November Weather...

We have been very lucky with our weather this fall...  It is the end of November and we are only now having our first REAL coldsnap of the season... 

Yesterday our temps were in the 40s and we had a day of rain...  Rain means mud and anyone who has ever spent any time taking care of a farm knows that that mud can make your day downright miserable.  Trudging through slop carrying a bale of hay while trying to keep from being knocked over by hungry sheep or horses... not fun...  It's even better if the mud sucks your shoe(s) off.

A drop in temps then freezes the mud footprints into a jagged obstable course.  The horses always seem to have the hardest time manuvering across the new footing, but clearly nobody likes it...  I also know that none of the animals are entertained when I channel Annie Lennox and sing that "it feels just like I'm walking on broken glass".  I am pretty sure one of them flipped me the middle hoof this evening.

Luckily though, this signals that we are one step closer to our winter lambing season and let's face it...  visions of baby lambs bouncing through the barn make it all worthwhile.  Each year I promise myself that next year I will have done something to eliminate the mud and winter footing problems.  To be honest, we have done much to improve the farm winter footing situation.  

I can remember pushing a wheelbarrow stacked with 4 bales of hay down a long, long mud path back to the horses years ago, all while balancing a bucket of grain on top.  The "new" drive to the back has made life SO much easier and short of paving the entire property, I think that my promise to improve things for next year is only a coping mechanism.

Tomorrow is another day...  I will hope for some wind and sunshine to dry things out.