cassie
Well-Known Member
well stay warm and dry and I hope things clear up soon
HC Minis - new pics pg 172
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chandab
Well-Known Member
Right now, I think I'd take the mud and slop that will follow all this snow, when we eventually warm up; almost anything would be better than what we have right now.
Eagle
Well-Known Member
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
This year is starting to remind me of 1997 March/April - when we moved from Shelby, MT down to Parkton, NC - some 3,500 miles. WE packed out our household goods and moved ourselves - w/ a rented truck, a stock trailer, a 4x4 extended cab Mazda truck and a "custom" stock trailer built from a Ford Courier truck bed. 3 small children, 1 pony sized horse, 1 yrlg horse, 1 large pony and 3 shetland ponies, 1 medium sized, long haired dog (lived in her dog house in the back of the truck - all the way!).
******************************************
The weather had been great thru Feb, then a blizzard swept in and laid down more snow than we/they had had in years - in one drop... Lost the colt fromthe large pony mare (later decided was a good thing), Blizzard cleared up, melt and clear w/ no snow as we prepared to leave. No internet and no reliable TV, but all radio reports said "good to go"... so we pulled out.
When had a flat trailer tire on horsetrailer before Lewistown - pulled both rigs over and took care of it. Problems took time to fix (not the least of which we found it hard to deal w/ since horses NOT unloaded on highway...). Snowflakes showing up, tow truck stopped and gave us a hand and none of us had heard anything via radio or CB that this would be a "killer storm". When we finished up with the change, got back on the road 0 but tired, hungry and grumpy young children - so made the decision to spend first nite on the road in Lewistown at a new Super 8 - instead of going on to ND where we'd planned. Not long after we parked, while caring for ponies & horses - storm really roared in... I think it shut down 5 states - totally unheard of (? - at least for me since we'd recently spent YEARS overseas w/ active duty Army status). We spent the next 4 days in the same hotel room (thank goodness it was a new one and the room we had was much larger than normal - made for easier child care, LOL). Hotel manager freaked out about ponies being unloaded AND we didn't have reliable loaders, so they STAYED in the trailers the whole time. Not a bad thing - Snow 1/2 way up the side of the one trailer... They stayed warm after the drifts kept the wind out of the stock trailers. I did manage to clean the trailers (another freak out from Hotel manager - you'd never have known we were in a livestock state!). The hotel, at that time, retained power for which we were sincerely grateful!
When roads and parking lot (s) cleared, we left. But it was slow - all the way across the Dakotas and into MN. NIGHTMARISH. Storms took down miles & miles of power poles and somewhere in MN started seeing power and energy vehicles from "down south". Later, I would recognize some from the actual town/city/county we were headed towards!!!! Also, the "melt" hit and flooding started. There were police & other utility type (s) directing traffic thru the flooding - heart stopping to watch an 18 wheeler ahead of us floated off the main highway (but still on roadsystem as wider there). Somehow we made it thru - ahead of more road/highway closures. Can't remember all the details - fear, worry, stress kept adrenalin high - we were usually completely whipped every time we stopped for the nite. Had two other major problems with vehicles and ran low in hay in KY. COULDN"T FIND MORE - it was rough portioning it!
It's a trip both hubby and I still remember!!! A trip we'd mapped out to take no more than 7 days (that was when we were much younger and could travel further/longer in a stretch and had children that would sleep and didn't need constant diaper changes) took 15 and we arrived in NC numb and ..."stretched". We had a day to clean up as much as we could the vandalized home we'd returned to fix - then had to get him back to airport to go back to Saudi where he was now a civilian contractor. Would be almost 2 years before we saw him again - some of which I later found out that his compound was dealing with mortar fire and bombings (of course)...
That winter storm hit windchills of -70* (IF i remember right) and we arrived in NC to a heat wave of 100* + in mid-April. The vet we leased 5 acres of pasture from took one look at our panting ponies and located a local who helped us clip them all and got us up with a dog groomer that did the same for our dog. I went from layers of long underwear and outerwear to, for the first time in my life, wearing shorts (with boots!)... WEIRD.
Watching our cable Weather Channel and seeing the posts on various forums - have brought back a lot of memories!!! A lot not so good or fond, LOL.
**************************************************
Chandab - I'm sorry for stealing your thread. I REALLY wish you some warmup - I remember this time frame in 1997!!!! Not sure any years since then have been quite that bad...
Sorry to hear of the loss of your calves, I know sometimes livestock rearing is heart-rending. Thinking of you!!!
******************************************
The weather had been great thru Feb, then a blizzard swept in and laid down more snow than we/they had had in years - in one drop... Lost the colt fromthe large pony mare (later decided was a good thing), Blizzard cleared up, melt and clear w/ no snow as we prepared to leave. No internet and no reliable TV, but all radio reports said "good to go"... so we pulled out.
When had a flat trailer tire on horsetrailer before Lewistown - pulled both rigs over and took care of it. Problems took time to fix (not the least of which we found it hard to deal w/ since horses NOT unloaded on highway...). Snowflakes showing up, tow truck stopped and gave us a hand and none of us had heard anything via radio or CB that this would be a "killer storm". When we finished up with the change, got back on the road 0 but tired, hungry and grumpy young children - so made the decision to spend first nite on the road in Lewistown at a new Super 8 - instead of going on to ND where we'd planned. Not long after we parked, while caring for ponies & horses - storm really roared in... I think it shut down 5 states - totally unheard of (? - at least for me since we'd recently spent YEARS overseas w/ active duty Army status). We spent the next 4 days in the same hotel room (thank goodness it was a new one and the room we had was much larger than normal - made for easier child care, LOL). Hotel manager freaked out about ponies being unloaded AND we didn't have reliable loaders, so they STAYED in the trailers the whole time. Not a bad thing - Snow 1/2 way up the side of the one trailer... They stayed warm after the drifts kept the wind out of the stock trailers. I did manage to clean the trailers (another freak out from Hotel manager - you'd never have known we were in a livestock state!). The hotel, at that time, retained power for which we were sincerely grateful!
When roads and parking lot (s) cleared, we left. But it was slow - all the way across the Dakotas and into MN. NIGHTMARISH. Storms took down miles & miles of power poles and somewhere in MN started seeing power and energy vehicles from "down south". Later, I would recognize some from the actual town/city/county we were headed towards!!!! Also, the "melt" hit and flooding started. There were police & other utility type (s) directing traffic thru the flooding - heart stopping to watch an 18 wheeler ahead of us floated off the main highway (but still on roadsystem as wider there). Somehow we made it thru - ahead of more road/highway closures. Can't remember all the details - fear, worry, stress kept adrenalin high - we were usually completely whipped every time we stopped for the nite. Had two other major problems with vehicles and ran low in hay in KY. COULDN"T FIND MORE - it was rough portioning it!
It's a trip both hubby and I still remember!!! A trip we'd mapped out to take no more than 7 days (that was when we were much younger and could travel further/longer in a stretch and had children that would sleep and didn't need constant diaper changes) took 15 and we arrived in NC numb and ..."stretched". We had a day to clean up as much as we could the vandalized home we'd returned to fix - then had to get him back to airport to go back to Saudi where he was now a civilian contractor. Would be almost 2 years before we saw him again - some of which I later found out that his compound was dealing with mortar fire and bombings (of course)...
That winter storm hit windchills of -70* (IF i remember right) and we arrived in NC to a heat wave of 100* + in mid-April. The vet we leased 5 acres of pasture from took one look at our panting ponies and located a local who helped us clip them all and got us up with a dog groomer that did the same for our dog. I went from layers of long underwear and outerwear to, for the first time in my life, wearing shorts (with boots!)... WEIRD.
Watching our cable Weather Channel and seeing the posts on various forums - have brought back a lot of memories!!! A lot not so good or fond, LOL.
**************************************************
Chandab - I'm sorry for stealing your thread. I REALLY wish you some warmup - I remember this time frame in 1997!!!! Not sure any years since then have been quite that bad...
Sorry to hear of the loss of your calves, I know sometimes livestock rearing is heart-rending. Thinking of you!!!
chandab
Well-Known Member
Wow, Paula, what a trip. Guess I shouldn't complain quite so much, at least I'm at home; but man this still sucks. I moved to CO from MT in 1997, I think we moved in May; and I moved back to MT in March 1999 and got stuck in Hardin in a Blizzard, luckily I have family friends there and they were able to take on me and the dog overnight and I was able to make the rest of the trip the next day. A week later, my horse transport also had nasty weather conditions, but they were able to make it eventually (took them 6 hours longer than they expected, the worst of their trip through Wyoming).
chandab
Well-Known Member
Thanks Diane. It looks beautiful out, but its only about 20 degrees. Shayne is busy clearing the yard, although my entrance area to my mini barn and corrals is totally filled in with snow.
Not a new picture, but Topper's shed looks worse today, then this picture shows the same shed 4 years ago (it was Dakota's house back then).
Not a new picture, but Topper's shed looks worse today, then this picture shows the same shed 4 years ago (it was Dakota's house back then).
Eagle
Well-Known Member
Oh wow!
chandab
Well-Known Member
Ok, took a few pics today of the snow. Pics taken after Shayne plowed, so you can see just how deep it is.
Our driveway and the back of our calving barn (for reference, Shayne is 6'1"):
The yard and driveway north of the house (house is out of view to the right of the tree):
And, what you all want to see my corrals and barns:
The mare pen (that fence behind the mares is a 52" mesh fence, buried by too much snow):
The yearlings' pen:
The entrance to my corral and barn (building to right is my feed and tack building; building to left is the corner of my barn):
And, the cattle shed that I use for Che`, Baybe, Honey and Tilly:
Our driveway and the back of our calving barn (for reference, Shayne is 6'1"):
The yard and driveway north of the house (house is out of view to the right of the tree):
And, what you all want to see my corrals and barns:
The mare pen (that fence behind the mares is a 52" mesh fence, buried by too much snow):
The yearlings' pen:
The entrance to my corral and barn (building to right is my feed and tack building; building to left is the corner of my barn):
And, the cattle shed that I use for Che`, Baybe, Honey and Tilly:
countrymini
Well-Known Member
That is a LOT of snow. How does it normally melt away, do you get a bit of flooding or is it pretty slow? Your babies don't look too worried about it lol
chandab
Well-Known Member
Depends on the year and how much snow hubby has piled behind the barn (which is uphill from the barn). Everything is on a slope here, so while I do get mud, a lot of the run-off goes right through the corrals rather than having much standing water. As to how fast, that really depends on how fast we warm up; sometimes its really quick and sometimes its more gradual. That's the thing about MT, if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes, it'll change.
chandab
Well-Known Member
Forgot one pic, yesterday.
A kitty pile up in the white barn:
If I remember correctly, its Spot in the back (she has a peachy spot on her head and back leg), Miss Gray (shorthaired gray), either Larry or Miss Kitty (black), fuzzy grey kitten, and the white-faced tabby (I dont really like him).
A kitty pile up in the white barn:
If I remember correctly, its Spot in the back (she has a peachy spot on her head and back leg), Miss Gray (shorthaired gray), either Larry or Miss Kitty (black), fuzzy grey kitten, and the white-faced tabby (I dont really like him).
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
It's pretty amazing!!! YEP, lots of snow! I'd love to come for a visit, but you'd not be able to come get me or me get all the way, hmmm?????
I DO remember what it was like to deal with it. You just did! My parents and I also hauled water as the well on their property didn't pan out. So they first put in a 1500 gallon cistern (a clean septic tank, LOL) and later put in a 2nd one that was "in-line" and put a pump house over the pump and it worked just like a well. EXCEPT - we had to go get the water to put into the tanks - 500 gallons at a time. Thankfully during that storm (april 97) - we'd had plenty stocked up and talking w/ mom and dad later - they were OK...
LOVE the "kitty pile"!! Sometimes, our animals here act like they have it rough and I just laugh! I tell them all on a regular basis that they don't know what "hard livin" is!
Please tell me u aren't shoveling out via hand held shovels? BLECK... bad for your back, woman!!!
Thinkin' warm thoughts and hot cocoa for you.
I DO remember what it was like to deal with it. You just did! My parents and I also hauled water as the well on their property didn't pan out. So they first put in a 1500 gallon cistern (a clean septic tank, LOL) and later put in a 2nd one that was "in-line" and put a pump house over the pump and it worked just like a well. EXCEPT - we had to go get the water to put into the tanks - 500 gallons at a time. Thankfully during that storm (april 97) - we'd had plenty stocked up and talking w/ mom and dad later - they were OK...
LOVE the "kitty pile"!! Sometimes, our animals here act like they have it rough and I just laugh! I tell them all on a regular basis that they don't know what "hard livin" is!
Please tell me u aren't shoveling out via hand held shovels? BLECK... bad for your back, woman!!!
Thinkin' warm thoughts and hot cocoa for you.
chandab
Well-Known Member
I only shovel small walk-thru gates, doorways and the small sidewalk at the house; Shayne does the yard, driveway and corrals with a tractor (snowblower on the tractor or the bucket, depending).
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
PHew! I know my parents did a lot of it by hand before they had a snow blower (I did it the one year, ick!). Then they also got blades or scoops on their ATVs - that's how they did their driveway and even kept the road that went thru their property open with it! Those ATVs got LOTS of work!
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
I found a picture (gosh, the girls look so tiny!!!). This shows the ATV w/ a blade on the front & my oldest & youngest daughters - Skye is 12 1/2, Sierra is just short of 9). The "water hauler" is in the background & you can see the opening into the cistern (round cement w/ small white cap).
chandab
Well-Known Member
I don't think there is any way an ATV could have gotten our driveway cleared, glad we have a "real" tractor.
chandab
Well-Known Member
I know you asked for pics of the new calves, but its just not going to happen, yet, its just too cold out.
And, for those that asked to see the twins, unfortunately, we lost one and touch and go with the other one; they are just so little, they might have been a bit premature, even for twins.
Not this year, but here are a few calf pics from previous years; we raise commercial Red AngusX calves, so they all pretty much look the same from year to year, except the few with white markings.
These two are from 2006, so I probably haven't shared them before:
And, for those that asked to see the twins, unfortunately, we lost one and touch and go with the other one; they are just so little, they might have been a bit premature, even for twins.
Not this year, but here are a few calf pics from previous years; we raise commercial Red AngusX calves, so they all pretty much look the same from year to year, except the few with white markings.
These two are from 2006, so I probably haven't shared them before:
Eagle
Well-Known Member
I am sorry for your loss
and Yes Chanda we totally understand, you just stay safe.
chandab
Well-Known Member
They're a fair amount of work if you plan to bottle feed a bum, but since you had them in the past, you know that (probably just not in your recent memory as to how time consuming they can be).
Rats, I thought I took a pic of two calves the other day when I was taking snow pics, but the camera must have ate them.
Gotta go feed before I run out of time to get it done before dark.
paintponylvr
Well-Known Member
Other than a couple of times when I helped with rounding up and separating first year hiefers, I've never really been around cattle. Funny - there are quite a few around here... See them when you go out to drive/ride horses/ponies or go any direction into town. But I've never "worked" with any,
I certainly understand not taking pictures in that weather. On todays's news, they were talking about the storm hitting Colorado and coming east thru the mid-west and how it's breaking records and causing lots of surprises. Kinda ties in with what I said earlier about "your blizzard" being similar to the one before we left MT to come to NC...
I love those pics of the two calves. Thanks for sharing. When you guys calve out, are they in long open sheds or enclosed barns? Just curious - since I have no idea. The folks here just let thier cows calve out in the pastures. I think cows got better care when I was in CO and MT, LOL. The horses there were left out, but the cows brought up/in to give birth!!
I certainly understand not taking pictures in that weather. On todays's news, they were talking about the storm hitting Colorado and coming east thru the mid-west and how it's breaking records and causing lots of surprises. Kinda ties in with what I said earlier about "your blizzard" being similar to the one before we left MT to come to NC...
I love those pics of the two calves. Thanks for sharing. When you guys calve out, are they in long open sheds or enclosed barns? Just curious - since I have no idea. The folks here just let thier cows calve out in the pastures. I think cows got better care when I was in CO and MT, LOL. The horses there were left out, but the cows brought up/in to give birth!!
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