Fun on the Farm in the Winter = Flooding, Ice, Cutting Wood and A New Addition!

There has been a flurry of activity on the farm since the turn of the new year.

We have cut down a tree, we have cut up a tree, We went to a small concert, we have endured the ice storm, the deep freeze, a burst pipe and flooded barn, the rescue of a new golden retriever and now a lame Izzy.

So here's the start

My parents cut down the dead Alder tree on the driveway.  It was a sad loss last summer as a tree lined driveway has always been such a fairytale for this farm girl.

We will have to find a new tree for planting in the spot to fill the gap this has created.  

Remember the Hickory tree we lost in the lightening storm last summer.   The beans are off and the ground was frozen so it was time to cut it up and burn the brush.   

Mom, Dad, DH and I (mostly Mom and Dad) spent a lovely sunny winter afternoon cutting wood.   It was also sad to lose this very old hickory tree.   However, the loss will generate wonderful heat next winter with this hard wood in our fireplace.

Molly spent the day with her pal Dora trying to help control the rodent population in the field.   

Here a wise rodent crawled up a bean stock to try and "hide" from Molly.  

Here are the crew members hard at work.

Thanks Mom and Dad for coming out and tirelessly helping us with our farm projects.   There never seems to be a shortage of things to do and the extra hands are genuinely appreciated.

DH and I went with our previous neighbours, Rob and Tracy to a really artsy venue in downtown Hamilton called The Pear Company to see their nephew drum for blues/jazz singer Paul Reddick.   It was a fun night out and the retro, artsy venue is a must go back to destination.

I got this beautiful Amaryllis from my mom for Christmas this year.   It ended up blooming twice!   So lovely to have something growing and blooming in the winter months.   Does make me long for spring tho.

Here is the first bloom

Here is the second

The ice storm and January thaw left our driveway an Olympic calibre luge and the pastures speed skating rinks.   DH broke up the ice with the box scraper to just make them passable.

We endured our second burst pipe in 2 winters at the barn.   The configuration of the stable water does not allow us to turn the water bowls off to the stalls separate from the water that goes to the wash stall.   DH replaced all the bowls and fittings on the south side of the barn last winter when we had a pipe give way.   You can read about that event here.   This year a pipe fitting on the north side gave way.   It seems we will be cursed for some time yet with the cheap and lazy silly antics of the previous owners. We have not fixed this water issue as it's a rather major construction job to rip up the concrete in the walk way from the pump room to the wash stall in order to correct the workmanship already in place.

Here are a few pics from the 8 stall flood.

Look who found the bed she first loved as a puppy when she came to the barn last winter!

This what she looked like many moons ago on that very same bed!   She has grown just a little!

In an effort to find a beneficiary of the burst pipe…I had a some very happy horses eating second cut hay that had got wet in the flood.   Wet or not, they were happy to have such a lovely green treat mixed with their first cut in the dead of winter.

Through all of this we found a new love in our lives.   World, meet Marley!

She is a sort of rescue case that my friend Lisa forwarded to me from Kijiji.  

She has turned out to be an exceptionally loving and gentle soul.   She is 4.5 years old, house broken and in general knows many of the obedience commands like sit, come, stay, down.   Still some work on the manners as she has a nasty habit of jumping up on people AND she is a counter surfer!   We learned this the hard way as our 2 breast of chicken that were thawing on the kitchen counter disappeared with just the traces of the bag and a 1/4 lb of butter with just a small square of the tinfoil wrap left.   When we came in Molly was proclaiming innocence and Marley was just thrilled to see us!   Lesson learned…no freedom to rule the entire house when the two legged's are out!!   Lock down in the mud room continues!

The double trouble that I now see every morning as I eat my breakfast at the kitchen counter!

I sadly have to report that my Princess Izzy is lame on her Left Front (LF).   Not 100% sure yet if it's an abscess waiting to blow out or something else but I am hunching that it's an abscess since she has been not unsound by the eye of those watching or my eye for that matter on the ground either.   But mounted this week I could feel something was just not 100% right.   I had a lesson on Saturday morning with Joe and she was a superstar, but every once in a while I could feel a funny step.…by Saturday afternoon she was on 3 legs and is dreadfully sore now.   There is some traces of swelling up into the back of the fetlock joint I am hoping that is just the lack of use from how much she is favouring it along with any infection that is trying to get out stuck in the limb.   Fingers crossed that it clears soon as seeing her this way is heart breaking.

Here she is with the soaking boot on.   Poulticing has also been on going.

Lastly, I must note that food is an important part of the farm.   If you have never tried bacon pancakes I encourage you to try them…because really how can anything with bacon ever be bad!

DH and I also enjoyed an evening in this weekend.   Making home made pizza and enjoying a few libations of Smirnoff coolers and Whiskey sours for me.   DH made his choice of Don Julio…which I attempted but was making that crazy face you get when you just choked down a tablespoon of Buckley's!  

Cheers!