We have a lot of folks comment how we must have loads of leisure time now that crop season is over. I suppose it's true on one level, but we just finished a bout of subzero wind chills, now have a day of frozen drizzle followed by a few inches of snow with high winds, followed by a drop in temp from 29 degrees this morning to below zero by midnight. Looking at -30 below windchill tomorrow morning. As a result, spent a couple hours thawing out one drain line and another thawing out the frost-free hydrant in the barn which, ironically, froze. In addition, with every snow I try to clear the paddock of snow and ice, lest it turn into a skating rink during one of these temporary thaws.
My wife noted that it also takes 3x as long to do any task outside (of which there are always several waiting on a farm) since one's hands tend to freeze rather quickly, even with insulated gloves. Thank Heaven for those little disposable hand warmers!
I hope everyone is staying safe and warm and that all the animals in your care are comfortable and dry. My mules would love to get back to work, but for now, they seem content with endless hay in their stalls, watching as it blusters outside.
Still, it's good honest work and we are looking forward to a peaceful Christmas and wish everyone on the forum the same.