And the Beat Goes On....

Uh huh... that was Tonganxie, Kansas... this morning. 

Ugh, is all I have to say. 

Abby found a sunbeam... she was smart. 

However, she had an adventure early this morning...

Lilly barreled down into the pasture, and Abby followed, hard on her heels.  See where she stopped? She literally hit a drift almost over her head... stopped hard... and got herself turned around and came back up. 

The snow farther down is well over her head, and you can see from the tracks that Lil has to jump through it. 

I shoveled a circle in the goatyard... and you can see Winnie and Kelly meeting each other.  The snow comes up to the little girl's necks. 

Their trough is buried in snow. 

No, they don't spend ALL their time on the ramp to the outside door. 

I had just given them feed and fresh CLEAN warm water in the deep fortex.  I have ONE more trip out in a few minutes, to dump the two water fountains in here... oh, how I wish I could run a heater... and to dump the one in the henspa.  That's it for the night.  I'm worn out, I admit it. 

On a mouse hunt.  Yes, the hay is getting low. 

The henspa chickens are bored, bored, bored.  Bored chickens do not lay, they attack each other. 

The henhouse smells AWFUL and I leave the door open for a few minutes when I go in to do waters and feed so it airs out.  I could let them out into their fenced yard, but it is full of snow except for the center of it... and I am afraid it would make the henhouse even colder than it already is.  This henhouse is on stilts, remember... so they can go under it.  It also has three big windows.  Right now, it is colder than the old henhouse, even with the holes in it's walls from mice... and I think it's because the old henhouse sits square on a pad on the ground, and has only one small window that I have gorilla-taped heavy plastic over. 

The one light in here is keeping some of the older hens okay... but they as a flock are raring to get outside. 

It's going to five below tonight, and single digits for the next five nights.  Unseasonably cold tomorrow.. we only got to ten today... but maybe Saturday they can go out for a while. 

Folks, I am far behind with reading your blogs, and I apologize for this. 

I go out, do water, come in, do housework... I do sit down and do some computing, but I have not been reading blogs.  I'm trying to get caught up.  I'm tired all the time and frozen all the time. 

I would have to admit to you that this winter has been the hardest on me, even though 

we had more animals in earlier winters, and had to carry more water. 

Keith says I try too hard... but I like for the animals to be as comfortable as possible in this harsh weather. 

Makes it hard for the animal owner, let me tell you! 

Everyone be safe out there and don't slip and fall!