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Mittens… Serious Business Round Here

Posted on by Melissa

If you asked me what I can’t live without these days, I wouldn’t answer the way I used to. There are just certain things that are a “must” now that I’m a farm girl.

This morning in the skid loader I got to thinkin’ bout my mittens… and how much I love them.

As soon as the aisles at Norby’s Farm Fleet get double-wide stocked with winter gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, and the like I turn my cart down the aisle for some serious shopping.

I have made the mistake the last couple of years to pick up just ONE pair of mittens for myself and the crew. BIG. MISTAKE.

See here? This is the result of only buying one pair of mittens.

Old Mittens
Sad, but true

This pair got totally blown out when I was pumping up a low skid loader tire. There must have been a weak spot in the sidewall because it exploded and blew me on my butt about 4 feet back.

Holy smokes! I thought my contacts were permanently glued to my eyeballs! I count myself lucky, but… my poor mittens. It blew one of the straps clean off and ripped the stitching out of the end of the other one.

But when I got up, they still dusted my butt off. That next week I went back to the store to get me another pair and guess what?

Hmmm…

Notice I still have them. (And in a safe place too, just in case there’s a mitten emergency!) They survived that season because I couldn’t live without them.

Now, this year I went all out. I found a pair of mittens that I am currently in love with. They’re heavy, warm, pretty much waterproof, have a rubbery grip and even have fleece between the fingers! Score!

In fact, I loved them so much I bought THREE pairs! (One for chores, one for good, and one on reserve for someone I really love or in case of a mitten emergency!)

My Mittens
My current Must-Haves

My husband and girls have a favorite kind too.

Axeman Leather Mittens

We have a trusty supply of back ups of these too!

So on this windy, cold, morning my hands were warm.

And that, was a blessing.

 

Dan’s New Toy

Posted on by Melissa

One sunny day last summer, my husband was on a mission. He had had enough during the past long, hard, snowy winter and raised his bidding number over and over and OVER again until he had bought something on his bucket list.

This is my husband's idea of fun!
This is my husband’s idea of fun!

As you can see, the dogs like it too. We have 2 dogs… Cosmo and Brooklyn. Cosmo is our black lab and is close to 8 years old. Our yellow lab, Brooklyn, is his daughter and is about 3 years old.

Brooklyn especially loves to chase things that fly, like snow from a snow blower! Both dogs also enjoy tennis balls, bale spears, welding sparks and the worst of all, flying manure.

Let’s just say she stays a lot cleaner chasing flying snow. 🙂

So, if you’re in the neighborhood, you may be seeing Dan going from place to place, using his new toy! He’s good like that.

 

It was a double-sweatshirt kind of morning!

Posted on by Melissa

Brrr. Well, I’m not sure that covers it! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! There. Each r represents how many degrees below zero it was this morning.

However, the wind wasn’t blowing (which is the thing I hate the most about working outside) so it wasn’t too bad. And God made up for the bitter cold with a beautiful sunrise.

And he threw in a one sided sundog for good measure!

January 5, 2015
First snowfall of the year measured about 4 inches in the tire tracks this mornin’

Hope you’re staying warm today!

The snow is falling…

Posted on by Melissa
The view out my front window...
The view out my front window… It’s lookin’ kinda blue with the snow starting to fall.

 

Today is the day I probably should have taken down my Christmas Tree, decorations, cards, and my cute little lighted village.

Lighted village 1
I sure love my little village!
Lighted village 2
Such a cute little house! Isn’t it festive?
Lighted village 3
If I could, I think I would leave it up all year. There’s just something about teeny tiny lights that makes me happy!

But… (in true procrastination fashion) I chose instead to start my new little adventure! To be honest, I’ve never done anything like this before, blogging that is. And frankly it will be a “learn as you go” kind of thing.

So… here we go! We will see how much time this “snow storm” affords me in the next couple days. You just never know what that will mean for the farm.

We could be spending all day outside pushing snow? Or fixing waterers that freeze up? Or bedding down cattle that are knee deep in snow? Or cuddling up in our warm, wood-fire heated house.

And my hubby has a new toy I may get to show you! After last winter’s deluge of daily snow and cold, my husband invested in a rear-end snowblower for our tractor. Yay! Maybe I won’t have to spend all day in the skid loader? We will see! More to come on that subject!

So I don’t know where you are at out there, but I hope you are snuggled up on this snowy night. As for me, it’s chore time. So I’m headed out to scrape the cow lot in the skid loader so my husband can clean barn and haul manure.

Can’t wait to get in and eat one of my favorite casseroles. I will try to remember to take a picture.

Out I go!