The Red Poll Gals In Winter

The Red Poll cattle mostly stick together. They are herd animals, though sometimes they surprise me by going their separate ways:

And most of the time in winter, they can be found at the hay bale feeder. It takes a lot of roughage to keep those big bodies warm:

Both Tabitha and Maggie are still nursing, though they have reached the age where they could be weaned at any time. I have no place to separate them from their mothers, at least until they're sold, so their mothers will have to wean them:

Like the little horses, the cattle don't seem to mind the cold at all:

The edge of the bale feeder ring makes a comfy place to bed down because of the wasted hay which has been dropped there:

OK, I'll admit that I have too many photos of the cattle at the bale feeder, but that's where they always are. There are few opportunities for any other photos:

I'd just dropped a brand new hay bale into the feeder and then used the bale spear (on the front of the tractor) to break open the top layer of ice on the bale. The outer 5 or 6 inches then falls off, leaving the good stuff inside the bale to be easily accessed:

The wet spot on Jasmine's flank is from sleeping on unfrozen manure. I used to think that was not good, but if the cow pies are warm and form fittingly comfortable, I suppose it's really a good thing:

Early in the morning, after eating their grain, they all walk to the stock tank for a drink of water:

Scarlett looks so thin compared to the cows who are not currently lactating. Those gigantic calves guzzle a lot of milk!

Gracie, for instance, is looking rather fat because she hasn't been nursing a calf:

Tabitha, one of the rapidly growing milk guzzlers of whom I speak:

Equine Snow Bunnies

Blue and Remy seem immune from the cold and snow, though I try to get them indoors when it's really bad. Mostly, however, their lives seem to be all about eating and playing (and mischief):

Remy comes running whenever he sees me, making it difficult to get a photo of him sometime. Blue, on the other hand, is shy and retiring. He can be very sweet and loving, but sometimes he shies away:

And the two of them, who were born ten days apart and have never since been separated, love to run and play in the snow:

Remy bites Blue, the Blue bites Remy:


Then they chase each other back and forth across the snowy field:


A portrait of Blue, his eye showing the obvious reason he was named as he was:

And a portrait of Remy, showing the increased red coloring he's developed for the winter:

Like the cattle, the little horses prefer to hang out on the east side of the barn when the west winds are cold and harsh:

Blue, in a driving snowstorm:

And Remy, covered in snow. I am comforted by seeing snow accumulating on their backs as I know that means they are not losing body heat:

They love to forage in the waste hay for tasty tidbits:

"That's our story, folks. I've got to go and cause some mischief now:"

Gallop Road, Town Of Bangor NY - Part 2

I was taking a driving tour on scenic, rural Gallop Road (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). This small, old barn appeared to still be useful for storage:

Also for storage, I assumed, and possibly attached to a sugar house:

Very interesting farm which sat so far off the road that I had to use my zoom lens to photograph it. The shed on a trailer was a mystery to me. I don't know what it may have been used for:

A tiny, old shed which clearly was still very useful to its owners:

A cluster of small barns, all in excellent shape:

A modern dairy farm:

Another farm with the usual low rise dairy barn:

This old home appeared to be abandoned, which caused me to want to get a photo of it before it is gone altogether:

A modern, efficient farm with silo, grain bin and corn kernel storage bin:

At the end of the road, I took one last photo of this older structure, now a garage and woodshed:

Gallop Road, Town Of Bangor NY - Part 1

I was driving to Walmart in Malone, NY when I noticed Gallop Road and decided to take a quick driving tour. I was not disappointed, as the scenery was rural America at its finest. This large family farm, for instance:

A couple of junked cars and a Jersey calf in an elegant shed, with electric fencing around its run:

A very large hay rake, resting in a field for use again this coming summer:

A small farm with a cozy home:

A stately country home with dogs. They came running and barking, but acted so friendly I was momentarily tempted to stop and say hello. I resisted that foolish temptation, however:

A small barn or carriage house, now a garage:

Lots of old farm equipment and a pickup:

An old barn which seemed to have been converted to a mechanic's garage (but now unused and open):

A lovely home on the banks of the Little Salmon River. It had a foot bridge across the river:

A large, modern farm with triple silos and, parked outside, an Amish buggy. But there was still more to see, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Our Last Big Snowstorm (I Hope)

I go out to do the morning chores soon after it is light. On snowy mornings, I often see bird tracks all over my steps:

And the newly fallen snow had coated everything and made it beautiful. These were the Rugosa Roses, with the barn in the background:

I walked to the road and photographed the neighbors' horses, who had moved to a farther field than usual:

Chickadees called from the bird feeder post and from the lilac bush:

The orchard glistened with new snow:

The neighbors' barn, with my lilac bush in the foreground:

The old fashioned Bridal Veil Spirea, looking almost as pretty in the snow as it will when it flowers in the spring:

I fed the cattle and shooed them out the door, where ever-hungry Tabitha began nursing from her mom, Rosella. Notice the beautiful trees in the background:

On the other side of the barn door, some of the cattle were getting their usual after breakfast drink of water:

Remy and Blue were the last ones out of the barn:

It was all a peaceful, winter scene:

I looked back toward the house and thought how grateful I was to live here and how I didn't hate winter as much as I usually say I do: