Good Morning!!!!!!

[glenn57]

So he likes your socks just a much as your WF menu?

Yea I've pulled them out of the back end more than once!!🥴 not lately though

[mike89]

oh gawd!!!   

[Dotch]

Afternoon gang! -2 overnite, -1 at choretime heading for a high in the low teens. Busy forenoon at the ranch. Had a lamb overnite, we thought. Ewe appeared  to have cleaned so we penned it up, did chores then I started moving snow. Got the wife out of here about 9 then worked on the rest of the yard. It was a mess, areas up to 3' deep, a lot of it 6" - 12". Finished up with the skidsteer about 11:30 & checked on the newbie. Was another one in the pen! Rousted it, its mouth was warm so went inside to warm up a few minutes. Went back out to see what it was up to & it was moving around good. The ewe'd drank most of her bucket & there was ice in it so got her a fresh batch of warm water. Came back & the little tyke was hooked on. Another crisis narrowly averted. Now off to run some errands...



 

[LPS]

Nice tractor Dotch.  The ewe looks good too.

[glenn57]

yep, ole dotch is back to pimpin sheep again!!!!!!!!

[mike89]

mornin, all 11 here this morning and going for 33.  the next 2 days could be like that too!!!  not much going on today and I'm ok with that!!  have a good day all!!   

[Gunner55]

Mornin guys, 14* now & on our way to 26*, I'm hearin. Did a little runnin yday AM & the streets in town were pretty good already by 10 or so. The intersections were still kind of iffy yet though & there was still a bunch out movin snow. I seen 1 report of 6.8" for the SW side of town. Not much happenin here today either, have a good day.

[glenn57]

morning fellers.......was 10 on the up side of 0 when i looked. not much happenin here either today.. just some football!!!!!

so far though the dawg and i are on good terms!!!!!!

i did finally get all my guns cleaned i used this past year!!!!!!! i dont really mind doing it....its the getting started part!!!!

[LPS]

Morning boys.  It is a balmy 21 here right now.  Snow is just starting to come down too.  Well I am still in line for the million dollar prize in Glenns contest so that makes me feel good.  I need to get bales out to the horses today before the football starts.  Also better take a big ribeye out of the freezer.  Good day to grill.  Wish I had some ribs to smoke.  Oh well.  You all have a good day today.

[Bobberineyes]

Mornin forum fellas,  15 here at the moment headin for I have no idea.. radar shows it's sposed to be snowin but I don't see nuttin.  I don't need to go anywhere today,  thought a Goin fishin but im gonna throw a rack on the pellet grill instead and keep an eye on the games. Anywho have a splendid Sunday gents..See ya!!

[dutchboy]

Going to be a downright balmy 25 today. Could it be the bad stuff is behind us? I doubt it but will enjoy the next couple of days. Just wish it wasn't so cloudy & gloomy.

Football again today. I got 1 point out of yesterday, don't know why I thought New England could handle Buffalo. That was a beatdown once Jones threw that interception in the end zone on the first drive.

Stay safe.

[KEN W]

14 here this morning. Supposed to get into the mid 30's this afternoon. Then 2 days in the 20's. Then back to the deep freeze. Thinking about going fishing for a few days. Have to see if people are driving out on lakes here first.

[Dotch]

Mornin' gang! 5 for a low heading for a high in the upper 20's. Found another ewe that'd lambed outside behind one of the hay mangers yesterday afternoon. Lamb was chilled but after getting her inside, she came around pretty well. Had another set of twins when I went out to check at 10 last nite. One more I'm keeping an eye on. We're quietly sneaking up on about 1/3 done lambing. Watch some hoops today & move some animals around later this afternoon. Hauling small buckets of warm water from the house is overrated. 

[dutchboy]

Sounds like quite the operation you have going. How many head you running? You just raise and sell the meat or are you into the shearing for wool also?

[Dotch]

There are ~30 ewes. They're all purebred registered Border Cheviots. Some go for breeding stock, some go on the show circuit, we sell some for eating & the rest go to market. The wool is essentially worthless right now, less than a nickel a pound without China in the market. We usually have a half dozen or so replacement yearling ewes. We keep two rams on hand so we can breed the groups of ewes at both pasture sites.

With hauling all the feed, hay and bedding in here, it's getting to be too much work to do it justice on a part time basis. There isn't enough money in it to do it full time either. I've raised sheep all my life except the years I was in college & a few years after I graduated.  It's become more my wife's project than mine & I've been digging my heels in telling her this has to change. She's been working 6 & 7 days a week so I get stuck with even more of it than normal. We either cut back to no more than 20 ewes or I'm done. She can do it herself & see how much fun it is.     

[mike89]

good luck with that!!   

[dutchboy]

Nickle a pound? I would have thought wool would be better than that. When I was a little boy dad farmed. Cows, pigs, chickens & crops. I don't remember much about it other than to know it's a lot of work and more of a labor of love. I'm sure the big operations with 100's or 1000's of acres make some money but again, thats a big investment. Farming is just like having a pet for me...you are obligated to those animals 24/7/365. But for some they love it.

Good luck with the wife thing, I'm not one that can comment on handling one of those.   

[mike89]

mornin all, 19 and might pop 30 today!   enjoy it today and tomorrow..  -22  wednesday night.. yikes!!  up and down we go!!  waiting on the rest of my order for the blackstone so I can fire it up!!!  hopefully today but most likely tomorrow..  have a good day all!!   

[Jerkbiat]

Morning boys. 20 here this morning and they are claiming a high of 22. Got some snow coming down. Not supposed to amount to much. Tomorrow they are talking 3-5 inches of snow now. The crew went home about noon yesterday. We had a good time fishing. Well, just another day in the salt mines. You boys have a good one.

[dutchboy]

17 degrees in International Falls. Looks like a dusting of light snow on the birdhouse this morning. Not much drama in the football games over the weekend. Maybe next weekend will be better?

[KEN W]

Morning.....22 here this morning. Not much wind today.

[Gunner55]

Mornin all, it's 20* south of the border & we may hit 30* also. Back in the deep freeze Wednesday-Friday here too. DB, did you see the end of the 49er's/Cowboys game?  I thought that had quite a bit of drama in it & I loved every bit of it. Not sure what's in store for this day yet,  hopin your Monday's a good 1.

[LPS]

Morning boys.  Darn I should have gone with the niners.  That was a good ending though.  Run the ball????   Didn't seem like the right thing to do to me.  BUT that is why noone pays me to be their coach.  lol  19 here at the moment.  Not much for wind it doesn't seem.  We have a large brush pile in the pasture that the wife is itching to burn.  Today may be the day.  I will check the wind forecast first.  Plenty of snow all around it.  We shall see.  The ribeye on the grill turned out great!  Not sure what is for breakfast.  Just showered and having java now.  Well you all have a good day.

[dutchboy]

Gunner, being the Dallas Cowboy hater that I am I didn't watch much other then to tune in once in a while to make sure they were losing. (I need to win Glenns money)     During the end of the game I was likely watching a old Cowboy movie from the 50's that they colorized.

[delcecchi]

Morning guys.   I  hadn't realized how long it had been since I checked in until I got on this morning..   Been taking care of wife during her recovery from spine surgery and now we are getting ready to head out for the winter break.   

She's a little worried about the covid mess although we are vaxxed and boosted.    And who knows what stupid stuff the government will come up with.    Two of vaxxed grandkids got it but weren't very sick...so far parents are ok.   

[Gunner55]

  Good to hear from you, Del!! I was just thinkin we hadn't heard from you in a while as I forgot about the wife's surgery. Thought maybe you were already out lookin for those clothing optional beaches out there in lala land.

[LPS]

Good to hear from you Del.  I have wondered if you were already at "the beach".  lol

[Dotch]

Mornin' gang! 12 at choretime heading for a high in the upper 20's. Too many clouds for it to go much higher methinks. No newbies in the lambing barn so that was a relief. After the one born yesterday afternoon there are 6 from the weekend. All are doing well so far. Nice to have them get started on a decent few days before it gets cold again. Moved the December ewes & lambs into a bigger pen so they can be fed as a group. Makes chores go faster but after moving those and adding 4 ewes and 6 lambs in small individual pens, it takes about the same amount of time. Good to see you drop in del. Your trip timing weather-wise anyway might be about right.

[glenn57]

afternoon fellers......day 2 of part time employment in the books!!!!!  nor a bad gig......2 days a week 5 hours per day. oh and  got an official job title..........stocker.......... of groceries...........you perverts!!!!!!!   holy crap though do they go through boars favorite item..........cardboard,  da boy would be proud!!!!!

think i'll hang outside for a while.

[fishwidow]

The market for used boxes for recycling is pretty strong. About $180.00 per ton in truckload quantities (40,000#}of bales.