Wild Winds

Sunrise over the St. John's River

We had 'em. And they were awful. When a house this big moves in the wind, you know it's a danged stiff breeze. No one slept too well, night before last.

The house was cold all day too as the stove didn't want to burn. One of those hang on and get it over with days.

Now we have come to dealing with a frozen milkhouse. We have an electric heater in there, but it is not efficient and is very expensive to run. So far this season the boss has instead shut off most of the water lines. Then each night he shuts all the water off in all the barns and then uses an air compressor to blow all the water from the cow barn over to the heifer barn and drains it there.

This has worked pretty good. We also fill the wash vats and several buckets with water and keep water in a big tub for the cows. However, this morning there was an ice shell in both vats, ice in the milkers, ice here, ice there, ice, ice everywhere. Guess we will have to turn the heater on today.

Ack.

And if we can't keep the pipeline thawed so we can milk, we may have to dry the girls off until they calve back and haul water for them to drink from the house. Have to see how it goes.

Jax Beach almost to ourselves

Anyhow.....

It sure makes Florida look good. We are slowly picking away at the mystery birds....yesterday's duck was a Gadwall, a lifer for me.

Didn't visit, what with no time and driving a Camaro and all, but it was a thrill just to drive past