Hated last winter on your farm? Well, the forecast is even worse for this winter according to The Farmer’s Almanac. Might be time to sell the farm!
Excerpt:
Published Wednesday, the New Hampshire-based almanac predicts a “super-cold” winter in the eastern two-thirds of the country. The west will remain a little bit warmer than normal.
“Colder is just almost too familiar a term,” Editor Janice Stillman said. “Think of it as a refriger-nation.”
I really hope this is NOT the case! Last winter was really rough. If it has to be cold can we not have all the snow? I felt like part of my routine to get to work was shoveling my car out of the driveway. The farm I have my horse at has a field to ride in so needless to say pony had the winter off due to snow being knee - chest high 90% of the time or to sloppy/muddy to ride the rest of the time. I couldn’t wait for last winter to be over!
That’s basically the ad Mom is putting in her local Craigslist for the barn we board at.
Remember how cold it was when you were feeding in -20 temperatures last year? Let us do the work while you stay warm.
She’s looking for the snowiest picture of a barn she can find. :lol:
UGHHH. It was downright nasty up here in Eastern Ontario. I was home alone all winter and what a winter it was. Prepping early this time!
My animals all starting blowing summer coats in July. I know that “they” say shedding is tied to the length of day, but my animals never shed that early. The earliest was mid-August last year…and you know what kind of winter we had then. I personally LOVE snow, and say BRING IT ON. But then again, I board my horse.
Oh no. We might have more than 2 hard freezes here. Lol. That’s ok. Temp is real feel 123 today so we deserve mild winters.
That’s just too depressing to think about.
Our Craigslist ad is for all the “stuff” we have that is not used, so the front barnyard is OPEN for plowing and piling up snow. Sold several things so far. Probably WILL get the tires on the old Ford loaded with beet juice for winter if we don’t sell it. It did OK without last winter, but would be more useful if it had loaded tires for pulling the spreader in deep snow.
Have got a “new to us” old spreader, which works lots better than the other one which is now for sale. Takes more weight, unloads MUCH faster, so that will be less time spent out unloading, should we get another fun winter. Katy Kubota is ready to go, all systems in excellent order if needed for snow removal or pulling the other tractor. Husband has worked on his old Bobcat skidsteer, should not have any issues like last winter. He prefers to move things using it over tractor. Lots of wood in the wood piles, should he have to cancel his outside work because of cold. He can work in the shop with woodstove heat and be comfortable. He might get my projects done!!
Weather will do what it wants, you just stay prepared for it to be bad so you don’t get surprised. Like having the generator prepared to start easy, fuel on hand, know how to use it. Might need the carburetor cleaned if you ran a lot of fuel thru it this year, sure makes starting a lot easier after a cleaning! Getting carburators cleaned on my weed whackers improved things immensely this year, back to one pull starting! I do use them a lot, so all that gas going thru caused the starting problem. I got sick of pulling to start, no results. Quick trip to the repair shop fixed the issue fast, not very expensive either.
Might be a bit to-do over nothing this year, weather folks just working to hype us all up for nothing.
Sigh. Mine are starting to shed as well. I usually start to see it this early, but somehow I’m more aware of it this time. Argh.
Not looking forward to my first Canadian winter in 5 years. Haven’t seen snow or temps below -1C in that long either 
One more reason why I am moving to Vancouver and not staying in Alberta! lol
P.
…early this week I started seeing flocks of geese flying in a v formation… I’m afraid…!!!
Forgot to add, my Barn Swallows disappeared sometime in the last week. None to fly around me while mowing fields. HOWEVER, the Hummingbirds are still here to see on their daily visits. They seem to be on a schedule, come thru about 10:30A and again about 3P to visit the open flowers. So summer is not done yet!
None of my horses, mid-Michigan area, are shedding. All short haired and shiny still. Good thing, the humidity would be awful with long hair. I am about to fully clip my dog again, she is hot with any length of hair still.
I realize that the farmer’s almanac is scripture. But NOAA disagrees:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=4
You do know NOAA blew the winter forecast last year and they admitted it.
[QUOTE=Polydor;7726036]
Not looking forward to my first Canadian winter in 5 years. Haven’t seen snow or temps below -1C in that long either One more reason why I am moving to Vancouver and not staying in Alberta! lol
P.[/QUOTE]
I dunno. We had a couple days last year when the even the local indoors froze! Of course, we also rode outside most of the rest of the winter <ducks from heavy objects hurled in the direction of the PNW> :winkgrin:
We’re in the Fraser Valley and the horses have been shedding like crazy :no:.
I’d just like to add…
ONLY 17 MORE FRIDAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!
That is all
I swear my guys are shedding earlier this year, I was noticing it in JULY. I have never had them shed in July before.
Right now DD’s pony has about the same amount of coat that she had at the beginning of last Oct right before I clipped…I hope she’s not trying to tell me something…
F**k this.
I’ve read two other long range forecasts that say the same thing. Our average snow fall is six inches; this year the forecast is for nine. Doesn’t sound like much but in the mountains it quickly turns roads very treacherous.
Last winter was hard on the pipes in the barn (we had one major break/leak). Got a better plan for this year.
Ah, the joys of country living!!! 
G.
P.S. Curse you, Mike Matson, for conjuring the Demon of Colder Than Usual Winters!!!
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