Foggy & Soggy

It hasn't stopped raining yet.

The barn yard and barn field are a soggy thick landscape of deep manure and rivers of water.

The fog came today as well.

Walking across the barn yard has its own hazards.

There is still ice under all this wetness.  One false step can land you on your back, or worse---face first in some really icky stuff.

It happened to me once.

I had to get myself to a carwash to rinse myself off, it was that bad.

I will spare you the rest of the gory details.

But one thing I DO know is that some boot-wearing farmer, somewhere, is falling in their barnyard during this most icky time of year.

I did find the new calf a running and a jumping this morning as his mom chased after him.

He looks like he gained 10 pounds overnight.

He was wet and his mom was giving him periodic baths to get the mud off his face and legs.     A full time job in this weather!

I decided he was too wet and headed him towards the shed.

Amazingly he walked the full width of the barnyard without assistance and went directly into the shed.
Smart calf!!!
It was then that I noticed that the other cows must of gotten into the shed last night and ripped open the other bales of shavings.
Just like a dog who rips open a down feather pillow, there was stuff everywhere.   
 I quickly shoveled most of it up to save it for later and then spread some on the wet places.
Gracie & Guy investigated the area for awhile. Sniffing every inch in the crowded little shed.

I brought hay for mom.

And soon the calf laid down and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I would never make it on a big cattle ranch in a cold climate with thousands of cows.   I worry too much about calf mortality.   

He seems so much older than just 24 hours old.

I left the herd and went and test drove several vehicles in the rain, sleet and snow.

This 2001 Chevy S10Z automatic with a Vortec engine, was the one I liked the best, but it has 102K on it and I am very nervous about high milage vehicles.   

Test drove this 2004 Jeep Liberty with 103K on it. 5 speed, 6 cylinder.
It drove better than the Chevy.
Anyone driving a Liberty?   Got any input-- The good, the bad ?

As the rain came down harder I returned to the farm and found the G-family laying on some hay in the middle of the foggy and soggy barnyard.

Even though the calf looked fine, I knew he had experienced 24+ hours of rain.

Neither one wanted to move from their "nest" so I went and got some dry hay and covered him in it.

Gracie munched on it

and then gave him another bath.

Its still raining tonight.
Will need a canoe to get around the barnyard in the morning!!!