Ice Horses part deux

I went and got heat lamps for my ice covered equines. But I called several local horse pals and talked about this. They all said not a good idea. Horses have winter coats and can handle the snow and ice. The heat lamps would melt the ice making them wet. Ditto blankets. They would not stay insulated and could get sick. The ice balls in their feet, Pam works great for that. Spray under their feet. But most horses work these out naturally. I was just panicked and they were just fine. They are all running, jumping and eating out in the snow. They enjoyed the extra attention however.It is good to have happy horses.

Snowersville

The only reason I was out in the snow was to buy heat lamps for my poor horses. Our local feed store was open. So on they way I took photos as we drove about 25 miles an hour down the highway. Best to be safe than sorry.

The highway heading into town after plowing.

The church across from the mill

The old mill

The road from my farm to the highway. Four wheel drive don't fail me now.

A bull in the snow.

To Roost You Say

This is the view of my forest from the horse stalls. The snow piled on the branches, frozen in place.

My feral phoenix rooster frozen in the cedar trees. He is tough and had avoided becoming dinner for months now. I keep him around for his smarts and lovely plumage.

Cedar trees and oak trees in the snow.

Frozen Poppy

What? You want me to go where now?

Outside! But baby it's COLD out there!

Twelve inches and counting of snow. Up to my knees out there!

Not a chicken in sight, just ducks and a dog in a jacket keeping watch.

CFL U

I hate CFL bulbs and this is why. Ten year lifespan? Nope, try 8-11 months tops. They burn up and stop working worse than any other bulb I have ever used. I pay more for this bulb and it performs poorly. And fire hazard? Maybe. I caught this one dimming poorly then going out. And this is what I found, an almost melted ballast. And we are being told these are good for the environment. Right, nothing like have mercury in my house. I have to bring them into the recycling center and I get strange looks. No one knows what to do with them there. Good Luck environment. Finding regular Thomas Edison bulbs are more difficult thanks to our government. Being a farmer I rely on regular bulbs for heat and light for baby livestock needs. CFL's do not make heat and are not safe around animals.  Am I saving electricity? Maybe. They just do not last long enough for me to find out. And they are so ugly looking, too.

Flaky Friday

The snow never stopped after the sleeting yesterday. It snowed all night long. 

Our swing is coated in white.

Not an ice slide, our stairs on our deck are under here somewhere.

My truck is frosted.

The green house is half buried.

The road from our house to the highway. Slow going in 4 wheel drive in my truck.

 It was so nice to see the the winter wonderland.

Ump watches the snowfall.

We left the bowls outside to catch some snow. You fill a cup with snow and pour some 

condensed milk over it. A winter treat from the Ozarks.

My new "ice slide".

Ice Horses

 I woke up and was out the door at 7am. The poultry wanted no part in going outside. 

I fed the horses only to find their feet snowballed in ice. They were covered in ice sickles and heavy under ice coats. They were shivering and wet.

Poor Shelby with ice hanging from her ears and eyes. We used our warm 

hands to remove the ice from her face.

A slow drive in 4 wheel drive with my truck to the feed store to get heat lamps and heat bulbs. My husband was able to wire them in the stalls. The highway was plowed and salted, but the snow keeps coming and building on the road.

Frozen donkey

Happy warm horses with dry feet and a warm stall.

All the Pretty Colors

My plum tree decked out in LED lights.

The snow falls and filters the lights in a soft glow.

Slippery Slope

Here are my stairs with ice and potash. They are icing up nicely.

Here is my sleet deck at noon. 

At 9 pm tonight the snowflakes are big and coming down heavily. My stairs are covered in a cold white blanket. Nothing beats the first snowfall of the year in the Ozarks.

Blizzard Blueberries

I had a busy day yesterday getting the farm set for the snow. I thought I'd just take today off and rest. No such luck. There is a knock at the door and the Fed Ex guy delivers a box full of blueberry bushes. I was not expecting this as I received no advanced warning from the nursery. I had ordered these 3 months ago for an October delivery. I thought they lost the order.

With the sleet and snow coming down I have no choice. 

I have to get these 12 bushes in the ground before it freezes. My husband has a meeting until dark so I have to get going while the light is still available.

My trusty helper dog, Zilla.

Into the UTV I got dirt, wood chips and shovels. The sleet has gotten heavy now.

This is just 4 minutes and the seats are frozen and getting covered in ice.

Osa and Zilla watch me dig 12 holes. Luckily the ground is not frozen, yet.

Almost done.These blueberries will go dormant in the 

winter and be ready for new growth in the springtime. Looking forward to a 

harvest of berries next spring.

Not looking forward to getting in that cold frozen seat. I got it all done by dark. But still had to plant a single grape vine. Husband joined the fun. He helped tuck in the chickens and ducks in the coop. I got to drive around in the cold night blizzard for fun after planting was done. I was already cold and had to tuck in the UTV under tarps. And I have frozen smile face on to prove it.