Up at 4 AM, 43°.   The weathermen keep talking about how unusual but then they show the highs and lows and guess what?  We have had hotter January 6's and much colder too.

I will continue my Tour of the Old Farm this morning.  This is a 30 acre parcel we kept when we sold the 40 acre farm to our neighbor girl (the one who watches things for us when we need her).  It consists of a hay field of maybe 20 acres and two separate patches of woods, one a fenced 7 acres where I found the llamas yesterday.

This is the entrance to the 7 acres.  I told DH he needs to get in there and clip it all down very short before grass starts growing.  In very dry years, the locust and cedars sprout thickly and must be removed or you lose the land. 

There is about 2 acres of woods in this field. 
I saw the largest cedar tree in the edge of the woods, maybe 36 inches diameter.



There was a lot of stockpiled grass in here; I don't know why the cows weren't all over it.  DH went back later and moved some into the field.  He plans to clip it today. 

I found this huge hole something had dug into the middle of the larger field.  It was about 24 inches x 36 inches.  We have these in several places and have no idea what does it. 

We finally had a really nice day; lots of sunshine and no wind. 
I think it finally got up to 64°.  This is scary for the fruit trees......again.

I milked this morning.  I  got my usual 1.5 gallons.  She is loosing some hair on her tailhead, a good indication of lice.  I will treat her in the morning with a pour-on.

I decided to  take a walk back to the west side of the farm, or the 30 acres we retained from our previous place  that we now call  "the old farm".  We are clever with names that way.  I didn't plan to walk that far but I could see Bette and Marlene in the farthest northwest corner so Biscuit and I took off with the camera.

It took an hour.  Way longer than I was prepared to do but once you get back there, you have to get back!

I took  a few pictures of the llamas.  I was able to get within maybe 20 feet of them.  They stay back there because that farm was their original home and Tom still has llamas over there.


They are looking a little ragged this time of year.



The cows are scattered in several different fields.  I think I have finally convinced the helpmeet to run them all together now that we don't have heifers to worry about.  All the bulls will have to fight it out and develop a pecking order at some point.  I will save those pictures for another day.

I do have to show you Jewel though.  I tried to get pictures of her myself but she won't get away from you so it was not successful.  I made DH go into the pen this evening so I would shoot while she nibbled on him.


We ended the day by taking the ATV to Bolivar for a new battery...and they put it in while we waited!  That was a delightful first.

I have a pot of beans cooked and will be making cole slaw and cornbread this evening.  I didn't have them ready by noon so we just had tuna salad sandwiches.