We recently started feeding hay on a regular basis, up until now the weather has been agreeable enough to allow for grazing stock piled forage with occasional hay feed offered.
When I know the day ahead is a cold one, I’m eager to get at the chores. My bodily self has little desire to step out in that cold but that cold is what pulls me to get outside and confirm that the animals are okay and to do what I can to feed and shelter for another day.
Today’s cold weather has no wind, it is crisp and clean and sunny. It is beautiful, albeit still damn cold, cold enough that only a brisk walk is doable with the kelpies. While I’m on the tractor hauling bales out to the flock, I feel every bit of that cold (tractor has no cab, so no heat). I begin unrolling the round bales using the tractor but always finish manually and the physical effort unrolling bale cores and forking hay where needed has me warmed up enough to unzip my outside layer of winter clothing. Cold days without wind are stunners and more pleasant than hearing the actual temperature makes you think they can be.
Cold weather is also when any number of things can act up and make it difficult to get the chores done. This morning’s hiccup was having to work the tractor to get the hydraulics working – things were moving slower than molasses in the month of January – which is to say they weren’t moving at all at first. Not a major deal but a slow one. When things go this smoothly I feel particularly grateful. I can return to indoors, let my body warm up and let my mind off the hook until the evening round begins. No feeding hay in the evening but a thorough check to be sure everyone is tucked in for the night.
That flock must think of you as their mama! You are so in tune with their needs and put them before yourself.
Great pics and musings.
There is satisfaction and then there is feeling everybody is tucked in. As a boy ,I used to imagine where each animal was sheltering before falling asleep. Our dog had a hole deep inside our bundle stack which in my mind was as warm as my heavily quilted bed.