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It Was a Cold and Dreary Day
Dec. 27th, 2010 07:46 amA constant wind with gusts in the 30 mph/ 48 kph ranges, low overcast and damp all combined to thwart the weather projections that our high temperature yesterday would reach the middle 40's F/ 5's C. A front moved through on Christmas day, wetting everything down quite thoroughly, before moving on further north to coat everything there with white. Here on teh Ranch, we never cleared 40, instead topping out at 38 F/3 C. Kick in the wind chills and it felt down around 32/0 or lower.
When the perceived or ambient temperature, either, is around the freezing point of water, that's cold.
One of our friends, lives in town, commented on one of her on-line presences that our cold weather gear sucks around here, please make the cold go away during the earlier freeze. True for most, perhaps, yet we've got good cold weather gear. After all, needing to be out in it, even if only periodically rather than all winter, to take care of the stock means knowing how to layer properly and with good, appropriate clothing. Warm up pants as long-johns, jeans (wind break - if it were still wet out there rather than damp would be wool trousers), heavy flannel shirt, fleece vest and a heavy windbreaker provided the start. Stocking cap, gloves, hood on the windbreaker. Later in the day as the sun went down and the temps started drooping, added a scarf.
Herself wore another layer in the description I gave above. In Herself's own words, though, 'This kitty doesn't do 60.' As in F, and she is a Leo.
Today will be colder. Currently it's 27 F/-3 C in Archer. We're usually another degree or two C colder than there. The clouds cleared off, allowing radiation cooling. Still breezy, which slows the radiation cooling but kicks in that wind chill effect again. That 27 F/-3 C feels like 19/-7. I've been out with the Bros (Squrrl got to come inside to sleep last night, will again the next few nights) and we didn't get out of the lee of the two buildings, and it is still cold.
First thing on the agenda today, after coffee and breakfast for us, is to feed the four point five kids that we are bottle feeding. Three lost their mother to postpartum sepsis, one the doe didn't bond to well enough, and the point five is a clever fellow who sneaks in on other does when they're feeding one of their two. We are not sure which one of the does is his. We are sure she's not taking care of him, and suspect one of the older does actually. He's figured out that he can get extra from us, though usually he only comes to us first thing in the morning, and the last feeding at night.
Then it's time for the feed run. We got everyone through the holiday weekend, but Herself found out that our feed store closed on Christmas Eve when she went to re-fill. So before anyone gets cereal this morning, it's off to the store. Lest you think oh, poor critters, they've all got hay. Plenty of hay.
Dinner for us, spaghetti and red sauce, warm and filling, and a movie via Sky TV. Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton/Linda Woolverton's version. Then off to bed. Now, to do it again...
When the perceived or ambient temperature, either, is around the freezing point of water, that's cold.
One of our friends, lives in town, commented on one of her on-line presences that our cold weather gear sucks around here, please make the cold go away during the earlier freeze. True for most, perhaps, yet we've got good cold weather gear. After all, needing to be out in it, even if only periodically rather than all winter, to take care of the stock means knowing how to layer properly and with good, appropriate clothing. Warm up pants as long-johns, jeans (wind break - if it were still wet out there rather than damp would be wool trousers), heavy flannel shirt, fleece vest and a heavy windbreaker provided the start. Stocking cap, gloves, hood on the windbreaker. Later in the day as the sun went down and the temps started drooping, added a scarf.
Herself wore another layer in the description I gave above. In Herself's own words, though, 'This kitty doesn't do 60.' As in F, and she is a Leo.
Today will be colder. Currently it's 27 F/-3 C in Archer. We're usually another degree or two C colder than there. The clouds cleared off, allowing radiation cooling. Still breezy, which slows the radiation cooling but kicks in that wind chill effect again. That 27 F/-3 C feels like 19/-7. I've been out with the Bros (Squrrl got to come inside to sleep last night, will again the next few nights) and we didn't get out of the lee of the two buildings, and it is still cold.
First thing on the agenda today, after coffee and breakfast for us, is to feed the four point five kids that we are bottle feeding. Three lost their mother to postpartum sepsis, one the doe didn't bond to well enough, and the point five is a clever fellow who sneaks in on other does when they're feeding one of their two. We are not sure which one of the does is his. We are sure she's not taking care of him, and suspect one of the older does actually. He's figured out that he can get extra from us, though usually he only comes to us first thing in the morning, and the last feeding at night.
Then it's time for the feed run. We got everyone through the holiday weekend, but Herself found out that our feed store closed on Christmas Eve when she went to re-fill. So before anyone gets cereal this morning, it's off to the store. Lest you think oh, poor critters, they've all got hay. Plenty of hay.
Dinner for us, spaghetti and red sauce, warm and filling, and a movie via Sky TV. Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton/Linda Woolverton's version. Then off to bed. Now, to do it again...
