How about I take your hunnert and give you this for it! ( photo / image / picture from Ronni's Garden )
Oh Maypop, I hope your grandson didn't actually stick his tongue to that pole?! That is a lesson most kids learn really early on around here. The only good that may come of our extreme cold ... I heard a report on the news about the larva of the Emerald Ash Borer getting killed off. This beetle has been a HUGE problem in the area for a few years now. It might help with some other insect populations too.
Chickens don't like snow! We had a dusting last night (not much for you folks up north, but traumatic for us Southern types) and they absolutely refused to go outside. And they say chickens are stupid . . . .
Jane, I haven't let the girls out for a few days now and it will be another week before the weather is decent enough to do so. It will freeze the eggs if the coop is open for so long if I don't collect them every four hours or so. The roosters tend to get their combs frostbit if they are exposed to too cold of temps, too, so I keep the coop closed up especially for them at night time. They don't worry over the snow here, they just tend to stick closer to the coop. Coming next week, Tuesday is a high of 1f.
Animals are very smart. Take Sassy Marie for instance. Her usual routine when I get home from work is to play fetch, get a treat. Come inside for a visit for a little while and then right back outside until I make her come in around 8pm to eat. Then she'll go back outside until around 10 until I make her come into bed. Last night, she practically knocked me down to get in the house. Went straight to her bed. Didn't want to eat. Didn't want a cookie. Stayed there all curled up. Normally first thing in the morning she wants out to do her "business". Today... still laying in bed. Guess she knew better to eat & drink last night so she wouldn't have to go outside this morning.
Ah, Cheryl, if only we were as smart as our animals! It sounds as if Sassy Marie knew what was coming and prepared for it. We have heat lamps in the coops, and this morning left them on (usually they are on at night and we turn them off when we check the ladies at 7-7:30 a.m.). Carolyn, in your spare time you could knit little caps for the roosters. About 11 a.m. the chickens decided they could brave that "white stuff" and now there are chicken tracks all over the outside coop. They aren't happy about it, but they are outside.
Aww...HunnyMae, Temperatures round here rose up 27 degree's today. It got to 16. I had icicles hanging from my mustache and beard most of the morning. I'm right surprised I can feel my fingers enough to type. Two days to get warm, then back to the deep freeze.
Lee and I were in the office, at our computers back to back, him deep in some work thing, and then out of the blue I blurted out "Oh my God did you know a rooster's comb can get frostbitten??" There was dead silence for a beat, and then he laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair! I have to tell you, we both laughed uproariously over this! The things you learn!
Ronni... I didn't know that about rooster's comb either... guess it just never got that cold down here for it to happen? What I found funny is.... both you and Lee in the office... he's working. And you're 'Stewing?????? :-D
Glad I could be of help here, Ronni. "Now you know the rest of the story." See, not only can I laugh at me, I can get others to laugh too. What a great day!
Of COURSE So, we barely get out of one deep freeze, and don't even have time to enjoy it before we run smack dab into another one! ( photo / image / picture from Ronni's Garden ) Clearly it's not quite as cold as this last one, but come ON!! Seriously?
Going down hill again. Monday high-5 and wind chills -35. Not a lot of snow on ground. To get 4-5 inches tonight-ground blizzard . Glad DH snow blew snow we had on flowers.
I am thinking after this winter that whatever growing zone you were in is now two zones colder....Last year we had advanced to zone 6 and we had always been zone 5 before, but now I think we are zone 4. This is cold!
Ok this has GOT to stop! There were more negative temps yesterday, what with the wind chill factor. And today promises little relief, again because of the wind chill on top of the very cold temperatures. I have friends in Atlanta Georgia and around Birmingham Alabama, who are hunkered down because of the front that moved through. My friend in Atlanta, her husband was caught in the incredible traffic snarl that resulted once the snow hit yesterday. He eventually abandoned his vehicle and walked the several miles he still had to go to get home. ( photo / image / picture from Ronni's Garden )
