Disclaimer, read part 1 below, first.
After the first snow, I heard tell on the news that another storm was coming on Tuesday.
Not too bad I said, for whoever heard of a second really large snowstorm in our area in less than 5 days. I was annoyed with the weather people, as they would not tell HOW MUCH snow we were expecting out of this second storm. I ranted and raved at the TV.......I've got plans to make and YES I can really take what you have to say. Sunday night they finally begin talking about snowfall amounts for the coming storm.
Not too bad I said, as I watch my ewes get wider and wider and their udders get bigger and bigger. I can make plans in the hopes of keeping everyone safe.
I planned to keep all the bred ewes under the carport with an open hay bale and the snow for water. Shouldn't be a problem moving them thro the snow with my good dogs Ben and Nick. Put 22 bred ewes under the carport and it was crowded.
Not too bad I said, I can sort off the ones that look like they will lamb NOW and just keep them under the carport.
Good dog Ben helps me gate sort the ewes. Problem is I have to look at thier butts to see which ones I want under the carport, when they are all pressed up against me at the gate.
Not too bad I said, I'll just move behind them and try to remember which ones I want to keep and which ones I want to let go. With my poor memory, I had to keep moving behind the sheep, but job accomplished fairly easily and quickly with my good dog Ben. Heavily bred ewes kept under the carport, rest moved back to the run in shed.
Not to bad I said, if I say so myself.
The second storm comes Tuesday into Wednesday, dumping an additional 20" of snow.
Not too bad I said, at least it wasn't another 30"! This snow was a bit different, as the first 6-8" were icy.
Drove down Rt 10 towards the farm. Outside of Cochranville I can see a truck stopped on a rise, I pull up and see 2 tractor trailers stuck next to each other, blocking the road, with 5 tractor trailers behind them all starting to back up.
Not too bad I said, I have an alternate way to go, as I turn around and head down Rt 41 to Rt 1 and my farm. Road was clear the whole way.
The drift at the farm gate is not as high.
Not too bad I said, as I trudge thro mid thigh snow to the gate and try to shovel over the gate, enough to squeeze thro. With the icy snow on the bottom, I can't get the gate open.
Not too bad I said, as I consider squeezing thro the upper bars of the gate to get to the other side. Wisdom prevailed due to a mental picture of me stuck between the bars, with one foot on each side and my ass in the air.
I look around and see a pile of snow, almost to the top of the fence.
Not to bad I said, I can climb on top of the pile of snow and get over the fence that way. The pile of snow was pretty firm, so over the fence I climbed.
Not too bad I said, over my cleverness to leave the tractor at the top. As I climb onto the tractor I realize the key to the tractor is in my truck!
Not too bad I said, I'll just climb back over the fence. But the snow on my side is not hard and I can't climb over.
Not too bad I said, I had to eventually shovel the gate open, so shoveled and got the key out of the truck.
Not too bad I said, when the tractor started right up and took me down to the sheep.
The ewes by the run in shed were alive and well and none had lambed. But they hadn't made a path to the run in shed.
Not too bad I said, I'll just trudge thro the tall drifts to check on the 2 moms with lambs I had left in jugs. All was well and I refilled their water buckets.
My next stop was the ewes in the carport.
Not too bad I said, when I saw that the work flock had made a path over to the gate of the round pen, where I access the carport. When I got to the round pen gate I saw that there were drifts probably to my shoulder.
Not too bad I said, as I could enter thro the other side by squeezing thro an end of a cattle panel.
So I shoveled my way to the other end of the carport and pulled back the cattle panel enough to squeeze thro. The tarps on that side were tied tightly to the carport, and me without a knife.
Not too bad I said, I can lift up the tarp and crawl under. I crabbed walked under the tarp and entered the carport.
I found 3 new sets of twins, nicely being taken care by thier mothers.
Not too bad I said, over my cleverness to put them under the carport.
I rode the tractor back to the upper gate and got it fully opened inside and out. I then decided to to plow again down to the sheep. Shouldn't be too bad I said, since I've already been up and down the path. Half way down the tractor is stuck on ice, no amount of rocking or digging will get it moving.
Not too bad I said, tomorrow is another day.
Tomorrow is here, F*ck me I said.................................
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