Cleo goads Baloo with a stick and he gives chase.
The snow began to fall New Year’s Eve and by this morning there was six inches or more. The dogs love snow, so they were having a grand old time. Cleo picked up a stick and was teasing Baloo.
Cleo tempting Baloo with her stick.
He took up the chase and they romped around the yard a good while.
Many people wonder how our sheep managing the cold and snow. As you can see, they do just fine. The worst for them is freezing rain or high wind, very cold and no snow. Their wool is amazing at insulating them and when you combine that with the snow, they can stay cozy even in a blizzard.
Sheep lounging in the wake of a blizzard.
Many of the sheep just lay down in a dip or hollow and let the snow fall and cover them up like a blanket. The hollows are sheep sized and they usually dig them into their bedding with their feet, but after a while there’s always a good number of them around with no need to make more. I call them sheep pods.
A couple sheep leaving the shelter of the lamb hut.
They do have free access to both the barn and what we call the lamb hut so they can come and go at will. Some sheep will choose shelter. In a blizzard, I think it’s more so the snow isn’t pelting them in the face.
Soprano nestled in her pod.
But I’m always surprised by how many would rather sleep outside. I suppose the lambs generally prefer the indoors, but that’s not necessarily the case.
Ping content to weather the storm outside. You can see she's happily chewing her cud.
Soprano is a lamb and Ping is an adult who’s content to sit outside and chew her cud; an activity that’s just part of the fermentation factory inside her that generates heat.
If the snow melted on them it would be a different story, but their wool is such a good insulator that the snow just sits on top. Provided it’s dry, they can just shake most of it off.
Darkie shaking off a load of snow.
