S.O.S with Dad

Yesterday was a welcome day of sun; however, sun on ice, sun melting the snow, very cold temps at night does not add up to any benefits.  I was going to go and get 25 bales of hay this morning but since my truck is only 2 wheel drive (4 wheel drive but needs to be fixed) and there is a nice incline of a driveway at my hay man's house and after further talking to my friend who rents a house on Mike's property, she said it has a nice coating of ice on it and when she asked me how much hay I had and my reply was about 100 bales still, she said, "Don't be an idiot."  Well of course when a friend says don't be an idiot, I have to listen.  So I opted to go to TSC for Purina Goat feed for the girls w/babies and I needed minerals.  Then off to Wally World for misc things and  Valentine Day "stuff" for my niece and nephew; grocery store, and last stop the library.  Within an hour of getting home, the snow was coming down at a pretty steady rate 

Not sure if the sheep mind; I however, had a few choice words for the snow and by late afternoon my county was under a level 2 snow emergency......SMILE, its February:).

  See that man standing there?  Thats my Dad.  He is the Dad who insisted on Sunday drives in the country; camping trips in the summer; countless trips to Amish Country; put me at the age of 13, my 7 year old sister,  him and mom into a new motor home and drove us around for  2 weeks out west to see some big whole in the ground in Arizona and some big rocks in Colorado; and forced me at a young age to watch epsiode after episode of Little House on the Prairie.  Now he wants to know why I work so hard, how come I want to go here and there, and when am I going to slow down with the animals?  Really Dad??????  The whole Laura Ingalls brainwash worked, right down to being a teacher!  Now he tells me he wants a horse to ride...........I think Father Ingalls needs a puppy cuz I love him;)

Hard to believe the babies are a week old already and Sassy is not only a mom, she is now something to jump on and off of.  She is the most patient mom in the world!

The Sassy's babies are deciding if they like me and want to play with me, I told them they have no choice.  They are in my barn, and its my rules. 

Autumn Acres Mooshie is hopefully due sometime in mid-April.  Speedy my miniature horse, is not due at any time......she is just "weight challenged".

I would love to show you some beautiful garden pics with spring bulbs bursting from the ground but all I have are snow covered lambs and ice covered garden paths. On a plus side, its staying light till almost 6 now.....such little things to make me have a more positive attitude;) 

What is S.O.S. stand for?

Snow On Saturday with Dad!

Option 1 and Ice Skating

I will tell no lie, on Tuesday when there were over 500 schools closed and the school where I teach was NOT among those 500,  I choose Option 1 for "sick day".  I knew that my 50 minute drive would be an easy 2 hr drive and as text messages and phone calls came in from fellow colleagues, I knew I had made the right choice.  Wednesday I did not have to choose Option 1 because someone in the district made a common sense decision and closed the district. Its amazing what a college education can do for some individuals.  Now I am not going to say I have been super productive in these 2 days because that would be a lie, maybe a little productive like I sewed up new curtains for 2 door windows but I have enjoyed my TV which I rarely sit and watch. 

Snow, sleet, and ice are the choice words for the past 2 days.  The sheep take it in stride, enjoying their club house when the winds and snow really kick up.

The rams and bucks are enjoying their hay under the pin oak tree that is still hanging on to its leaves which are now ice covered and sound like glasses clinging. This is the only tree that keeps its leaves all winter.  Maybe it doesn't like the naked feeling.

This is my new speed skating arena.  If I do it right, I can slide in my muck boots all the way to the barn. I figure I have enough padding on my butt and with my coveralls so I am good to go if I bale.  Dixie will save me, Squirt will if I have a cookie, and the sheep and goats will want to know how thats working for me.

And totally oblivious to all of the weather drama are the babies.  Its amazing how fast they have already grown in less than a week.  I scheduled their dehorning for next week today.......I am working on a name for the little girl ( ok, maybe I might keep her;) but the little boys are going to be offered for sale.

Now, where are my ice skates?

Monday's Miracle

To say that this weekend was a long, stressful one is an understatement.  Saturday I was a zombie, back and forth to the barn checking on the babies, especially Daisy and her baby.  I put a collar on her and hooked her to the gate so she would nurse the baby.  She pitched a fit, tried to bite his tail, ran from him, pushed him a way when she was eating hay or grain....to say that I wanted to clock her one in the head is also an understatement.  I just had to remind myself how much I paid for her which I would tell you but my Dad reads my blog and I always lie to him about how much I pay for my farm animals so lets just say it was substantially enough that clocking her in the head was not an option but creative profanity worked just as well.  Saturday night I went to the barn at 11 in the evening and 4 in the morning to make sure he was able to nurse. By Sunday afternoon, she decided she would stand for him but only if I was there to rub her neck while he nursed, otherwise she just ran from him.  My parents came out on Sunday to see the babies and they said they would come on Monday to help make sure he got to nurse. I planned on leaving school early Monday so I could get home to make sure all was going well.  I got up at 4 am this morning to make sure I had plenty of time out in the barn.  I fed the boys first, then the chickens, then off to the big barn. Sassy and her babies were good and then there was Daisy................

.........standing in the stall, cleaning her baby boy and letting him nurse!!!  Of course this picture I took this afternoon, but you get the picture.  I wasn't sure if I should cry for joy or scream at her for causing major sleep deprivation and massive stress on me for 2 days.  She is CRAZY,  and oh she is just being such a good mom............

.........sharing her nice hay with him now instead of pushing him half way across the barn.........

................playing with him and showing him how to chew on my coveralls..........she is such an idiot, its like she had a total brain fart over night or just enjoys driving me CRAZY!  I am of course extremely happy this is going on now though her 'lil baby probably thinks he has a psycho for a mom. 

Sassy's lil kids are starting the jumping dance and are just too funny.  Everyone is doing well and we are all waiting for the BIG STORM to make its way into Ohio in some shape or form.  I ordered propane this morning, though it took me an hour to get through to them.  I was at 20% but just didn't want to risk it and since my driveway was nicely plowed and passable, I thought it best.  When I got home from school they had already delivered it! Our school has only used one snowday so maybe .....................