Before the storm...

 Yesterday, we had quite a bit of snow on the ground, and another six to eight inches were predicted, with more storms on the horizon for the coming week.  It was sunny but well below freezing, and there was a brisk west wind, but I decided it would be a good day to clean all the animal houses. Doing this chore with snow on the ground makes everything a little more difficult, but it had to be done. 

 I started with the little coop, raking out the soiled shavings and replacing them with fresh ones. I scrubbed and refilled the water bowl and topped up the food dispenser. The little chickens waited out in the snow while I worked, looking very unhappy until I finished. Chickens, in general, are not very fond of snow. I imagine those scaly feet and legs must get awfully cold. As soon as I was done, they rushed back inside to enjoy their fresh digs. 

I tackled the big coop next. I dumped some old shavings on the snow for dry footing and shooed the birds outside. 

They complained loudly but were happy with the end results. A flake of sweet-smelling fresh hay gave them something to scratch up and will help keep them entertained. 

Typically, I use a wheelbarrow when freshening the houses, but that does not work in the snow. Instead, I use this handy sled. We bought it 20 years ago, and I was aghast at the cost. But it has been used to haul firewood, kids, hay, feed, shavings, and more. It has served as a wading pool for piglets and a pond for ducks. The goats often nap in it or tap dance on it if it is overturned.  It turns out it was worth every penny. The rope is old and frayed, but it has never let me down. 

Cleaning the goat cozy was a bigger project. Since the goats make this job trickier by "helping" me, I lured them into the backyard and fastened the gate. They frolicked about, bouncing in the fresh snow, while I raked, scraped, shoveled, and hauled. While I was at it, I stuffed their hay bags full. 

By the time I was done, the goats were standing at the gate, tired of the diversion and hollering to get back in and see what they were missing. They all raced to their house to check my work (and get out of the snow) and were soon ankle-deep in fragrant shavings with their heads stuffed into the hay bags.

Next on the list was carrying armloads of firewood from where it was stacked to the rack on the deck. Having it just outside the door is convenient, and it makes me feel rich to have it crammed full before a storm arrives. The wood stack is covered tightly with tarps to keep it dry, so I was noodling around, pulling logs out and balancing them in my arms to carry back to the house when I spied a praying mantis nest on one log. I stashed it safely away so we can enjoy the mantis babies in the yard when the weather warms up. It made me smile to think of the promise of new life enclosed in that frothy beige nest, and it was a sweet reminder that though I was slogging through snow, spring is right around the corner. 

Lastly, I filled all the wild bird feeders to the brim. Then, I had a well-deserved rest and a cup of tea by the woodstove, pleased with all I had accomplished before the storm. Let it snow!