. Also wanted to take some soup to a friend and my mom. And take a cooler to the butcher for lamb organs.

So we headed out. I took pictures all the way to town and back. There was NO ONE on the road til we came up on this about half way to town. They were going maybe about 15. And would put brakes on going DOWN hills. And there are just about 3,876 hills on the way to town. OMG!!

Out other daughter called to say she was leaving work and would go get Kansas, but she was just crawling because it was like rush hour at 10:00 AM. Took her 2 hours to get home.

So we went to the school and got the grand child. Along with all the other people getting theirs.

On the way to Abby's, we had to go down this cool hill in the Baptist church parking lot and act like teen agers and do donuts! It was SO fun! Scared the poor child a little though.

Here's the grand, playing in the snow at Mrs. T's house. She's on the old oak tree stump. It's HUGE! We stopped there to get some wood from the huge wood pile that our son-in-law Jason has been working on splitting. We thought it would give up traction on these treacherous roads.

Isn't this magnolia tree beautiful all covered in snow?

 Before heading home, we went back to the butcher to take the cooler. I thought I might be able to go ahead and get the lamb organs but when we finally got to the top of their hill and got out of the car, I heard the sheep. Poor guys. He said it had been crazy all morning and he hadn't had a chance to get to them yet. So I'll go back in a few days. But going back down that hill was so scary. We almost slid into the ditch. But we made it.

Oh, we also got a call from the guy who was going to do our taxes. He canceled. He lives up on the mountain and was going home. The mountain is in this picture up ahead. Can you see it? Can you also see all the traffic going the same way we are?

This is at the crossroads of 136 and 193. Can you see the snow plow truck across the road? With salt in it. If you turn right, you go up the mountain. It looked like the truck had been up that way. So that's a good thing. To the left is Lafayette.

 
 And here we are, back home, safe and sound. I do have a good driver. He knows how to drive in snow. Unlike most everyone else out there. People are stupid when it's like this. Really. Stupid. I mean, there is cautious. Then there is stupid. I'm just glad I'm home. And all my kids and gran kids are home too.

                                And here are my snow-covered sheep. Even Abraham is white.

My snow-covered house. When we got home, it was only 64 degrees in the house. That's pretty darn #*^#!  So I went out and grabbed some little old pieces of wood and threw them in the stove and it got back up to a little over 70. Lots warmer than 20.

It will probably be looking like this for awhile. And ALL schools are closed tomorrow and probably the rest of the week. I'M stayin' home!

Decisions

 Yesterday, I got this round bale of hay for the sheep. They seem to like it. At first, I thought they might just eat til they ate the whole thing and die. But they ate awhile, then they'd go out and graze a little bit, then lay down. Then they'd go back and do it all over again. They really haven't made too much of a dent in it so far. But they are eating it. So I hope it'll last at least 2 weeks. We shall see. For just $15, this should be affordable. I may just get round bales for the sheep from now on.

I have to load up 2 of the ram lambs in the morning and take them to the butcher. I hate doing this, but that's why I have them. One of them is a friend's ram that's been staying here. The other is the make-up lamb for the screw up at the other butcher on the mountain that I will never take another animal to. So I am not making any money on this lamb. Just losing money. I learn as I go.

I cannot remember if this was a morning or evening shot. It was a few days ago, I remember that much. And I love it. Every day is so different. It never bores me to see the sky, in all it's glory.

This is what I see every morning. All the goats and the alpacas, standing there waiting on me to come out the door to feed them. I still have John Henry. I just don't know what to do with him. I have tried for months to sell him. And I have thought of butchering him here and making sausage out of him. But he is still stinkin' like a buck in rut. Not really bad, but I still smell him. And he is still in with the does because I have nowhere else to put him. I am also thinking about butchering Abraham, the ram. I'd use him for dog food. And the little black ram too. He is the smallest ram I have ever seen. He's not much bigger than Buttercup, who was born last April. I just don't want any males to have to worry about for so many months. So many decisions to make. Any suggestions?

And these alpacas. What am I going to do with them? I was thinking, after the ewes have their lambs, that I could put them together. I think they'd be ok that way. People put llamas with sheep and they're ok. Why not alpacas and sheep? Any thoughts on that too?

It's been beautiful the past 2 days. I have washed loads of clothes and towels and sheets. And hung them out on the clothes line to dry! I have to wait til the washing machine line thaws out to wash anything. So when it does, I am washing all I can. And when the sun shines, outside they go. We are doing all we can to keep electricity down here. What about y'all?