Thanks to the Godzilla El Niño,
we enjoyed early January temperatures 13 degrees above normal.
Even if Jules Winnfield got tired of the hype, the goats were happy.
They basked in the warmth as if they were wintering on a Florida beach.
The unseasonable temperatures and shallow snow depth
made outdoor adventures enjoyable for the goats
and walks around the neighborhood pleasant for the Farmers.
A neighbor pauses to say hello.
We didn’t creep below zero for an almost record-breaking stretch this winter, making it all the way to an unusually late January 9
before returning to more typical winter weather.
We hit 17 below the morning of Jan 10
which was NFC playoff day.
At game time in Minneapolis, the air temp was -6, with a -25 wind chill.
Amigo wore his Viking hat and Helga braids to stay warm as well as to cheer on the Vikings.
The game came down to that crucial field goal attempt in the final seconds;
would Blair Walsh end up as Hero or Something Else?
Wait just a dang minute, thought Amigo. If Walsh flubbed it, he must be a non-goat
and the Vikings remain non-winners.
We hit -20 the next morning
and then enjoyed another arctic blast a week later, remaining below zero from 10:00 pm Friday, Jan 15, to 11:00 am Tuesday, Jan 19.
On Sunday morning, Jan 17, it was -21 at MeadowWild Farm
and -22 at 8:00 am as Steve reported to Friends of Animals in Cloquet for his weekly volunteer stint cleaning poopy dog kennels and washing dishes.
A water main had broken just outside the animal shelter, so cleaning was done not with the usual high powered hoses
but with spray bottles of bleach solution.
During the cold snap the goats jockeyed to see who would get to bed down in the cozy hay feeders --
even the big guy.
Ahni was showing signs of cabin fever and beginning to resemble
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
until she got outside into some bright -- if deceptively cold -- sunshine.
Everybody stayed relatively warm munching hay
and kept checking to see if Barb had yet installed a furnace in the barn.
Eclipse was driven to the unusual expedient
of snuggling up to Cheeky for warmth.
Ravens and crows fed their internal furnaces on deer tallow supplied by friend Norm.
Snow didn't melt but gradually slid down roofs in interesting patterns.
A crazy person hung out on Spring Lake
probably sipping Wild Turkey while pretending to ice-fish.
Dustin waited by the computer for a warm lap to settle on
and glanced out the window looking for signs of Spring.
Barb made batch after batch of goats' milk soap --
and celebrated winners of this year's BARNIES:
