Winter

I can't believe we're naming them now, but winter storm Cleon brought us lots of ice and cold.  Two days later and I only have one truck operable (the 2-wheel drive one, and slid off the highway in it before I made it to the pasture gate).  The tractor door might as well be welded shut, the ice is so thick and covers it so thoroughly.  We get above freezing for 2 hours tomorrow, then back to cold again.

Here I'm breaking the ice on the trough so the calves and horses can drink.  There are 7 calves left--3 heifers we're keeping, 3 that didn't sell in the November Pacesetter shipment, and one who hurt his foot and is being doctored until he doesn't limp.  Notice the hen behind me, also looking for some water.  Their waterers freeze, along with all the puddles and cat water bowls they normally drink from.  They're also a little disoriented by the heat lamp I put in their coop.  They think it's daylight all the time, and we have to go pick them up at dark and put them in for the night.  They'll be glad when warmer weather returns.

Those last 3 Pacesetter calves actually sold yesterday for delivery between Dec 16 and Dec 20.  They were 3 that were too light for their target weights in November, but they got the hang of eating soon after and have gained nicely.  Here's the way they're advertised for the Superior Livestock video auction.  It's interesting (to me, anyway) to watch the auction for lots of similar calves, and see if we're getting any premium for the value-added things we do. You can see the symbols along the bottom for VAC 45 (Value Added Calf, which describes the 45-day weaning and vaccination protocol we follow), All Natural (no growth hormones or antibiotics), and PI Tested (tested and free of calves persistently infected with a highly contagious bovine viral diarrhea).  I was very pleased with the prices this year.  Made me wish we had more to sell.

Here's how you get to be the biggest cow in the herd, I guess.  Holly and I drove to the pasture this morning to feed cubes (and made it almost all the way before sliding into the ditch.  The truck is just out of sight behind those trees by the gate.).  The cows must have been at the top of the hill to tell me they were out of hay, because we called and called before pouring out the cubes and going on over to the trough to break the ice there.  While we were working we heard the strangest sound, which turned out to be old 318 trotting across the ice to get the first shot at the cubes.  The others showed up eventually to eat, and Kathy and Lawrence came in the van to rescue us.  Holly and Lawrence were able to push the truck out of the ditch and I limped on home with it.  I hope the ice melts soon.  Doesn't feel very manly feeding cows from a minivan.

We wake up in the morning and start a fire with the embers left from the previous night (Jeff and Lawrence cut lots of wood at Thanksgiving), go out when it's light to feed and chop ice, come back in to hunker down in front of the fire and watch football until afternoon when it's time to go out and do it again.  Life is good.  Come help us decorate for Christmas.