Changes...

I just came in from doing evening chores. What a difference a few days make!

Change #1: The weather. We had nice, moderate fall weather earlier, but today it’s COLD, necessitating a winter coat and warmer pants. Phooey. My chronic pain and fibromyalgia don’t like this cold weather.

Change #2: Give it up, the pastures are too brown. It’s time to start feeding hay. That means scattering flakes around so all the animals get a chance to eat their share.

Change #3: It’s getting harder to fill the water buckets. It’s too cold in the morning to use the hoses. They’re full of ice. However, a little solar heat, and by the middle of the afternoon the water is flowing through the hoses once again. That makes it easier to keep the heated water buckets topped off.

Having a lot fewer animals should make it cheaper to feed them this winter, but I’m not sure how much easier it’s going to be. I still have to go out every morning and evening, I still have to put out hay, I still have to carry a feed bucket in the evening, and I still have to worry about keeping water available.

And I’m sure going to miss lambs and kids come spring.