Ready or not here comes the cold

[Deleted]

 We are not totally ready but forecast says 1 1/2
week of below freezing temps. and snow.
 Gene wish I was closer. Your bride able to
keep up? Believe we saw that even your
area could see freezing temps.

[lakeportfarms]

I have a few more projects, but I'm ready for the cold and an end to the constant mud around here. This has to be one of the wettest fall seasons we've had for a long time. I'd like to get the tractor washed off and have it last for a while!

The Upper Peninsula is getting hammered with snow...three feet expected in some areas. After the low pressure passes the lake effect kicks in. Deer firearm season starts Saturday, but you may see as many trailers with snowmobiles headed North on I-75 as you do hunters on Thursday afternoon.

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking. I'm surprised it was never made into a movie. But given the way the movie probably would have been made, it's probably best that it wasn't...lol.

[genebo]

We have to host the polar vortex whether we like it or not. We may get a dusting of snow out of it. Three days of below freezing mornings.

Hans, I watched a program on TV years ago that I thought was a movie about the Edmund Fitzgerald. If it wasn't a regular movie it was a "made for TV" movie. Maybe you can find it if you search.

[Deleted]

Were is the museum for the Edmund Fitzgerald? Always loved
the stories of it and Titanic. A few years ago when walley
fishing Erie they were telling about that and a salvage crew
that was harvesting hard wood timbers lost in storms on the
Great Lakes and how the cold water had actually preserved
them and they were wourth a considerable amount of money.

[lakeportfarms]

There are several places with memorials and artifacts from the Fitzgerald. The Great Lakes Museum in Detroit has a display as well as an anchor recovered from the shipwreck site. The bell is in the U.P, near Whitefish Point, which is the area where it sank, and if the ship had made it past it may have gotten enough shelter to survive.

My father and two of his friends, all pilots with their own airplanes, were in the Civil Air Patrol at the time and they along with a number of others from the C.A.P. assisted the Coast Guard and others with the search for either wreckage or survivors for a week or so following the sinking.

They were also partners in purchasing a small island in Lake Michigan, where they had a runway. They were initially going to develop it and sell a dozen or so lots for other pilots to build weekend getaways, but with it 30 miles from the mainland the husbands were all for it but their wives were saying "NO WAY"...lol When I was a kid I was SO happy when the weather would close in on Sunday, because we often were stuck there for another day or two! I was very fortunate when I was growing up to have the experience. Though we often invited friends up we usually had the place all to ourselves. I would walk the beaches and come across a lot of driftwood. Many of the decorations in the cabin were fashioned from planks and parts of the old schooners that had wrecked, and had washed up on shore. All the wall lights were made from this, a mantle over the fireplace as well. Aluminum floats from fishing nets were another thing I was always on the lookout for. I had quite a collection of those. Sadly one year the State of Michigan hiked the taxes so much that it became too expensive to have anymore, and it was sold when I was in my early 20's. The State of Michigan now owns it, I hope their botanists and others from the DNR on the state payroll enjoy their summers up there while I work my behind off to pay my taxes to the state   Don't get me started on how the government can do those types of things, grrr....

[Deleted]

you can put me down for not ready. We missed most of the snow but temps are now below freezing and the only day in the forecast to be above freezing is next Saturday.
I milked this morning and froze. I think I am done milking for the year unless it warms up.
I did not get my manure hauled and spread. So now will probably have to wait until spring to spread but need to get the pile moved out to the field to make room for this winters pile.
I do not have my auto water in yet. That will be this weekends project.
I also have not gotten my wood cut and split for the winter.
lots more to do as well.

[lakeportfarms]

Good luck Mike, with short days you have an awful lot to do! I hope the weather cooperates for you.

[Deleted]

Good luck Dexter farm we are not ready either.
Nancy has said our wood heats us twice. HA HA
Hope the snow stays north until the ground
freezes a little other wise it will be a mess.

[Donlin Stud]

Then I better not get on here and complain about how yesterday we were rugged up in trackies, jumpers, socks and hats, and tomorrow we will be down to our undies with fans and air conds blazing !!!!!

We are having yo yoing weather and its driving me bananas 

Stay cold or stay warm but dont change the temp by up to 15 to 20 degrees celsius from one day to the next

[lakeportfarms]

Donlin, you'd be surprised how many people in the Northern Hemisphere don't realize places like South America and Australia are actually headed into summer now! Either they learned it in school and have forgotten it, or they've never learned it at all. Sheril and I took a few trips to go skiing in August in Argentina 10 or so years ago, and you wouldn't believe the weird looks we got from people at the local airport in the middle of summer carrying our ski equipment to the baggage check in...lol

[wvdexters]

We've been in kind of a bubble here lately. Lucky us!! The snow and cold have been going around us here and the Appalachians held the really cold weather off until today. Still I don't think it is supposed to get anything like you all have been dealing with. I've been so busy getting caught up on things and staining/finishing my cupboards outside on the old picnic table. LOL The winter coats are coming out now though!

Hans, What fun you must have had growing up. I've never been to your area but from what I have seen on tv it is beautiful. We had a little place over on the South Branch when I was young. I spent my summers swimming and fishing with my brothers growing up. It was a tiny little trailer with a great big screened in porch but we had such a good time. We even had a path and an outhouse to use. So many good memories. We lost it in the flood of 85. We found some spoons in the mud and our screen door 1/2 mile downriver about 30+ ft up in a big tree.

Remember the song by Roger Whittaker? (I think) Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald. And I remember watching a documentary a few yrs ago about the wreck.

[jamshundred]

Not ready. Not ready at all.

[genebo]

How is everybody handling the cold blast?

Are you OK?

[Deleted]

spent the day Saturday installing our auto water in the snow. Also had to build the fence across it. Probably the last day to put a post in the ground here. 
Sunday finished the pluming in the water. split some wood and hauled the last 2 dump trucks full of manure out to the hay field. It will have to be spread in the spring. The last load started to freeze to the bed and did not want to come out. 
We have reached todays high of 16. Tonight is suppose to be 4. Not one spot of ice in the water not even on the balls.

[otf]

Mike, this sounds positively painful. Be careful out there!

[Deleted]

Finished things to keep from freezing today. High was 28 this morning
tonight is low of 11 with -15 wind chill. Put every thing in the barn
for a day or so and feed them lots of hay and put down straw.

[genebo]

Those are truly frightening temperatures to have to deal with.

Mike, you'll have to do like you said, and make all your firewood heat you up twice.

I'm glad you got your frost-free waterer installed. Mine has been going for years. The only problem was when we had a freezing rain and the ice stuck the balls. Good thing you don't have any ice on your balls.

[lakeportfarms]

It's been a busy couple weeks around here getting ready. Tonight feeding the cows it was dark, windy, heavy snow squalls, and getting pretty cold out there. Oh well, normal weather for December...wait a minute, it's November isn't it?

I just heard on the radio that ice was already starting to form in Lake Superior. All of the upper Great Lakes were running 6 degrees colder than last fall at the same time of year. If the lakes freeze up early, that means much colder temperatures than we usually get here. The plus side, less lake effect snow, and more sunshine. I sure am happy to have more than enough hay for the winter, if it gets really cold I can see a lot of people running short again.

[otf]

lakeport, I read that there might be 1-3' of lake effect snow in your area! It's 47* here at the moment, but not supposed to get above freezing tomorrow. I know that sounds like a heatwave to some of you, but I dread it. I scrambled today in a miserable cold rain to get things ready.

[Deleted]

BURR 9 and wind chill - 13. Good news high 40,s
by weekend.

[genebo]

I'm worried about all of you up north. Let us know if you are OK.

[wvdexters]

We're cold but nothing like those of you further North and out West. You all are really getting hammered. We were just talking about it and it sure looks like the old wives' tales were right this time and we may be in for another bad one this yr. My Grandfather always said to get ready if you see the deer get heavy gray coats early. Between that and the birds flocking early, and all the acorns .... I've never seen so many. We still can't let the cows out into the fields; Caitlyn absolutely loves them. You can HEAR her crunching.

We went ahead and opened the barn so they can get out of the wind if they want to. With the thick coats they all have this yr they don't really need it, but we decided to spoil them a bit.

[Deleted]

We are concerned about Hans, Judy and Carol by the weather reports
on the local news their areas are receiving gall force winds and
snow by the foot. Luck has it we are about 30 miles south of the
worst although we broke all records dating back to early 1900's.
Tonight is low of 7 and 20 mile hr. winds.

[lakeportfarms]

It's not been bad here at all. A little lake effect but nothing like Buffalo. We don't really get hit unless the winds are out of the North or Northeast. Western New York gets clobbered when the winds are cold and out of the West or Southwest and Lake Erie is warm or not frozen over. They've had perfect conditions this past week for that.

You're actually colder than we are. The lakes do warm the temperatures up this time of year. Sheril and I are wondering what the heck is going on with the cold weather and Southwest winds. Usually that means warmer weather, not colder. All of our shelters for the calves and such are set up for North winds. The openings are pointed in the wrong direction now, and it was the same last winter. Maybe it's time to develop a combination weathervane/shelter that rotates?

[jamshundred]

Golleeee, those photos coming out of Buffalo are scary. I hate cold! We normally have mild and reasonable winters here with the odd blizzard now and then. The two most recent that were real pains were 96 and 2010. But the year of the ice storm was by far the worse. The ground was coated with inches of ice for days and days and I could only move from area to area by sliding down the hill to the fence line, ( on my reverse tread , ahem)  then by holding the fence I could work my way from area to area.  One day I got stuck on the ice between the house and the fence line.  I could slide down but could not go up.  I took off my boots and tried to get traction with my socks.  No go.  I eventually had to walk all the way around the pasture fence to get up behind the house and slide down to it. 

Cold here. I am tired of carrying wood but no choice. The propane truck will no longer cross my bridge and using electric gets a bit pricey. This is way too soon! I was hoping last winter was an anomaly and this winter would be gentle. If anyone sputters the phrase "global warming" anywhere near me I may not be able to restrain the urge to maim.

Did you get heavy snow Hans? I prefer snow to cold except it wreaks havoc because I have to prepare by opening all gates and running everything together or I cannot get hay to the herd. If it were not for alligators and all those abandoned boas and for sure hurricanes Florida would be quite enticing.

Judy

[Deleted]

Judy
yak tracks are a must have. If you have never tried them they are well worth it. Also save that wood ash a slight dusting on ice makes for very good traction. 

[jamshundred]

Mike. . . . what are yak tracks.  ( or are you funnin' me?).     When I grew up we heated with coal and wood.  My Mom had a flower garden area where she dumped the ashes and then planted and grew the most beautiful zinnias.  She also put it along the house where she grew mums.   I take mine out and let the wind spread it across the yard.  I cannot say that I see any benefit from doing that!

[Deleted]

www.yaktrax.com/product/walk
it is like walking on dry ground well almost. you might still slip on a steep icy hill.
Yes instead of putting chemical and salt down to melt ice that will kill your grass. the ashes will fertilize it in the spring. I bag all of my old ash and when I spread manure on the hay field I through a bag in each load. 

[otf]

A second vote for Yaktrax; they're worth every penny. You can walk with confidence on ice; and if you're like me, with one bad leg, you will be glad to have them on your boots!

Gale

[wvdexters]

Never heard of them, but what a great idea!! I've been described a lot of ways throughout my life, but never once as "graceful".

We're order 2, a pair for me and another for hubby. While he says he's better than me on ice, he's not too great either. LOL