Snowed In Saturday

A Winter Weather Warning was issued over the weekend. My plans for the weekend were to take a belly photo in front of the cows saying "at least I'm not as big as a cow! (yet)". But when Hubby and I woke up to find it 29 degrees outside we didn't want to get out of bed. Trying to be a good wife I woke up and made breakfast while Farmer J warmed up the truck. I was still set on getting some cow pictures so we headed out to the fields. 

At the first field Farmer J left me in the truck and he walked out to a water tank for the cows. If I had went with him I would have had to jump over an electric fence which I probably couldn't do 6 months pregnant. 

That green (above) isn't grass, it's wheat! The cows eat this throughout the winter and the wheat still grows back good and strong by spring for a nice harvest. The cows on this field were huddled in a corner too far for me to snap a photo. They looked so cold!

At the 2nd field, the cows were around the water tank but they ran away as soon as we pulled up. Last year's cows were much friendlier!

Here are a few who were a little interested in me. See the snow on their backs? I could never be a rancher, I felt too bad for the cows...even though hubby says they are fine. Gotta love that marbling (that's fat in restaurant language).

I'm sure you are wondering how a farmer makes money from a rancher by letting cows eat their crop. Well I was wondering and I found out how it's done out here. The cows are weighed! When the rancher picks up his cows in the spring they should weigh more than what they weighed when he dropped them off. So it's up to the farmer to keep them fed and watered if he wants a nice profit later. *Now you know!

Here is what Farmer J did Saturday. He broke up the ice that formed in the water tank over night. He ended up pulling out 3" thick slabs of ice. Heavy, cold and wet..not a fun job. He does have warm gloves under those plastic gloves, but still I couldn't even stand outside taking pictures the entire time he was out there. 

Hubs dropped me off at home after these two fields. It had only been an hour but I was cold and had had enough. I'm such a baby! Oh that's right, I'm pregnant...I'll use that excuse. While I was home cleaning I could hear ice beginning to fall. It had been two hours since he left.  The fields he went to were further from home, but the water tanks have heaters so he doesn't need to break ice - unless the heaters stop working. Turns out, the heaters did stop. He made it home for lunch with ice and snow hitting the ground as he walked in.

After lunch we looked out the window to find a winter wonderland!  Complete with snow lined pine needles, the soft sound of falling snow and what I call a "collision of holidays" - my jack-o-lantern covered in snow. 

I took these photos from inside my house. Love the snow but this city girl hasn't gone country yet! I'll stay inside with the heat on for now...

Grits,

P.S. As of 3:00 pm the snow had stopped. However there had not been a salt truck or plow by to clear the roads, everyone knows someone with a tractor or 4x4.

A Texas Sized Blizzard!

If you follow High Heels and Grits on twitter or Instagram you probably saw what happened this weekend.  A Texas sized blizzard!  Now, a Texas sized blizzard isn't the usual "everything's bigger in Texas" blizzard.  It's a one foot of snow blizzard.  But that's the amount of snow Texas gets in a decade.  So I'm calling it a Texas Sized Blizzard!!!

Out here in West Texas, in between Amarillo and Lubbock, we got a little bit of snow on Thursday.

This is my drive to Lubbock on Thursday, nothing to write home about

Even Max asked "Why are you taking my picture you crazy lady it's just a little snow"

Friday was a beautiful day with no snow or rain.  I went out to Amarillo to visit my sister-in-law.

Saturday we were out at the barn.  Dogs were running around and even drove home in the bed of the truck. 

Everyone did great until Ranger decided to jump out a quarter mile from the house.  He survived with no injuries, but he was definitely in shock for a while.  Silly dog. 

Sunday night we had youth group and almost cancelled because of the Blizzard warning we got on our phones.  But we stuck with it and had a great time with the teens.  Everyone made it home safely, as the blizzard rolled in over night.

I woke up Monday morning to this view.

Stepped outside to take out the dogs and couldn't see a thing.  This is a still shot.  The wind is blowing snow 34mph!!

 

We stayed inside for most of the day.  I led my nieces and nephews in a much needed yoga session.  Which wasn't as relaxing as yoga usual (they are 6, 7, and 9 years old).  But it did stretch out our couch potato bodies.  The wind didn't stop until the afternoon, and as soon as it did we were outside!

 

Hubby shoveled the walkway for us. 

 

 

The truck was full of snow!  So we took the work truck into town to check out the damage.  I think J really wanted to look for people in distress.  Every stranded car we came across he'd slow down and make sure there was no one inside.  He loves his truck and handles it great in rain, snow and mud so I'd trust him to pull me out of any ditch!

Thoughout the day I learned something new about our small town.  They love their town!  The first road cleared after the storm was Main street.  Main Street isn't a interstate or TX Hwy, it's just a little road through town.  But it's OUR road and it's gotta be clean.

A big pile of show in the middle of Main Street

 Main St.

None of the shops were open...but Main Street was clear!

 

To give you an idea of the amount of snow...Here's a before and after.

 

Official reports say 7".  I say between 16"-24"!!

This is my first blizzard, so maybe things were a little exagerated in my eyes.

 

 

There is ONE thing this city girls knows about snow:

 

 Don't eat the yellow snow!!

 

We didn't eat yellow snow and we survived just fine.  I hear it was only 3" or so in Lubbock, so I'm glad my little town the amount it did!  Snow slowly melts into the ground.  There are still huge piles of snow across town and on the fields!  Praying for a great crop this year and a full water well!

 

 

 

Have you ever been in a blizzard before?  What was your experience like?

 

Grits,

 

Weekend Update

NBC Saturday Night Live Weekend Update

No, not that weekend update...but I do love Seth Meyers!

My weekend update, which consisted of:

 

Going with Farmer J to the cows to give them water.  They were thirsty and started running right up to us.  I am still not comfortable around these cows, I've seen too many rodeos!  J says they aren't snakes or coyotes, I'll see a cow coming if it wants to charge at me.  But they usually just stare at us or run away.  Them running at us was a new thing.  In the end they posed for a picture so I can't complain!

 

I attempted this drawer organizer.  Instead of stacking shirts and pants on top of each other, roll them up and slide them next to each other.  This way you can see what is in your drawer without messing everything up.  My drawers are packed tight so we'll see what happens when I start wearing these clothes.  Will they all unroll into a huge mess?  Stay tuned....

 

On our way to Valentines dinner (on Saturday) I attempted this new scarf knot.  I loved it!  I kept un-tying and re-tying it at the restaurant.  We did have an HOUR wait...(no reservations)

 

Found this tutorial on Pinterest which led me to Meg's Blog

Super easy: end 1 over-under, end 2 under-over, done!

 

We went out to eat at Stella's, an Italian restaurant I am officially in love with.  After the hour wait, I found out Lubbock does have some nice restaurants.  Ok, one.  I've only been to one, but we'll get there.  When we got our oyster appetizer J asked "Are you going to take pictures of the food all night?" which I really meant 'if you get to have your phone out I get to have mine out' so we both put our phones away and enjoyed each other's company.  It was a blast.  A great first Valentines as a married couple.

 

Identity Thief

 

Before dinner we saw Identity Thief. It started at 4:30 and we figured since it's been out for a while there was no rush. We got there 5 minutes before the start time and the theatre was PACKED. We sat in the third row! I guess everyone went to the 4:30 movie and then out to dinner. Identity Thief was a funny movie. J said he would have done the same thing Jason Bateman does in the end. I won't spoil the movie, but if you've seen it and know J, you'll understand.

 

How was your weekend?  Hope it was great!  When did you celebrate Valentines Day?

High Heels!

What's that smell?

There is this funk I smell whenever I walk into the house. 
The main door we use is the door in the kitchen so I thought it could be old food, the kitchen trash or something rotting in the fridge.  But after cleaning all that out I can still smell it!

It's something I've never smelled before. It's not dog poo or throw up....it doesn't smell like it's from a cow, cat or bird...

Actually it gets stronger as I near the stove...what is that smell?! 
Maybe if I open this cabinet and stick my nose in...oh ya, it's really strong in here. 
Wait-
what is that next to my pots and pans?
 What is that soft shiny grey lump?

IT'S A MOUSE CARCASS!!! There is a dead mouse in my cabinet!

What happened next was a blur...
I called the Farmer told him I'd be across the street at his sisters because I could not step back in the house.  He came home and threw the mouse away, said it was a small mouse, probably the last of his family.  It ate the poison and had been dead for days.  I scrubbed down every pot and pan and shelf in the kitchen.  Made sure there was more poison. 
And now I find myself tiptoeing through the kitchen so I don't disturb the ghost of our first mouse. 

Eek! Country living at it's finest...this is a day I miss the city.

Grits!