Critters and Snow

When it snows I do like some photos of the animals that share this farm with us. They have a way of looking at us as though-- and what is this all about? Most of them choose to spend the nights under the shelter of barns but a few prefer the trees.




The youngest calves and lambs, born within the last month, have never seen it before, but ones like these two yearlings ewes below have but don't look any more impressed this time than the last. There are no snowball fights to make it fun. I will say though that four legs on the ground do give for better traction on the ice.


I consider us to be one of the critters albeit the ones who have the responsibility for the others because snow or no snow, feed has to be provided. Water is no problem for the cattle as they have a place to access the creek, but the sheep have to have their water carried from the house when the outside lines freeze.


If our power goes off (it didn't this time), with small lambs, we don't want them going down to the creek and risking one falling in; so we must carry buckets from down there up to safer ground. We cannot have the ewes who are lactating suffering from lack of water. That would be a real disaster. Farm Boss had a nasty cold but that didn't change the routine out there.



In this case, we happened to also see one of the Oregon Coast Range's elk herds as we were driving back from Corvallis. They were down from the hills for obvious reasons. Fortunately for them, this part of the valley had less snow and melted quickly off the grass.