New Hereford Bull Calf born, Our Hereford Bull, and Januray 2012 flood water!!!

Last Saturday January 12, 2012 we added to the herd again.  The calf we were waiting on, Mama did breed on the clean up cycle by the bull.  She is an older cow and is the Boss of the herd.  My husband swears she waits until he has given up and when she sees him coming into feed she just drops a calf on her own terms.  He intended to check her again for signs of a possible birth and was maybe going to put her in the barn.

Needless to say he saw the calf and started moving equipment to get her and baby up.  I had just left to go to our daughters for a visit.  So I was not helping this time.  After hours of working and having it all strawed down he ended up carrying the calf to the barn and Mama followed.  He told me that he thought it was going to be a lighter weight calf until he picked it up.  They had to go into the barn because our temperature that day hit close to 60 degrees, rain and dropping temps were predicted for the night.  The calf could have frozen to the ground during the night.  We did get 3 1/2 inches of rain that night and washed into the barn so  the next day he added more straw and everyone is warm and cozy now.  He is moving them out of the barn probably Sunday or Monday of this week.  The little fellow is already jumping around and running in the pen, so he is a healthy little fellow Mama maybe getting older but she is a really good mother.

We did have some flooding , river bottom flooding(back water).   Eventually it did cover the road and at times we can get flooded in for up to 14 days or more. We live on a curve and it floods us in both ways.  We get out by 4-wheeler to a vehicle we move out (to the neighbors) prior to flooding. We have lived here so long we are educated on river bottom flooding.

Mama, baby, and flood waters are OK now.

I have posted baby pictures Jarhead born January 12, 2012, a picture of our Bull Harry born May 11, 2009, and flood pictures(before water got over road ).  Also a picture of what I call our swamp.

Taxes, Snow, Birds and January Thaw

Well it has been a productive few days here at our house.  Almost have my taxes done and ready to take to the accountant.  Our daughter always tries to beat me each year on getting done first.  She did beat me last year, maybe I can reclaim the title this year.  She is like me get it done and over with.

Our snow cover is still hanging on here.  Some has been melting during the day and refreezing at night.  The temperature is up to 44 degrees right now. January Thaw has arrived early.  Five minutes ago I heard a big crashing sound, then realized it was the remainder of the sheets of snow melting off the north side of the house.  My car is almost melted off  so I can go to Walmart now if I want too.  We have not moved the car since Christmas Day (it is front wheel drive and not much help in this mess).  I have ventured to town twice since then in the Jeep.  I usually avoid all stores after Christmas if I can.  I stock up form April till Christmas, order as much off the Internet as I can and avoid all stores.  I just do not enjoy shopping that much.  I do try to take a detailed list with me and never walk in with out it.  I will rush trough and forget half of what I need with out a list.

I have been watching my little friends at the bird feeders since Christmas Day feeding at our bird feeders, I love to watch them. We have Woodpeckers, Blue jays,  Cardinals, and Doves,  plus some I have no idea what they are.  I buy 40 pound bags of wild bird seed at the farm store and mix in an additional 10 to 15 pounds of black oil sunflower seed with it.  The birds rally like it at least I have not received any complaints from them yet.  With the snow cover they have been feeding heavy.  If we have a bad weather forecast  you can tell it is going to hit, the little feathered fellows feed heavier before it hits. 

Later this week we have rain in the forecast.  Hope we don't see any storms.  Winter is not over, it is just a little break and it will hit again.  We have had some heavy ice and snow storms as late as March.

The bright sunshine, warmer temperatures make me want to houseclean.  I need to hurry up and finish taxes today so I can start cleaning before the mood leaves.

2012 An Interesting Year

Well a new year has appeared again.  Of course I was not ready as usual.  Our kids are grown and gone, I have more time now than I did when they were little.  I got more done then than now.  I think my cousin was right when she stated we are not getting older just slower.

Lets see I started 2012 with all kinds of goals and very few were not kept as usual.  I did get my spring cleaning done, fall cleaning half done, bookkeeping half is done, canning no we had a drought, I could keep going but it would appear I am making excuses. 

I will just look on the positive side, we had a drought and we weathered it.  Was my garden a success?  No, but we did have tomatoes to eat, all we wanted, 4 quarts of juice were canned and 2 batches of chili for the freezer,  22 quarts of green beans were canned, cucumbers for the grand kids were picked, and 70 lbs of potatoes were dug.  My canning jars were not all filled, but we had more than most people.   At least my garden wasn't flooded out.  It could have been worse. 

If I had achieved everything I wanted to do I would not have anything left to do in 2013.  Life throws curve balls and  you either catch them or you fumble them, it is up to you.  At least our family  weathered the record breaking heat and our animals all survived. 

Every year our oldest granddaughter always asks what kind of winter I think we will have.  I always tell her we will know come spring what winter brought.  This year I will tell here now we are more than likely have met our projected snow fall of 20 inches.  We have already had at least a total of 18 inches and still have 2 more months of winter to go.  All the snow we get has been desperately needed and we are welcoming it.

We do have a warm up coming this next week,  it will probably melt our snow off and get muddy.  Rain is in the forecast.  With that forecast coming I will not have any more excuses, I will have to put blinders on and get something accomplished.

My resolutions for 2013 are not to make any resolutions.  Just take one day at a time, and not to worry about what does not get done, just be content with what I do.