Cold days are here to stay.

No more of this.

This calf hutch that they got to play in for a few days is out in the goat pen for winter shelter and I have to admit that I'm really glad. That's not something they can play in without me being right there watching because of the danger of a leg getting caught in the door. Not real likely to happen with Hannah, but the two youngest don't have the ability yet to grasp the danger.

They're fun to watch in it, though. Like hamsters in a wheel. Their favorite thing is to have one person run fast and make them slide, so it was especially fun for them when they could talk me into turning it for them.

It doesn't appear that we'll get any more warm (in the range of 50-60 degrees) days until late spring from here on out.

Bring on the snow!

Collecting flower seeds.

Today we finished collecting flower seeds from our butterfly garden.

The last ones to come in were the marigold seeds which are fun all the way around - the seed heads snap off easily (and there are *so* many), the seeds pop out easy (and, good heaves, there are *so* many), and you're left with a pile of empty seed pods left for crafting. Very fun.

We also collected some wildflower seeds and the last of the calendula.

We harvested our sunflower seeds right before our freak snow storm. We collected about one-quarter of the seed heads and left the rest for the birds. Since the garden's right outside our window, we've gotten to watch some really funny seed eating antics, none of which I seem to be able to capture on film.

It's now fall.

The snow is gone and the weather's nice for playing...

when the wind's not 40 miles per hour.

Wind around here means tree branches for my goats. Since they're on a nice grass and clover pasture, they love it when they get browse dragged to them.

Our fully fenced front yard means that I don't always have to drag branches to them. I shut all of the gates and let them clean up our leaves while the kids ride bikes in the driveway.

It's easier than raking.

Blog hopping.

I'm posting at Not Dabbling In Normal today. Come on over!

The Pumpkin Patch.

That's the name of our local pumpkin patch. They don't have to be inventive - the owners are 70 years old.

This is where we get our squash every year - my husband loves squash - because they have so many different kinds.

Last year he tried the Sweetmeat and loved it, so we're getting more of those this year in addition to his favorite spaghetti squash.

I always grab pie pumpkins also, and the girls get decorative squashes and pumpkins.

And, yes, we always need the wheelbarrows.

Doing what we can outside.

It's cold, and it's snowy, and we're keeping guests entertained.

Gray makes it easy.

Yesterday was pony and horse riding. Today was a long four-wheeler ride in the desert.



Matt laughed at me for bringing blankets and extra hats.

Andrew, one of our little guests, was frustrated at having to put on as many warm clothes as I told him he'd need. "But we're going in the DESERT," he said. "Deserts are HOT." So I took along an extra blanket for him too.

The 'unnecessary' blankets and hats all ended up getting used, thank you very much.

It's nice to be able to find ways to fend off cabin fever - especially when you're stuck in the cabin months earlier than you should be.

That ain't good.

It's the beginning of October, so I've been trying to get everything settled for the winter.

Yesterday we were going to get hutches for the goat pasture for the winter when they would need the shelter from the snow. But the snow wouldn't be here for at least two more months, so we put it off to do today. This happened last night.

Yeah. That.

The girls love it - in small doses.


I caught this expression on Hannah's face.

That's pretty much how I feel about this weather.

A nearby dairy (the same one we got our stock tank swimming pool from and would be getting the hutches from) had a breeding mishap and was expecting a lot of half Holstein-half Brahma calves to be born starting next week. My husband wanted to buy some, so we were going to set up a calf-raising area today also. More than enough time to get ready before the calves got here.

But the low-pressure storm front affected the momma cows and there were three babies born last night, so today we had to go pick them up if we wanted them.

So today we are the owners of two male and one female half Holstein-half Brahma calves. Cute, long-eared little buggers.

They're living in our horse trailer bedded down with straw until this freak storm passes by.

The storm also affected my sunflowers and flax seeds that I had drying outside. Since there was no rain in the forecast, I left them out. Bad move. *sigh*

Hopefully we'll be back to fall soon.