Good Monday morning to all you critter and land loving folks, and a Happy New Year to you! The theme song for the week on the funny farm, as well as for many of the rest of you out there is, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” The kind of cold Carhartt commercials are made of, and the kind that means no dilly-dallying when locking up at night. I only throw that in, seeing how I usually go lock up outside when teeth brushing happens inside at our home.  CIay takes over, and I may or may not dilly-dally on occasion while he handles that parent chore. He knows that’s what I am up to and he is wonderful to let me hide out for ten minutes.

With those frigid temps comes the task of keeping all those tanks open for stock. Usually, tanks are opened up on the Conry ranch with an ax and pitchfork, but this last week the chainsaw was busted out. Yeah, really cold. I stayed busy keeping water open for chickens and ducks and found out just how much my in-laws love me when I didn’t once touch my goat tank. It was good to go with the small tank heater they had given me for my birthday, really speaking my love language this week!

At times like this when the temp plunges, cow folks all around get creative. I did a little digging and some of you out there insulate tanks with square bales and cover half the tank, some of you use propane heaters, the variety is only left to the imagination. On the places, the Conry cows winter one tank has a fish bubbler to keep the water moving, and the tank was open at ten below, the other has a garden nozzle that is left open to keep water moving, both work dandy. As I dug around I was encouraged how people share what they are doing, and are always looking to help others out. I hope the New Year lends itself to you being encouraged as well. Learn new things, hold that knowledge with an open hand, and give yourself the grace to make mistakes along the way.

That being said, here I go to night check to see if the funny farm has any baby goats yet, and no, I don’t think I will check the thermometer. All I need to know is as my grandpa would have said: “It’s headed for the cellar!” The goats are snug in the barn and it will build character for me. . . or something like that. New Year blessings to you, yours, and your operation.

“Working Cows”

Body condition scoring sheet lesson with my 9-year-old. While we hid in the truck out of the cold. Note: Manicure courtesy of my 4-year-old.

Checking water tanks.

Fish bubbler working away at -10*F.