A Rollercoaster Week on the Farm

Mother Nature sure has a sense of humor this year, though I’m not sure any of us are laughing. Just five days ago, we were sitting on the porch in short sleeves, soaking up a Christmas miracle that felt more like the Fourth of July. Topping out at over 70 degrees, it was a beautiful break, but seasoned folks around here knew the bill would eventually come due.

And boy, did it ever.

In less than a week, we’ve plummeted from those balmy highs straight down into the mid-teens. This kind of "weather whiplash" is more than just a shock to the system; it’s a full-time job keeping the place running. The livestock are feeling it the most. When that North wind starts biting, their bodies burn through energy just to stay warm, so we’ve been hauling extra flakes of hay and bumping up the grain to keep their internal heaters running.

Between the feeding runs, it’s been a race against the frost. We’ve been wrapping pipes, dripping faucets, and double-checking the tank heaters to make sure the plumbing doesn't give out. It’s a lot of extra sweat to keep things from freezing solid, but that’s just the reality of rural life. We take the sunshine when we can get it, and we buckle down when the ice moves in.

Stay warm out there, neighbors.