Feeding the Cows While Wishing for Spring,......

Arctic cold has once again descended.

Even though our brains are daydreaming of spring, daily chores still get done.

Feeding cows hay is probably the most important chore.

It begins with a cue from the cows.  They come up into the lot stand, bawl, stare and stare and stare and stare.  Their eyes follow anything walking in the yard.  It resembles trying to get the attention of a waiter at a restaurant waiter.

Excuse me.  Please take my order.

Stare, stare, stare.  Don't you know in cow language stare means hunger?

The tractor gets fired up and runs for a bit to get warm.  Off to the hay pile.

Dilemma:  go fast and have the increased wind take your breath away BUT get the chore done faster? OR go slow to have less wind in your face BUT prolong the frigid ordeal?

Back from the hay pile with the first load.

Headed out to the pasture.

Even with the cold air making your eyes water, the views are still awesome.  Just a bit blurry due to tears from the cold!

View from the tractor seat.  Gotta love the hills,.....

Now to Drop off the bales.

Front end first.

Back end last.

Another trip to the hay pile.

Luckily we decided to stand watch at the open gate.  From down over the hill some "cattle teenagers" noticed they were minus their mothers and decided they did not like it.  They came a runnin'.

Mom, Mother, Maaammma.  Why did  you leave us all alone?

Let us in, let us in.

Meanwhile back with another load of hay,...

Flipping the bales on end.  Getting ready to put on the hay rings.

Picking up the hay rings.

And here is where the battery in the camera died.  So you will have to trust me the bale rings got picked up with the front end loader and placed around the new bales.

There is a legitimate excuse for the dead battery:  Daydreaming.  Daydreaming about the change of season. You know no frigid air but rather warmer temperatures with light breezes out of the south.  Green grass.  Budding plants.  Mud on your boots.

BUT spring can be questionable.  Does this look like spring?

  Snow on pear blossoms?

Snow on peach blossoms?

Snowmen in May?

No matter what, one cannot help but still daydream for spring 2014,..........even if it means snow on the daffodils.