A Year Later

About this time last year I bought a blue 9 quart bucket with a plug to keep the animals' water from freezing on our cold nights. This year I have two heated buckets and this year they are down by the gate (no extension cords through the barnyard). Last year I had to haul water from the house to put in the buckets. This year I have a 50 gallon barrel in the garage/ barn that I fill with a hose on a random warmish day. The water is protected enough that even if the valve freezes I can open the top and fill a bucket. What a difference.

One of my favorite parts of being a farmer is figuring out how to make something work better with little money or valuable time spent. Farmers have a great deal of ingenuity and it is always fun to ask the old timers for a solution to a current problem.

It is also easier to have hay and feed in the garage/barn instead of the animal barn. This way I can get things together without the fear of Hildegard or Amelia locking me in the closet. Feeding time is so much more peaceful (but not always peaceful).

I used to feed the sheep hay in the barn. Now I put the hay on an overturned heavy plastic trough. Now I just need to figure out how to keep Mirabai off the table. Beau has his own spot away from the chaos where he uses much better table manors.

I have heard that anyone can be a pretty good musician after ________ hours of practice ( I forget the number but there is one). I wonder if there is a similar number to become a pretty good farmer.