Do the animals know that cold is descending on them tonight?
The cattle, except for one... were clustered around their own bales.
Do they know it's going to be very, very cold?
We did get snow today for about 4 hours... it started as the dogs and I came home from doing chores this morning.
Wind chills will be below zero tonight.
I found the chickens doing fine... they do have a heat lamp, and three big windows.
I'm trying to figure out the timer still.
I took leftovers out, and the potato casserole was VERY popular.
Everyone had a bite.
That's dog food, I put the dry dog food in with the leftovers, the chickens like it.
We had some visitors on the deck, too.
It was so cloudy, and hard to get good pictures.
Lilly was guarding the walnut tree because she thought a squirrel had run up there.
I never did see it.
Darn bluebirds are so cute!
It's so hard to get a good picture on the porch with
little light, (especially dark juncos) but I filled the warm water fountain with
water... and the little birds began coming down.
The fortex had not frozen solid...
and three crows flew off the porch as we pulled up.
A lot of the birds still prefer the fortex.
My guess is, with wind chills going far below zero tonight,
that fortex will be frozen solid in the morning.
I have only found it frozen solid ONE time this winter!
Incredible!
A male and female cardinal were eating under the feeder today.
The last two winters, we had as many as 8 pair. Starlings have still not realized I'm feeding.
These were just "regular" Canadian geese we saw on the way home,
getting ready to land in a field to eat for a while.
It had just started to snow/sleet.
They were joining their friends already eating.
I saw only one hawk in the distance, circling over a field like this.
I'm sure it was bitter up in the air.
Since the chickens are fixed up with the heater base to keep their water from
freezing, and have plenty of feed, I am not going to go out until it warms up a little in the morning.
The dogs may not get to go tomorrow, if it is really, really cold.
Today is my little sister Kathleen's birthday, she would have been 63.
Here she is with her husband, Bob, at a consular event several years ago.
She was still in good health here, and looks glowing.
How I miss her!
Oddly enough, it's also World Cancer Day. I guess that's one day I won't celebrate.
We are supposed to be back to the fifties by the weekend!
Silly chickens...they will eat ANYTHING! :) It sure is handy. I'll bet they love that heat lamp too!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are lovely. I don't know how you manage to get such great shots of the birds. It's very cold here in upstate NY too, but I honestly don't mind. I've been spending a lot of time indoors and enjoying every minute of it!
ReplyDeleteI think animals are much smarter than we think they are. Somehow they know its going to get cold usually. But its sad to see farm animals outside with no shelter.
ReplyDeleteLittle birds somehow make it through the coldest times.. I read about it once,, how they can and do survive.. Its very interesting.
Were so glad your enjoying the chickens,, and your old house,, So glad you get to go there,, everyday.
I hope someday you get to move back there,,,,its where your heart is.
love
tweedles
It's always a delight to see your pictures. Here everything is frozen solid now and we have a lot of snow on the ground. I'll be getting some exercise shoveling that white stuff again today. I hate it when the piles get so high, it makes the job more difficult. Keep warm there ! I'll be trying to do the same.
ReplyDeleteI know you miss your Sis badly.
ReplyDeleteI gave my 2 hens some macaroni yesterday. They went ape over it.
It's suppose to be 28 in the morning. AND 60 over the weekend. We will all be sick before it's over.
Those are beautiful chickens! I too like to watch our birds use their bird bath all winter. Very important for them!
ReplyDeletea chicken buffet! we are frigid here today! your sister was so pretty!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful birdies
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
You do such a great job with your pictures, we never see little blue birds around where we live, just buzzards circling the jailhouse...lol......your sister was beautiful....we hate cancer.
ReplyDeletestella rose