Frigid Welcome

It kind of looked like these calves were sticking their tongues out at this weather. 

I must wholeheartedly agree, little ones.  

I hate it when I can see my breath ... and when just breathing can take your breath away. 

It was -14 degrees F Monday morning. According to the meteorologists, the wind chill was in the -30s. Today had a balmy -10 start.

However, I give gold stars to the mamas on The County Line. They are doing a stellar job. 

 

While Randy filled the feed truck with silage one cold day, I watched a newborn calf and mother. 

The baby wasn't sure which end of the mama provided the "fountain."

The mama kept nudging the calf and moving around until the calf found the right location.

The next day, they were still up in the straw behind the windbreak, keeping as warm as they could. 

 

Other mamas find other available shelter for birthing their babies. Yesterday afternoon, this mama had her baby in tall weeds in the pasture south of our house.

 

The weeds are a pain to walk through for humans. I took a rather ungraceful spill into a mud puddle after tripping on the dry weeds in the corrals a couple of weeks ago when we were sorting out an old cow to go to the cattle sale. It meant washing everything I was wearing at the time. 

But those same weeds provide some windbreak and warmth for the newest members of the County Line herd.

 

A little sunshine was a welcome addition to the landscape yesterday afternoon. It gave the illusion of a little warmth, and the solar energy does help warm the new calves up a bit.

 

The mamas tag team with the sun, working hard at getting their new babies cleaned off and up for a warm milk snack. I can relate. I've put a packet of hot cocoa mix in a cup of coffee for a special warm-me-up treat the past couple of days.

 

When human intruders are too annoying, mama protectively moved the baby a distance away from the meddling paparazzi. I can take a hint.

 

 That mama wasn't the only one using the weeds as windbreak. 

 

 Others were glad to use the straw Randy has provided behind windbreaks in each pasture.  

 

A little attention from mama is sure to provide some warm fuzzy feelings on a cold winter day. 

There was plenty of love to go around ... even after Valentine's Day was over.

And there was plenty of warm milk to go around, too.

Randy has fulfilled his inner circus dreams and tried out flame throwing in an effort to thaw out the nozzle on the water trailer. 

He has had to resort to the acetylene torch so that the water stream flows out at more than a trickle.

Wonder if a flame thrower works on frozen feet? That method is not recommended.

Electric companies are asking people to conserve energy and have said they'll cut power off in rolling blackouts for 30-minute intervals, if needed. As for us, we are waiting to feed until this afternoon, hoping it will make it easier to get the feed truck and loader tractor started. They don't like the frigid cold either.

I have to laugh at myself when I look at Wednesday's forecast and think that a high of 18 seems warm. Everything is relative.