Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's off to Freezer Camp We Go!

Due to our previous cattle herding, cowboying experiences, and the fact that I still do not own a Cowgirl hat and boots, and the fact that we have had a mega dose of snow, that has melted so it is muddier than all get out, we did not expect the loading of the two steers for Freezer Camp to go well.
We prepared, called in extra help, extra vehicles... we expected fence jumping, crazy steers running every where...
These are the suspects... two juvenile, teenage boys... rebellious ...



The cowboys

The Help, my brother-in-law James

We're a little restless

We are very suspicious of the cowboys.

We are thinking about the fence...

Let's go see what this is...hmm...

Cowboys:  "That was too easy."

Get in there you silly things.  Notice the farmer cowboy is hanging back...
Looks like cowboy ballet.

Loaded!  TaDa!  That was easy, nothing to it!

So how did it go...
Tomorrow the Steers will be at Freezer Camp!  Yeehaw!

Playing Farmer in the Snow

So, it snowed.  Actually, it was two separate blizzards with close to 2 feet of snow each time, a week apart.  That is a lot of snow, at least for us.  And the temperatures, brrrrrr.  -18 in the morning.  That is cold!  So, what does a farmer do?  Do farmers just shut down like everything else and stay home?  Noooo.  There are critters that must be cared for.  A bottle calf in the barn.  Twice a day, the farmer trudges through the knee deep white stuff to the barn to feed the calf.
The turkeys have to be fed and watered.  So, buckets of water are carried from the hydrant (because in -18 weather the hose is frozen) to the turkey pen.  Feed the turkeys.  Chickens, need feed, water, and gather the eggs.  The chickens quit laying eggs during the blizzard apparently, the few that were laid were frozen.  Bother!  More water hauling.  All the water everywhere is frozen.  The steers headed for Freezer Camp in a few weeks keep knocking the heater out of their water trough.  Silly things.  Trudge over to their feeder to feed them.  The rest of the cows have to have hay and feed.  So the tractor has to be started and hay put out.  Now, the tricky part... the water for the cows.  The pond is frozen.  The ice on the pond must be broken with an ax.  Not to bad, except for the hike to the pond.  In knee deep snow it seems like forever.  Then there are the dogs and cats, all need feed and water.  Now we are done... only to start again the next day. Phew, it is exhausting.
However, on a lark the female farmer wants to go take pictures of the pond.  Male farmer says, okay after he feeds all the critters he will walk with her.  She however is impatient, and can't wait that long and decides to go ahead.  About halfway there, she is thinking, "Phew.  Maybe this was not a good idea.  It is a lot farther in the snow."  Then she realizes she didn't bring her cell phone,  if she passes out, or has a heart attack she will just fall down and freeze to death.  So, now a prayer is issued, "Please God, let me make it to the pond and back.  I forgot my phone and will die a frozen death and my family will not even realize it.  Thank you.  Amen."
Upon arrival at the pond, pictures taken... she rests at the picnic table.  It is really cold.  Time to head back.  "Man, it is an awful long ways."  Falling in snow this deep and this soft is not a good idea.  Just for your future knowledge.  You can't get up.  There is no where to put your hands to push yourself up.  Bother!  Another prayer, "Please God, let me make it back to the house."  Finally there it is, made it.  That wasn't so bad.  She probably needed the exercise.  I don't know was it worth it...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

SNOW

SNOW
Snow so delicate and white
Clean, so clean it glows at night
Reflects the sun, so bright
Sparkles likes diamonds
Beautiful and unique each flake
As it melts, its satisfies the thirsty trees
Cold, white, wet
Snow
Jesus
Wash me white as snow
I am without strength and dirty without you
That I might glow to those in darkness
And show them The Way
Help me to Reflect the Son, so righteous
My worth to You, more than diamonds
Beauty is Yours, You meet each need uniquely,
Even if I am a little flaky
Satisfy my thirst for living water
Love, Faith, Hope
Jesus