Morning..  Come on in.. burr.. it’s still so cold so glad to see you layered up.. this never-ending cold just keeps on.. did you hear on the radio that this morning, exposed skin can get nipped by frost bite in just 2 minutes.

Let me put the kettle on, let me tell you, I feel really bad for those that are out sleeping rough in this, I know they are trying to bring them in but there is just not enough shelters and so many will not even dream of leaving their dogs who they can’t bring in with them.

I pray that they will all make it though this cold. I know here on the farm and on other ones that the oldest, youngest and anyone that has a underlining weakness will not make it no matter what we all do.

My oldest ewe has been dropping a touch of weight, despite having as much hay as she can eat in front of her face.. it was time to pull her from the flock and move her to her own pen where she could get extra grain to add in the extra calories.  She totally agreed as she penned herself.. she knows what “jugging means” quiet time, room service and extra grains, normally done when birthing, or if you are the daily milking sheep as being trained.

She is very happy in her extra comfy pen in the croft and is hog happy on her hay and extra sheep rations. I am hoping for one last ewe lamb from her to replace her in the flock, it’s getting to that time, where you have “the talk” with yourself.  She is at the point where her teeth are starting to be an issue.

The rest of the flock is doing good but I am expecting my first lambs in the next ten days and boy do I hope they can just hold off a touch longer so that the worst of this cold will break. I will need to do a touch of the before lambing shearing on my wool girls soon, but I don’t want to take anymore then needed.. they need that protection right now in a big way.

I have been seeing on the news that folks have been driving without being prepared for this cold, that’s just crazy! Things break down in the cold, the other day hubby’s bus that he picks up at the park and ride had NO HEAT the whole trip in.. it was a very long cold trip that was for sure.

Thankfully he is wearing his Canadian goose down big winter jacket, it’s the one that can go -45 that we got for when we lived in the arctic. However there were others not nearly so well prepared.

Not everyone can afford one of those jackets and I heard on the radio that in a number of places in the states that those that are wearing them can be robbed, I have no idea how common that is, but on the day they had it on, they said that five people had been robbed that day..  and the average in the one area was three jacket robberies per day.  It’s easy to take, on average the big jackets are worth about a thousand new and have good resell value.

I have not heard of anyone being robbed of their Canadian goose down jackets up here in Canada but you can’t keep track of everything even me who pretty much listens to different news radio all day long as I work away!

Everyone and I do mean everyone should have a winter car kit in their vehicle, everyone should have a grab bag with extra winter cloths in it and at least a few of those auto hand and toe warmers. Don’t forget your candles either.. while the flashlight on your phone will work, you do not want to drain your battery.

And while the little battery lights are cute and safe, they will not give off any warmth at all.. keeping a little candle holding gear so you can get that bit of warmth is worth it.

Prepping in some ways has gotten a bad rep in some ways due to the “shows on TV” and because in some cases folks go right over to the “its all a big X Y or Z threat” or they are dreaming about be the “big guy”  Some times people can be a bit silly on these things.

However to BE PREPARED is in fact a very good thing.

If you are going camping, being prepared is the difference between a good time and depending on where you are.. a  very bad time indeed.

If you are going on a long horse back ride, you prepare ahead, you need the right tack, the right gear for yourself.. going unprepared is pure foolishness.

Even in gardening. to not prepare your soil, your bed for the planting would be foolish and lead to far more failures than it would to success.

Yet when it comes to being well prepared for weather events, there is a lack of understanding or willingness to prepare..  Just because you have CCA and a phone does not mean you will get a tow in very short order.. the worst the weather, the more calls going out and the longer it will take.

There are many folks that are dealing with cold in area’s that are not used to this kind of cold, and it does not take much to come off a road and ditch the snow bank.. just a touch too much speed, when its this cold, the salt on the roads does not work and with so much snow, the snow plows are out full stop but they are not keeping up. It’s just math!

So make me happy.. Take a good hard look at your winter car kits, add a few more things to them. Head down to your local second-hand shop or your dollar stores and pick up some extra winter gear and drop it off to the centers that help the folks that rough it.

Give the gift of a warm meal, a warm hat or scarf or thick warm socks, every little bit helps..

Stay warm out there folks!