January morning

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You Canadian guys make me appreciate the mud, which I never thought would be possible!
Snow is way better than mud. Except for the drifting - thank God mud doesn't drift hehe. It would've been an excavator if it was buried that deep in mud. I've been there - not fun. I'm quite gifted at getting stuck. I'm sure I can provide some stuck in mud pics when the ground thaws.
 
About 11 or 12 years ago the youngest daughter and I went to Montana in April. She kept saying look at all the mud (there wasn't any, just some snow). This was after a typical western Washington winter of slogging through mud for about 5 months. By August she packed her bags and moved to a ranch job in Montana. I will take snow over mud any day of the week.
 
I love the photos and reading about your winters over there. We woke up to a covering of snow about 5 years ago. It lasted long enough for some good photo opportunity's and made headlines in the paper. Will have to wait another decade or two or three for the next photo opportunity.
Some of you must be getting cabin fever waiting for winter to be over.

Ken
 
-31 f feels like -49 f this morning. Things get crispy and metal likes to break at these temps. A few of the major car manufacturers do their cold weather testing at Thompson Mb about 5.5 hrs drive North of here.

@Jeanne - Simme Valley - I move the cattle around when feeding and have a few good hiding spots that I save for times like these. The wind adds an extra layer of punishment for the cattle. If it's cold and blowing hard enough the cattle will stay in the woods in a circle till the weather improves. You know it's bad if cattle aren't eating.
 
-31 f feels like -49 f this morning. Things get crispy and metal likes to break at these temps. A few of the major car manufacturers do their cold weather testing at Thompson Mb about 5.5 hrs drive North of here.

@Jeanne - Simme Valley - I move the cattle around when feeding and have a few good hiding spots that I save for times like these. The wind adds an extra layer of punishment for the cattle. If it's cold and blowing hard enough the cattle will stay in the woods in a circle till the weather improves. You know it's bad if cattle aren't eating.
I remember a -25 f here once without the Wind. That made life very miserable and scary. I had to work that night and the place I worked at the water froze up inside. The heating system was not designed to maintain for that cold. I froze my azz off trying to prevent the freeze up to no avail.
 
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I love the photos and reading about your winters over there. We woke up to a covering of snow about 5 years ago. It lasted long enough for some good photo opportunity's and made headlines in the paper. Will have to wait another decade or two or three for the next photo opportunity.
Some of you must be getting cabin fever waiting for winter to be over.

Ken
We've had a tremendous (for us) winter. It's been close to freezing but not much colder most of the time. One of the reasons I like having cattle Is they give me a reason to go outside in winter. Otherwise cabin fever would be a real issue.
 
We've had a tremendous (for us) winter. It's been close to freezing but not much colder most of the time. One of the reasons I like having cattle Is they give me a reason to go outside in winter. Otherwise cabin fever would be a real issue.
you dont' sound to far away from this fellow, whom I'm sure you've heard of..
Speaking of getting stuck
 
They're getting a bit tame. One of two bulls around with one horn. As long as their 30 friends don't get this casual about humans we'll be ok, they're nice to see. PXL_20210131_160650312.jpg
 
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They're getting a bit tame. On of two bulls around with one horn. As long as their 30 friends don't get this casual about humans we'll be ok, they're nice to see. View attachment 1955
Neighbor killed two this week. Well not actually him. More like they committed suicide. A big bunch of elk got into the stack yard. Ate off the bottom bales enough to cause a cave in. 1,400 pound 3x4x8 bales of alfalfa stacked 6 high. When the stack came over it killed two elk.
 
Neighbor killed two this week. Well not actually him. More like they committed suicide. A big bunch of elk got into the stack yard. Ate off the bottom bales enough to cause a cave in. 1,400 pound 3x4x8 bales of alfalfa stacked 6 high. When the stack came over it killed two elk.
The problem is taking care of itself, lol. They're hell if they get into the hay. I haven't had much trouble, the hay is kept right by the rd. They are pawing the hell out of my hay field though.
 
The problem is taking care of itself, lol. They're hell if they get into the hay. I haven't had much trouble, the hay is kept right by the rd. They are pawing the hell out of my hay field though.
This stack yard has a fence about 9 feet tall. But the hired man left the gate open. It is right beside a road and less than 200 yards from the freeway but probably half a mile from any house. 150 elk have been hanging out over there nearly every day.
 
This stack yard has a fence about 9 feet tall. But the hired man left the gate open. It is right beside a road and less than 200 yards from the freeway but probably half a mile from any house. 150 elk have been hanging out over there nearly every day.
Pretty tame herd then. There's very little to do besides fencing the feed but the hired man has to remember to close the gate. Around here they get chased around a fair amount so they can generally be encouraged to move on. Have been hearing rumors of a hundred head herd a few miles away. Population must be growing.
 
So this must be a good place for cattle. Yesterday I took salt and mineral out to the bred heifers and for some reason thought leaving the gate open was a good idea. Then I went out a different gate. Found it open just now 24 hrs later. By the tracks one or two wondered out, sniffed at a bulk bag that had garbage in it and went back in the gate, lol. PXL_20210131_172229114.jpgPXL_20210131_172149808.jpg
 

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