Happy March 1, everybody! Currently we sit at a balmy -27 degrees Celsius here in Regina, SK, although with the windchill, the weather report says it feels like -41… So you know what that means.
Jenn is not going outside today.
The weather looked as though it was going to break slightly for a bit last week and then, BAM! We were back to winter again. There were even a couple of days recently when I didn\’t see the farm dogs come out of the shop. You know it has to be cold when Blue or Mick won\’t come out to conduct their important daily duties around the farm…
Even so, it feels like there\’s lots going on around here these days.
For one, Clay made an impromptu trip to Calgary with our studs this weekend to get them prepared for the upcoming breeding season. With all the weather we\’ve been having here, it\’s been difficult to finalize our breeding shed – namely get the holes finished and cement poured for the breeding dummy\’s legs. Therefore, a quick trip to Calgary meant Clay could get the stallions rolling at Moore & Company\’s Repro Center, analyze their collections and prepare them for their breeding days ahead.
And for two, we have cattle again. They arrived yesterday. Since we sent all but 3 home for the winter, we have had a few glorious cow-free months without any bovine duties. And it\’s a good thing too because with the snow drifts being the way they are in southern Saskatchewan, cattle management could have been pretty interesting… In fact, the cattle liner got stuck in the farm\’s driveway on the way out yesterday, which made for a few exciting moments. But thanks to the quick response of everyone at JDF, it became unstuck in no time. I didn\’t even have a chance to grab my camera – probably much to the relief of the truck driver! <grin>
All in all, the cows are back now so the training team can start putting our horses back into practice with real live cows. And my husband couldn\’t be happier about it.
The recent cold snap has also meant that the broodmares had to start wearing blankets for their daily turnout periods.
Although we aren\’t big fans of keeping broodmares blanketed this close to foaling season, we had to do something to help them adjust from the temperature of their heated barn at night to the colder temps outside during the days. Therefore, we pulled out the 80 to 84-sized blankets we keep on hand especially for broodmares and their large bellies. The straps are adjusted long and each mare is looked over carefully every morning before being turned out, to ensure no foal is in danger of being foaled through a blanket. So far, all of the girls are looking good and everybody is staying healthy.
I cannot wait for the babies to arrive!
Until then, I have vowed to use the time during this cold snap to expand and develop my culinary horizons. Try out new recipes. And learn about new foods.
Sadly, I\’m sorry to report it\’s not going so well… Just the other day I thought I\’d make a beautiful bread bowl sandwich for lunch for my husband. This is what it should have looked like:
And since I didn\’t have all of the ingredients entirely on hand, I decided to improvise a little bit. This is what my sandwich looked like:
When I served it to Clay and only a quarter of the whole thing dwarfed an entire plate, my husband responded as follows:
\”Do I get a leg of cow to go with this as well…?\” There was a definite spark in his eyes and one corner of his mouth was turned up in a smirk.
Yes, he got a dirty look. Because being barefoot and ginormously pregnant, I can think of nothing else I\’d rather do these days then wrastle one of his new cows and serve my husband an entire leg. I\’d like to see the look on his face if I did…
It\’s a good thing he\’s sending me for my monthly spa day tomorrow. <big grin> After a massage and a pedicure, I\’m sure I can find it in my heart to forget about his quirky comments.
Now, what should I make for dinner tonight??
1 thought on “Stallions, Cows & Kitchen Vows”
nice irony with the cactus classic halter over the hood!! the sammy looks delish either way. on the brite side it should serve as both lunch and supper!!:)