OT- Sick of winter

[Hannah90]

Guys... Gals....

I am SO tired of winter! Ugh! I hate the frozen ground (ready to plant things) I hate the wind whistling through my coat and burning my face. I hate the ice. I hate to FROZEN CHICKEN WATER. I hate that I can't let my chickens out. I hate that it looks so warm and inviting outside, but then I take a step out and all the boogers freeze in my nose.

Most of all I have cabin fever. I am going crazy in this house. Does anyone else feel the same way? I'm about ready to move!

["SPIKE"]

I too have a STRONG dislike for the winter months. Heck, we are only a month into winter according to the calendar.
Here it is the muddy muck to deal with. I am almost a bit happier when the ground is frozen, on that rare ocassion here.
I look out the window or door and see the goats from 2 different houses standing in their doorway looking back at me. LOL (it's really not funny)

I told me Lady the other day that I did not buy land far enough south. Dealing with the heat, rather than the cold, seems to be easier for me as I get older. I really need to be putting up some fence, but it is real non productive trying to get anything done right when you are in the MUDDY MUCK. I would actually be doable if the ground was frozen, but then I would not want to out there. LOL

SPIKE

[Hannah90]

last week we had a WONDERFUL 43*F day. We always get the "Iowa January Melt-off" It was between 38-43*F for three days. The third day it was almost impossible to walk around, but I donned my muckers and went out anyway. I used the day to halter break a calf. It was fun! Kinda like water skiing... only in mud.

[lordoftheweeds]

So far we have had a very mild winter (knock on wood) aside from the 3 inches of mud

[momagoat61]

It has rained every day here in mid TN this week and I'm so sick of the MUD, I would welcome frozen ground...It'ss snowing a little right now, but not cold enough for frozen ground..

[Blue Run Farm]

My horse pasture is a muddy mess I wish the ground would just freeze up and at least we could walk on top of it. Yesterday I was putting my horse into a stall so I can treat his abscessed foot (!) and my boot got stuck in the mud. I had to grab his halter, tell him to stand, and grab my boot with my other hand, then use his halter to haul my foot out of the muck. I HATE IT!!! On the bright side, I am so proud of my Loki for standing like a rock while I used his face to rescue myself instead of taking off and dragging me through the mud, lol. He is a big ol' draft horse, so don't picture me pulling on some little pony, he is more than big enough to help me out that way

I would much rather have a cold, snowy, frozen winter than this awful rainy, mucky winter we are having. Stupid Maryland can't get the weather right!

[Shayanna]

Our fence has been down (electric), so we have had to keep our goats locked up for the past couple days (they get plenty of ventilation and browse brought to them, and with the cold they don't even WANT to go out). But now the hubby has decided we need to get this holstein heifer calf, which is pushing the space factor, and just not going to work unless we fix the fencing. Problem is, Its supposed to be 10 degrees this weekend. Fun times on the farm.

[Hannah90]

Oh Blue Run Farm, you may very well have broken my winter bitterness. I have had that very same scenario happen a few times over the years I guess it can always be worse, right?

Here's a little whining....

I had no idea this winter would be so difficult. I am holding everything together in the barn with twine, wire and lots and lots of HOPE. Took me 20 minutes to get the tractor started this morning. It is so fussy in the cold. When it finally DID start I almost cried. Being here alone, and needing to move a round bale in with a tractor that doesn't want to start is kinda scary. If I could rewind the time, I would find someone to do this with me who is just as committed as I am. NOT someone who loves to sit around and talk about it, but doesn't want anything to do with it when the work comes around. Humph.

[Minelson]

It's supposed to be in the 40's hear tomorrow. Then Sunday night they are calling for -20 wind chill factor waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[anita_fc]

I bought into the NWS forecast for a warmer, drier winter, so I have been in denial over all this snow, wind and frigid temps. This morning it hit 15 degrees with a 10 mph east wind, but it was sunny. Then it dropped back to 8 degrees.

Whimper.

Anita from Idaho
Dan-Ani Pygmy Goats
www.gndt.net/dan-ani

[Backfourty,MI.]

We had warm, rainy weather a week ago. It was a mess but now it's nice & cold & the grounds froze & I like it much better that way. It's not supposed to rain in January in Michigan, just not right!
Supposed to be pretty cold this weekend then warm back up to around freezing.

Actually we need a lot more snow to help make up for last summers drought.

[Blue Run Farm]

Originally Posted by Hannah90

Oh Blue Run Farm, you may very well have broken my winter bitterness. I have had that very same scenario happen a few times over the years I guess it can always be worse, right?

Here's a little whining....

I had no idea this winter would be so difficult. I am holding everything together in the barn with twine, wire and lots and lots of HOPE. Took me 20 minutes to get the tractor started this morning. It is so fussy in the cold. When it finally DID start I almost cried. Being here alone, and needing to move a round bale in with a tractor that doesn't want to start is kinda scary. If I could rewind the time, I would find someone to do this with me who is just as committed as I am. NOT someone who loves to sit around and talk about it, but doesn't want anything to do with it when the work comes around. Humph.

Wow, Hannah, I don't know. You make me feel grateful that we feed square bales, I can't even imagine how I would react to the frustration with the tractor in bitter cold weather! Not well, I can bet.

I know all about holding things together with baling twine and hope. When I put Loki in the stall, the 12' pipe gate across the front of the stall (which I have been begging DH to help me re-hang for MONTHS) was held on with baling twine on one side and a lead rope tied around the other. I put him in there and said "please stay put and don't lean on the gate until I make daddy come help me fix it." Then I said a little prayer and ran to pick the kids up from school/sitter. Luckily, he was still in there when I got back and I got hubby to help me fix it at 9 o'clock last night!

[LFRJ]

Well don't move here! We've been dealing with "freezing fog" - that there is such a thing - and strangely, there is! which makes for a damp cold and feels even colder than plain ice and snow. Weird stuff! The ground is frozen solid - tough as tundra, but no snow...and but the air is full of moisture you can actually see. The microscopic moisture coats everything, branches, fence rails, surfaces - which freezes on contact. Odd thing though, since the sun can't penetrate the fog we're walking (and driving) through, it doesn't make for a sparkly world at all. Everything looks like its covered with moon dust, and the world is various shades of gray. Kind of like living in black and white tv land...and everyone is miserable.

[Oat Bucket Farm]

I am so sick of winter. I want SPRING!! I want warm breezes, I want new green leaves on the trees and the flowers filling the air with their scent, and baby birds, and thunderstorms.

[Mattemma]

Mostly I hate the winter driving.Wish the kids had school off for winter!

[CaliannG]

I think to myself, "I want this MUCK and MUD to END!"

Then, I think of the drought and decide that I can deal with a couple of months of muck and mud as long as I get good, growing, spring pastures out of the deal.

Walked out last night to milk, and the sky was crystal clear and full of stars, and everything was sparkling with ice crystals.....and it was pretty...like the stars were being reflected on the ground.

Of course, I was bundled up more than the Michelin Man, so I was toasty. And a little bit of the top layer of muck had iced, so it was less slippery.

I hummed to my goats while watching my breath. In winter, I always boil the water before pouring it in the bucket and adding the antibacterials to it for the udder wash. Easy enough to dip the washing rags into it and hold them by a fingertip until they are cool enough to apply....not so easy to warm up udder wash that has gotten cold, so I always start with it WAY too hot. If my hands get cold, I can just put the around the bucket for a moment or two and warm them right up. It also means that poor Mardi, who is last in the line-up, gets a warm wash rather than a cold one.

I am looking forward to spring. I want to start growing things, and eating fresh produce again. But winter has its own charm.

Oh, and the best way to enjoy winter? With a bunch of those little chemical handwarmers stuffed into your clothes....a couple in the socks, a couple in the gloves....and a couple on the outer thighs and butt-cheeks.

[lordoftheweeds]

Originally Posted by CaliannG

With a bunch of those little chemical handwarmers stuffed into your clothes....a couple in the socks, a couple in the gloves....and a couple on the outer thighs and butt-cheeks.

This reminds me of another thread

Booty is really cold


Sorry, I just couldn't help myself

[Hannah90]

All of these replies have made me feel better. Kinda. I spent the few hours before work rewriting my garden plan. Oh I'm so excited. I found myself scowling out my window. Ridiculously annoyed that it was only 10*F. I have charted this map three times now. I'm not entirely sure I'm completely satisfied yet. I found another cold cracked egg this evening. Between the stupid hens eating them, and cold cracking.... well... seems like everything related to winter is just fuel to my hateful fire!

Blue run farm, if I had the storage space and man power to make square bales, I would. I will say I am SO lucky to have my own hay field. So, we only do about 50 squares for times when I can't get into the paddock due to spring melt off, or milking stand hay. Otherwise they free hog on a round bale.

[Hannah90]

Oh, on the hand warmers. I remember three years ago I was driving an hour to work one day. The heater in my Jeep broke. Dad drives for Wal-mart and he wasn't due back for a week. So, I drove a week in zero degree weather with no heat in the car. I put a hand warmer anywhere it would stay put. I bought them in bulk. Only way I could get to work without being painfully frozen.

[mammabooh]

This thread makes me sad. I LOVE winter...as long as the ground is frozen. I get all wilty and crabby when the temperature is over 72. Anything mcuh warmer than that, and I feel like the life is being sucked right out of me. Winter is good.