Spring Is Springing!!!!

If you compare last months pictures with the top two pictures from today, you will see we have some spring springing.  None too soon for me!!!  We have accessed our losses from the storm and have concluded "it could have been a whole lot worse!"   We lost a calf, the tankless hot water heaters, the garden, and four baby trees.  The good news is the wild plumb trees, the apple tree, and all the oak trees that have been in the ground for several years survived.  The lemon tree, avacado tree, and both fig trees are dead.  That pretty much sums up our losses.

The hummingbirds and purple martins returned this last week.  The scissortail fly catchers have also returned.  I have not seen any bluebirds and very few cardinals since the storms.  We may have to wait a while before they reappear. 

 The muhly survived which I'm very happy about because it was so hard to find.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this little landscape item does.

lindheimer muhly

wild plumb

apple tree

avacado tree

fig tree

lemon tree

Happy spring!

We Survived Three Winter Storms In Eight Days

Beginning February 11th, early in the morning, we had the first of three winter storms.  We woke up on the 11th with ice all over everything.  The good news was we were not hit as bad as nearby communities where the ice was so heavy it broke tree limbs which then fell on the power lines.  We had electricity and water.  Two-three days later we were hit by our second storm.  It was blowing snow and temperatures into the single digits.  Again, not pleasant but tolerable.  We had electricity and water.  But we were now experiencing random losses of power.  Monday into Tuesday the temperatures hit 0 and we lost water outside.  Now the "fun" began.  We could no longer water the cows who had been moved up to the pasture by the house so we could watch for any birthing problems.  We now had to fill buckets and bottles with water to fill the water troughs.  Not an easy task for thirsty nursing mamas, but doable. 

Then the third storm came in with lots of ice and we lost water and electricity.  Thirsty cows now a major issue.  TJ's group with us by now so they went home and filled buckets, etc with water because they had water just no electricity.  That was not a long term solution especially when they needed to go somewhere where there was heat.  They left and vowed to return with water but roads so bad, they said they couldn't make it back.  At this point we were in crisis and decided to move the cows back in with Valentino where there was water available.  A tough call because of the five heifers.  Valentino was thrilled!  He never skipped a beat and went right after the heifers.  In all, we had around 205 hours of below freezing temperatures.  We got our electricity back late Thursday and Friday the water came back on, tho there was a boil requirement.  No pipes burst but we lost the tankless water heaters.  Have a plumber who's ordered new ones.  It's March first and we have electricity, water (which we just learned no longer needs to be boiled), and no hot water.  We are showering at TJ's, eating off paper plates, avoiding cooking (grilling outside instead and microwaving), and doing the laundry at the laundry mat.  The cows are fine, tho Maude lost her baby during the worst of the storms.

 We feel pretty lucky and we know it could have been a lot worse in so many ways.  I feel like we've learned a lot and will be better prepared if there is ever a repeat.

This And That

 Decided, finally, on how to proceed with the landscaping in the circle at the driveway.  Wanted something that hide the electrical boxes yet was not a place where every homeless critter decided to take up residence.  Also wanted it to be low maintenance.  A tall order and I'm not sure those criteria have been met.  We'll see...

Before

After

Lindheimer Muhly is the name of the ornamental grass.  We'll see how well it spreads and whether it's hardy enough to survive the 100 degree days that go on for weeks during the summer.  I'm anxious to see if it becomes the dreaded critter (snakes and mice) haven I fear.  

Allie's baby was born the other cold morning and just seemed to not get up and get going as she should have.  We brought her in the house and covered her with heating pads and towels.  The Vet was called and interventions were administered.  However, after hours of waiting, attempted feedings, etc. we rushed her to a large vet hospital.  The little girl passed away later in the evening after experiencing breathing problems.  A very sad outcome after a very long day...

On a brighter note, a little baby calf was born the next morning.  It is so new and it's mama, Rosie, is so protective that we don't know whether it is a boy or a girl.  So far we have five little boys, one little girl, and one question mark.  We are waiting on the last four mamas to give birth.  So with the sadness, there is great joy in watching these healthy calves express their exuberance for life!

The drought continues in our area.  We've had very little rain/snow.  I looked out in the pasture a couple of weeks ago and saw smoke.  I could not figure out, at first, where it was coming from.  Then, I realized it was our pasture that was burning.  Thankfully the local voluntary fire department had already been called and was arriving as I pulled up on the scene.  They put it out quickly, but had they not been in the area, it could have been a disaster!  

Our First Baby For 2021

 It's always interesting to see who gives birth first as calving season at LB Farm begins.  This year it was Vivian.  She was not who we thought would be first.  We try to give Vivian's babies' names that begin with a V.  Since this little guy was first, we named him Little Valentino after his daddy.  He's a real cutie and his mama is great.  Welcome Little Valentino!

New Years Snowstorm

We started 2021 with a snowstorm.  The yearlings ran and played.  Four to six inches of the white stuff was just plain fun!

The new mamas found the snow wet and cold.   With a baby at her side or one fixing to be birthed, the moms found the weather challenging.  The babies were just days old and without guidance from their moms, it could have been tragic!

The mamas lead their babies into the shed where neither the wind nor snow could touch them.  Sweetie had her baby named "Snow" during the storm.  The little guy was kept warm and dry; well taken care of by his mama.

Looking out of the barn at about 3:00 during the storm.

Looking across the pasture

December Doings

We have been busy this month.  Although we had spoken with our builder about a new shed for the cows back in June, he's been so busy that he just got to it.  It's half again as big as the one we built a couple years ago.  It should offer some protection from the sun and harsh weather for most, if not all of the cows at the same time.  So far it's just a "thing" to go look at but they'll figure out what's it's for eventually.

                                       

We've been feeding the girls in the wild pasture beginning with construction of the shed.  They have settled into a routine of napping and sunnying in the afternoons.  Here they are....

                                       

Valentino has been separated from the girls because we put the heifers back in with their moms after several months of weening.  It's a good opportunity for them to learn some life skills from their moms before they are sold in a few months.  Valentino, who usually does his own thing and separates from the girls as often as he can when he's with them in the same pasture, now follows them along the fence line to keep track of everyone.  These are his girls after all!

Digging A New Tank

We have put off any new water options for years because we really didn't know what we would need and what might be possible.  Finally found someone to dig out an old tank in the "wild pasture" that we hope will provide for some watering needs.  Tanks are easier than repeatedly filling up metal storage containers.  Now just waiting for a couple big storms to see if our efforts are successful.