Cold, But Beautiful Morning!

Cold, But Beautiful Morning!

This morning my husband awoke to his horse, Dark Shadow, whinnying loudly. He hurried up and got dressed, and went outside to check on her. She usually does that when she wants him for some reason. And usually it is important. She doesn't just do that all the time.They had eaten all their night hay, and needed more.........it was cold! Hay warms them up fast. So he gave them more and went back inside.

Hay Keeps Horses Warm In Cold Temps!

He came in and started the job of getting the big heating wood stove opened up and then adding wood. He started the kerosene heater in the bathroom. Unfortunately, it had been moved, and the wick had become crooked, so it smoked. After he fixed it, we had a warm bathroom.

Below Zero This Morning!

We started off with temps of ten below zero, in a bit it had come up two degrees. After he got the stoves cranking to warm up the house, he went out to the woods quickly and brought back more kindling. We had been lax on stocking up kindling. So that won't happen again!

Tightening the chain

We have been getting our own wood and only buy some when we come across a great deal. Soon though, we will be getting our own wood lot since we do not want to cut our forest down. Up until now, we have used only dead wood or fallen trees. After our tornado in 2000, we heated with those trees for years.

Getting ready to add some more wood!

Once our fire is going in our big heating wood stove, you are warm and cozy. In fact, whoever sits in the chair in front of the stove, is almost guaranteed to fall asleep! The fire does that to you for some reason. I make it a point to never sit there. I am not one to take a nap during the daytime. The sun is now shining on our homestead and bringing in power to our solar panels. Just a busy morning here.........on our forest homestead.

Callie and Patches keeping warm!

Copyright © 2012 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2012  Kathleen G. Lupole

Morning Chores During Cold Weather

Cold Winter 2010

On a cold morning, on our Peaceful Forest Homestead, the first one who gets up must open the dampers on the wood stove. Then the first riser gets a fire going in the wood cook stove and gets the coffee pot on. The coffee pot has been prepared the night before. I am not always the first one to get up. My son is an early riser so since he has been staying with us, he gets up and does those chores. If not, either my husband or I do them.

Fire going in wood cook stove!

While the coffee is perking, the first riser will then add wood to the big wood stove. Then replenish the cat's dry food dish. We usually sit and have our coffee and talk about our plans for the day at that time. After coffee, time to get moving.

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Horses look forward to breakfast!

Horses being the first on the agenda. In the cold weather, horses need their hay for warmth. Sometimes they won't even touch the feed, knowing that the hay will warm them up. While they are eating is the time when my husband will usually clean the barn. There is one big stall for all three, with a big open door so they can go in and out as they please. The manure from this will be put into our compost pile.

Water drained down, handle up insures flow in cold temps

One of the most important chores on our homestead is priming our pitcher water pump. Since we do not have running water here, we cannot afford to lose the use of our pump. Horses need and want a lot of water in cold weather. Snow is NOT a substitute! After it is primed and running, we take fresh water to the barn, to the house and anywhere else we may need it. On cold days, the handle is put back up and water drained down out of the pipe so it doesn't freeze.

Split firewood - a VERY important chore!

Those are the regular chores we do every single morning. If we need firewood brought in or cut, that is usually done at that time also. Then we come in and check our computers and it is time for breakfast. A routine done every day, keeps your homestead orderly, organized and running smoothly........regardless of how cold it is. What about you? Does your routine vary in cold weather?

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2011  Kathleen G. Lupole

 

A Beautiful Start To My Day Today!

This morning I did something I hadn't done in a very long time. Something I have been missing and wanted to do, but just didn't do it for some reason or other. I went out to feed my horses! I used to do it every day since we brought them home. But when my son came to stay with us, he'd do it before we were even up and around. Just to get them fed. With me, feeding was more than just giving them food. It is that special relationship I share with my "little girls."

Georgie Girl had missed me. She is the boss mare but shows her soft side to me. She loves babies (human), apples, carrots, dandelions, having her hooves trimmed, being brushed and pampered. Pampering is what she does best. Her being pampered.....not her doing the pampering! I talk to her and tell her how pretty she is. She really likes being told that. Who wouldn't? She minds me real good. I can yell to her from the house and she will do what I tell her to do. Not many horses will do that. But she hates to get in trouble and she is VERY intelligent.

Dark Shadow is not the boss. But she bosses Tawny. And for the life of me, I cannot get Tawny to stand up to her. Tawny will stand up to Georgie but not to Dark Shadow. I don't understand that at all. She knows that Georgie Girl is the boss mare. Dark Shadow is VERY spirited and acts like a filly. She never does anything slow. Walks fast. Eats fast. She is the look out horse. Georgie sends her out to see what is going on.

 Yesterday, Georgie would not eat at supper time. My husband got very mad at her. Said she was a stupid horse. He dumps their food in snow if there is any because that is how they like it. It is dusty horse pellets and they like the moisture on it. Anyway, Georgie would not touch it. So I went out to see why. She usually loves her food and everybody else's. The electric line behind the lean-to had fallen, and was embedded in the ice and snow on the ground.

My husband had dumped her food right on top of it (not on purpose). Even though the fence is not hot since the snow covers the bottom line. She would not take the chance and eat her food on top of that wire. I don't blame her. She don't understand the way the electric fence works. So I had to pick up handfuls of her feed and hand feed her. She loved that (Didn't I tell you that she LOVES to be pampered?)!

 

This morning was a beautiful start for my day. I hadn't realized how much I had missed that time. In the morning it is so quiet, except for hearing the birds sing. I looked up in the maple tree out front, way up in the very top, was that robin with the big red breast. He was singing his morning song in the sunlight. He sounded so happy. That is how I felt out there myself.

Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole
All Photographs Copyright © 2011 Kathleen G. Lupole