Snow-where to Go

Snow hit yesterday morning very early. It snowed all day. This means our world has gone topsy turvy since we live in an area that very often doesn't get any snow in an entire year. It also means we have ticked off animals.

When the snow first started yesterday morning. 

I am keeping our does in their pens because they are so pregnant. I don't want them to get too cold or get hurt on the slick ground. Since our little male goat can't eat any grass right now due to it being covered, I have him in his pen and he seems quite content with that. This is when I am happy we took the extra time to make them large pens where they can mill around, structures for them to climb on, etc. They don't feel so cooped up when this type of weather hits.

Our chickens are rolling with it but are edgy. I have upped their feed and have given them some extra treats of fresh fruit, etc. That's about all you can do to appease a chicken. They are pretty simple animals.

Our little dog is content to hang out under his heat lamp as is our outside cat. Our cat only comes out to hunt and eat when we feed him. He's a bit whiny but that's par for the course with him. He doesn't like change at all.

Then there's our big dog. All 80lbs of him is happy. He's always happy. He gladly sits outside while it's snowing or raining (though he has a nice shelter to hide out in). He runs around in it like it's his favorite thing in the world. Of course he does this when it's sunny, partly cloudy, and I bet if I looked out of our storm cellar he would be out in any tornadoes that have passed by us. He's just a happy dog who doesn't care and doesn't seem to get cold or mind the wet.

All of this snow also means I am heading outside multiple times a day (yesterday I believe it was 5) to check on the animals. I am giving extra hay and alfalfa pellets to the goats. I use my pitchfork to chop up ice in the troughs of water so it's actually water instead of a Popsicle. I am still trying to woo our two new does and convince them to like me, so I am trying to spend a bit of time with them a few times a day to let them see all good things come from me. It's working, but it's cold work.

Pitchfork, snow, and my thick, ugly, but oh so very warm coveralls. 

Other than that, we are pretty much inside most of the day. That means my little humans (aka sons) are getting a little stir crazy. This morning we have already had a snowball fight and they hopped in our one vehicle that's 4wd and headed to Grandma's (less than a mile away) to feed her animals so she doesn't risk falling in this slick weather. It's good for them to get out to release some of that pent up energy but also to help another person who can't do everything they can do.

Have I mentioned how much I love where we live? Yes, even in the snow that makes it all a bit more tedious. I mean, hello, this is just our driveway on a yummy foggy morning.