Farmers and ranchers are responsible for their livestock, their land, their resources, whether it’s raining in the south, or snowing in the north. That fact is true, even during a blizzard.
Our cows are normally red...not snow covered!
This afternoon a very strong storm hit our area. Now, compared to the tsunami that rocked Japan and the destruction felt in other areas afterward, what we were dealing with was small potatoes. But for our cattle, they still relied on us for safety, shelter and food.
That’s why Boss Man spent most of the evening in the barn, or out in the lot, covered in snow, not seeing more than a few feet in front of him, making sure that no new calves were born out in the terrible conditions.
This was the travel map for North Dakota for this evening. Fun!
And I went out this evening, once things had settled down a little bit, to make sure things were still good to go.
I'm on the cutting edge of blizzard fashion, I know.
Although this video isn’t the best, you can still hear the wind whipping through our trees. But rest assured, if the conditions weren’t improving, the cattle wouldn’t be out eating and they wouldn’t have been starting to move around.
They know WAY more than a meteorologist! 🙂
Wag'n Tales 
Makes me feel cold just looking at the photos!
Your cattle look very well cared for!
http://greenfingersmum.blogspot.com
Thank you! We like to think that we take the best care we can for them, as do most livestock producers! Of course, the real key is that cattle are in my husband’s blood, and this isn’t just a job for him, it’s truly his life. There is nothing he would rather be doing for a living.
Val, I love this post and kept with your Facebook posts last night along with this blog post during the blizzard. You are a committed farmer and rancher through all conditions! I included a link to this post in my blog post. http://pinkepost.blogspot.com/2011/03/social-media-connects-through-blizzard.html
Katie
Thanks, Katie! I will admit, I was very worried last night when Mark went out. I kept replaying conversations that I had with my Grandma about blizzards in the past when farmers would lose sight of the house and barn and get lost in between. Grandma even said that they had a rope that went from the house to the barn, so that if you lost track, you could still find your way. But now the sun is shining, and like with most things, a new day brings new challenges! I’m glad you guys decided to stay safe at home, and can’t wait to have a few minutes to talk to you! 🙂
Okay, after reading your blizzard post, I’m not complaing any longer about our California winter storm warnings! All we have is heavy rain, I can’t imagine dealing with blizzard conditions on our dairy farm! Hope you guys thaw out soon..
Just like all farmers and ranchers, we adjust to the conditions. We prefer to deal with snow, on frozen ground, than mud and muck. Although, when spring sneaks up on us, she can make a real mess of things! All that snow has to melt sometime! 🙂
Reblogged this on Wag'n Tales and commented:
Two years ago, I wrote this, while waiting out a blizzard. We’re in the midst of one again, and I’ll be posting a new blizzard post tomorrow. The good news? We haven’t had any calves born yet. But that doesn’t stop us from having to check them every two hours, just in case.
Farmers are like mailmen of old, come rain, sleet or snow…but we won’t be getting Saturdays off any time soon! 😉 Take care, stay safe and stay warm.
My husband and I raised hogs for over 40 years, ending in 2003. Sows always pigged during a storm, waters froze and had to be thawed, power outages wreaked havoc with electric augurs that filled the hog feeders and feed mills …. can’t say that I miss any of this!
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First job off the farm was working this ranch, early spring snow, my turn to scan for calves at 2am in the morning. Miles from the bunkhouse, truck got stuck. No phone. Dark. Cold. Arghh. “MOMMY”. Walked home