ice balls

So, yesterday when E4 and I were ready to go out and do chores, it was thundering and pouring down rain. We decided to wait a few minutes to see if we could make it out without getting soaked, and it turned into either sleet or hail, not sure what the deciding distinction is between the two. We ventured out into it, and it hurt! E4 kept whimpering, ow, ow, OW! and I told her to run for it and get up to the barn and out of the weather. By the time the milking was done, so was the weather, for the time being. Today was sunny and warmer. The joys of a temperate climate!

ah, spring!

Yes, its been a while since I've posted. Sorry to all my faithful viewers; we've worked our way out of the muck and mire and are now in spring. This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago; its an ice jam on the river nearby. Note the camper behind the trees!

My mom had hip replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago, so I've been trying to maintain two households. Its been fun to help her out, though, and we're so excited to see her getting around better.

The migrating birds have all come back - robins, bluebirds, grackles, herons, and this year a special treat - there have been hooded mergansers on our pond! They are quite striking. I haven't been able to snap a photo yet, but here is a link to what they look like - http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Hooded_Merganser.html

The goat kids are all growing well, and we are settled back into a peaceful routine. Today we are getting new fence around the barnyard!

More to come . . .

In like a . . . ?

Yesterday and today were so gorgeous, weren't they? Very springlike, highs flirting with the 60's . . . we got the goatbabies moved out to the barn, so they have their own pens (Mangus in one, the girls in the other) and lots of room for running, bouncing and frolicking. Of course, the ever inquisitive and adventurous Piper found her way out through a hole in the fencing, and E1 arrived in the barn to feed the babies in time to catch Ginger, a yearling doe from Erika last year, asserting to her little sister who is higher in the chain of command. Hopefully Piper learned a lesson, hubby fixed the hole and all is well.

Tonight the cold front moved in with much wind, lightning and thunder. We lost power for about an hour, so hubby was pleased since he got to run the generator. The temperature has dropped, with the promise of three more inches of snow by morning. The past few days got rid of most of what was there, but since this is Iowa, the land of ever-changing and unpredictable weather, we'll have some more. But we've been hearing robins, bluebirds and killdeer singing, so winter is losing ground. Spring is around the corner.

So is mud. No, in fact mud is here, and there, and in the corners, all over the van and truck, and there is nothing left of our roads but the suggestion of a muddy strip between the ditches. The poor folks who are our new renters are having a challenging acclimation to country life, I'm afraid. But they seem like good people who aren't afraid of a challenge.

You know, I don't have a recent picture per se to post; E4 had a birthday this past week, though, but nothing postable. So I will post a picture of the tufted titmouse who visited us last year. S/he has made a return visit, just like I've been praying for, but I've no new pictures of it. So this is from last year.

and again . . .

Another snow day. My hubby was going to work when he got a call that my fil and mil are stuck in a truck-hood-high drift east of us, so he went to go help them instead. Anyone that has seen my fil's work truck will be impressed with the size of that drift; he is a traveling mechanic and has a heavy equipment repair truck. The east road was the one that was fine last night . . . actually, both the roads out of Amon Eruanna were passable last night, but we got a little more snow and the wind kicked up again. So the 4E's and I are at home together again. At least we got out last night for a bit.

I want to add that it is insanely cold outside. I am NOT looking forward to walking to the barn this morning. Usually it is warmer and a little more protected inside, but getting there will undoubtedly be painfully cold.

The photo above is one my hubby took on the north road on the way to work before the snowplow came through. We've had enough snow that the ditches are full, and now there is no barrier to the blowing snow, so it creeps across the road and drifts. Most cars, vans, buses, and trucks can't take that on. 4WD is a requirement. Which is why we are home. All together. Again.

ssssnnnnoooooowwww dddaaaaazzzzeeeeeuuuhhh

From the snow we had on Sunday, we are still waiting for the roads to be decent enough to get out. So, here we are, no school, getting sick of each other and staring at another potential system coming through on the weekend. At least hubby can get out; he drives his 4WD pickup out. He's brought back supplies for us, and valiantly braved the drifts and made it to work twice and back once. Hopefully he makes it back OK tonight, as he has promised to take us out for supper. OUT! FOR SUPPER!

I know I promised more pictures of the baby goats, but haven't got that done yet. Hubby took the camera today to get pictures of the drifts. The babies are doing fine, still in the mudroom.

I've filled all the birdfeeders and have been enjoying trying out my zoom lens. This poor nuthatch blinked for just a second, but that's all it took to lose that seed. Fortunately, there were plenty more there for him. The feeders are busy with dozens of goldfinches, a pair of hairy woodpeckers, a couple pairs of downy woodpeckers, a red-bellied woodpecker, purple and house finches, several pairs of cardinals, blue jays, juncoes and chickadees. I'm hoping for a return of a couple of rarer visitors, being the red-breasted nuthatch and the tufted titmouse, but time will tell. Haven't seen them yet this year.

Still cold

It is still pretty cold, and we are going to get more snow.

I'm consoling myself with this picture I took of a rainbow over our prairie. Last summer was pretty stormy, and this happened to be one of the tamer showers we had. And it was a morning rainbow, something I haven't witnessed too often myself. It was 'originating' right in the prairie!

The baby goats are doing great, still enjoying the relative warmth of the mud room. Even Mangus, even though he is a month old. But we have yet to construct pens for the babies in the barn, and it seems too cold anyway. We don't keep them toasty warm in the mud room, though; it gets down to 50 F at night in there, but we don't want them to be pansies either!

I'll try to get more pictures up of the babies soon . . .

Piper!

Aunty Shahan suggested Piper, from the Latin name for black pepper, and that's just what we were after. So Erika's does are Nutmeg and Piper. Thanks!

We are home on a snow day again. I'm sending a photo from July . . . Picnics in the park, Kool-Aid . . . ahhhh. I miss July.