Winter wonderland...(I wonder when it will leave??)

We got our blizzard. I have always told the girls it snowed much deeper when I was a kid. Maybe its from global warming, or maybe, as one of the girls pointed out to me, my knees are higher now since I am an adult! Now they finally got their deep snow. It is hard to tell how much we actually got, as it was very windy, but I'd say 10 inches at least. In some areas of the yard we have 2 inches. In other parts of the yard, we have 4 feet. It still is blowing some and drifting. Our driveway was blocked completely, then the wind pretty much cleared it. Hopefully I can get out later today in 4 wheel drive. The last time I checked, we still had not had a snowplow down our road.

Over by the barn we park the trailers. You can walk right into the flatbed trailer. On our camper, the snow comes up about a foot below the windows.

Today I had to empty the snow out of the house windows. It was such a fine snow, that it blew in through the screen and blocked out the sunlight. We did loose our phone and power for a short time as well. We are low on propane, but on "the list". I called it in on Monday, but I doubt they delivered much Tues or this morning due to the roads. We may be heating with wood again before this is over.

The weatherman was calling for 6-12 inches, then it changed to 6-18 inches, then 12-18 inches. Last one I heard said we could get up to 22 inches. On the satellite view of the weather map, our state is a solid white. For a good part of Tuesday, visibility was zero,at least here at the farm. In town it was probably better, as they have buildings to block it and slow it down some.

Kansas City got hit hard as well. My husband and his crew barely made it into work. His company is putting their employees up in a hotel by his workplace, as most of them commute. Seems odd for him not to be home.

Parts of I 70 and 50 Highway were also closed. A friend of ours who is with the National Guard was called in.

The dogs aren't too crazy about the snow this time. They had fun playing in it the first few times it snowed, but don't want anything to do with it this time. The chickens and peeking ducks are staying in the coop, but the Muscovy ducks don't seem to mind it.

Needless to say, I am wanting spring to come early. They say the groundhog didn't see his shadow, so it should be early. But, really, how could he see his shadow? The poor guy couldn't even dig his way out of his burrow!

Snow days....

So, if you homeschool, do you have snow days??? Well, in our house, the answer is yes and no. A good deep snow, is just too hard to pass up. So, we do have to allow some time to go out and play in it--after all, that is something you just can't do every day of your kid life, and unless you live in the northern area of Alaska. But, we still manage to also do some lessons as well, mainly reading and math. I never have to argue with my kids to do their reading. They all love to read. In fact, often we have the opposite problem, they need to do their other lessons and quit reading. But for now, they are outside sledding and trying to build a snowman. I say "trying" because Whopper, their calico cat is also trying. Evidently she has understood that while the girls are piling the snow, it is her duty to knock it back down again.

At one point I watched the "cat rodeo" from the window. Whopper got on Elizabeth's back. Elizabeth has on several layers, the last being a carhartt coverall so her movement is rather limited. Whopper took advantage of that and climbed up her back. No matter how Elizabeth wiggled, bent, moved, jumped, or squirmed, the cat hung on, with a look of satisfaction and determination on her face (very similar to that I just caught a mouse look that they get).

All the schools are around here are closed today, and most were also closed yesterday. It seems like they have more snow days now then they did when I was a kid. Also, the snow doesn't seem to get as deep as it did when we were kids-remember when we used to get snowfalls that came to our knees? Emily once told me it was because I was taller now, so my knees are higher. Maybe thats it.

Our new calf continues to do well. It is starting to wander off from its Momma some. The momma doesn't like that and calls it back. If the calf ignores her, she goes after it in a dead run. I think the calf is beginning to learn to listen to Momma the first time. I wonder what it thinks of this snow....

Yesterday, in the sleet, the girls and I went to Aldi. I spent around $180 and got food by the case, as usual. This should last us 6 weeks. By the case I buy, mushrooms, olives (but Aldi was out of olives...), speg sauce, corn, green beans, chili and kidney beans, peaches, pears, mixed fruits, cereal, oatmeal and more. We filled 2 carts full. In addition to having an upstairs kitchen and pantry, we have a large pantry in the basement and are slowly making a smaller kitchen down there, to use while canning. Right now the basement kitchen has a refrigerator and stove. We still need to put a utility sink in and then that area will be finished. I try to keep my foods by the case in the downstairs pantry. My husband laughs at my pantry, he calls it the "emporium". But, I notice he shops it quite often.

After our Aldi trip, we went and bought paint. I think I will start with our office. I don't do ceilings, but plan on hiring a church friend to do those.

So, we have plenty of food, paint and corn for popping. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

Heat wave on the farm.

Yes, it is up to 22 degrees. Yesterday was not a good day. The night before one of stock tank heaters caught on fire. The yesterday it was so bitterly cold that the remaining heaters could not keep up and the one tank froze despite 2 heaters being in it.

Then the hydrant handle broke. JD got that fixed, but while he was working on that, the hose froze, so we had 1 frozen tank and one empty tank. Hopefully today we are back in business. The hose is now thawed out from being in the basement all night, the hydrant handle has been repaired, and Oreschleons replaced the heater that burst into flames the first time it was used.

We woke to about an inch of snow this morning, and a fine snow is still falling. It is very fine, you almost have to squint to see it.

I like winter, but not the cold. I think at least part of our animals agree with me. The rabbits have hay in their hutches, and are buried deep in it. During the winter we put their hutches in the barn to block the wind. Our old black Lab is mainly hanging around the barn in the haypile. Elizabeths calf likes to stay in a stall. Last night Elizabeth found our little beagle pup hiding in the basement. She is a outdoor dog, but she managed to sneak in at some point. Usually she sleeps in the barn in the hay where it is warm. But during the day she likes to dig in the snow. Some of the chickens stay in the coup and never leave, others go out like it is summer and a few even try to dust in the snow as if it were dirt.

At least it is nice and sunny out.

Maybe later the girls will make some snow candy.

I worked some in our downstairs pantry yesterday, and will hit it again. About another hour of work and I will be done.

This is the beginnings of our weather station. It is one of our homeschooling projects that I mentioned in an earlier post. The poles will be straightened up and set into concrete in the center of the big tire. All our weather instruments will then be mounted on these poles. However, the snow is going to have to melt down far enough that I can at least see the holes we dug. Notice the puppy tracks leading up to the tire??? Instead of going around, she went up and over and down the otherside.

It finally stopped snowing at some point during the night. It still remains very cold out, and there is a sharp wind, so we are leaving the chickes inside their area today. They can still get out, but can not get beyond their small pen that is attached to their coop. So no free ranging for them today. When they get cold, I have noticed their feet and legs turn green. I suppose that is because their skin is so yellow, that it gives off the green color.