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.