Texas Rebel Girl: Winter Has Arrived

Winter Has Arrived

The weather folks had been warning us since last week that we had several days of cold, wintery weather ahead of us. They were right.

I spent the day before yesterday prepping for the cold weather. Pens were cleaned, bedding was changed, feed was stashed, the geese were told to put on their warmest goose down, and pile up on good books to read because they'd have a lot of spare time to sit by the fire wrapped up in their warm goose down.

The night before last, the wind, cold, ice, and powdered-sugar-snow moved in. It was pretty miserable, let me tell ya!

First thing that morning I had to head down to the mailbox to pick up some packages. First, let me state that I'd never driven in ice or snow. So, me and the two little ones hopped in one of the pickups and fired her up. I didn't dawn on me until after we had shut the doors that we couldn't get out of the pickup, due to the fact that both handles are broken. Normally, we just roll down the windows and open the doors from the outside, except in this case there was a layer of ice on both windows, and they wouldn't budge. We were stuck! Thankfully, I had my handy dandy phone on me, so I called mom, who was in the house, and she came and let us out and we scraped the ice off the windshield and windows. Phew. I then drove around to the gate (we were parked behind the house), to find the gate was shut. Great...did I mention we still couldn't get out because the windows were jammed? Finally, after much struggling one of us got out and opened the gate. Then we went on our merry way, creeping 10 mph down the road to retrieve the mail. If I drove any faster then 10 mph, the pickup would start swerving. Our mail lady was waiting on us, we completed our errand, and got home without further difficulties.

Gypsy is my blogging partner. She is wrapped up in a warm quilt bundle nestled in my lap.

Meanwhile, back at the barnyard. The critters were less than impressed with the new weather. When I opened the doors, the chickens poked their heads out, took one look at the cold-grey sky, and icy-white ground, and said No thanks, I don't want any of it! They refused to come outside all day long. The waterfowl are now experts at ice skating. They came barreling out of their house and slid the rest of the way. Most of the Call ducks and Muscovies come flying out, when they saw what was on the ground they circled in the air several times before lightly landing.

Maggie: Hey, mom! Whats up? ME of course!

Daffy: I believe I can fly!

Big Boy..

Dawn..

and Hershey, are not quite as affected by the weather due to their, how shall we say? Their fat storage?

In winter time, the feathered dinosaurs eat a lot more than they do during the summer months. It takes a bunch of energy to stay warm. Which is why I keep food available for them to snack on all day.

See this young white Scovy girl? That is Dawn's daughter, and her chocolate Scovy sibling on her left by the mesquite tree, who I am assuming is sired by Hershey. ;)

You would not believe what great lengths I went to to take this pictures. While doing this shoot, I was laying down flat on my stomach on the cold ice with my face pressed against the ground clicking away.

Because who doesn't love a fluffy bum picture?

Or even better!! How about two fluffy bum pictures? I just know you are thrilled beyond..okay maybe you're not.

Daffy: Mercy it's cold out here!

Taffy: I told you to get your snow shoes!

Daffy: No comment.

As soon as I exited the house the geese started honking for me hurry up and bring them supper.

Most of all, they wanted to take a bath, but somehow an ice cube bath just doesn't do it, you know? I scared to think of how many trips with a 5 gallon bucket from the bathroom tub to the goose yard and back, would take to fill up their pools.