February has been long and cold. Temperatures have struggled to climb out of the single digits this entire week. One night we forgot to leave the faucet running, and in the morning the water was frozen in the pipes. My man had to crawl under the house before breakfast in 4 degree weather to thaw them out.
In case you are concerned about the water usage, our water comes from a well just behind the house, and when we use it, it drains right back out into the ground. So no, we aren't wasting water. 😉 And on cold nights we must leave it run a dribble, so the pipes don't freeze.
Snow makes everything beautiful but also can be a pain to move every time we need to do something. Our son (15) shovels the porch off every morning, and my husband runs the snowblower every week or so to keep our driveway open. Our drive is over 1/2 mile long, and snow drifts over it routinely.
The little girls enjoy playing in the snow - especially when there is a fresh blanket covering everything! They pull on their snow pants and slide down the piles of snow - a lot faster than dragging a sled to the actual hillside. 😉 They like to make snow angels and snowmen, too. But their favorite thing is to make snow ice cream.
To make snow ice cream, you just need a bowl of fresh snow. Stir a little milk into it, until it's the right consistency. Add a couple spoonfuls of sugar or maple syrup, and a drop or two of vanilla, and give it another good stir. Yum!
Usually, the snow comes down sideways. I know this sounds impossible, but it really does! It flies completely horizontally past the window! Then it gets plastered against the buildings and makes everything look colder than it already is, haha! On the rare occasions when it drifts slowly straight down, we all ooh and aah and stare out the window and take pictures.
One day when it was snowing a lovely soft snow, I thought I would get outside and get some nice snow photos. But the snow kept going in my eyes, and it was a lot harder to stay focused on photography than I expected!
My chickens are still laying eggs. Sometimes when we go out to feed and gather eggs, the eggs are already frozen! If they freeze in the shell, the shell will crack open, and the eggs are wasted. But most of the time we find them before they are frozen.
I buy cold-hardy breeds that are ok in this arctic land. Usually, I stick with Brahmas or Buffs. Breeds with feathered feet are great because they won't freeze their feet as quickly. Also, give them a wide roost, rather than a round one. This way they can sit on their feet and keep them covered at night so the feet don't freeze. We do have an Auracana this year because my daughter thought it was pretty. (it is!) It seems to be doing ok so far.
I do not use a light or heater. I keep them inside their house during the coldest months of January and February. I make sure they have plenty of feed and fresh water daily. They continue to lay eggs, although their production drops from 1 egg a day to 1 eggs every other day during Dec-Jan.
I love cooking! In fact, I am working on adding a lot more recipes to this blog. I get questions from you all for various recipes, tips, and tricks, so I decided to add more of my favorite recipes for you all to enjoy!
You can get 5 of our favorite beef recipes in a handy printable by clicking this link.
Well, that's all for today's chit-chat! Come back again next time! 🙂 I love to share bits of my life with you.
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