Snowy Owls

Hairy woodpecker. He is sure a shy son of a gun, but noisy

Nope, not here, but a neighbor from a couple of miles to the south brought down a photo taken on their farm and their neighbors have been seeing them too. Guess if we can get up some gumption we'll have to take a run up that way and see if we see one. I've seen several in my lifetime, but not in quite a while.

Meanwhile, the song sparrows are back. A nice, natty red one showed up yesterday. I have only seen one or two since the first snowfall, but we usually have quite a few.

Saw a pair of ravens too. I was just mentioning that I hadn't counted any yet this year, and a pair came right through the yard.

Speaking of gumption....where can I buy some? These night barn checks and working with only Becky all the time is wearing us old fogies out. She does all she can, but she is just one person. I could barely drag myself to the barn at 4 AM for calf check. Seemed like a mile, all uphill. Of course we were in the barn until after nine last night so it makes for a short time indoors.

Thankfully after Bailey has her calf we get a few weeks respite before the next ones start coming.

 I am ready for some warmer weather and the cows are too. Can't get them outside with all the ice. Even with all this snow it is so cold that it doesn't stick to the ice underneath, so you are walking in a foot of thick fluff with glare ice underneath. We do okay, but for hoofs it's not so good.