If you don't like Nebraska weather, wait a minute

[Soapweed]

WARNING: :shock: 21 photos

Yesterday morning was beautifully hazy with no wind. I took advantage of the opportunity to climb the closest windmill to loosen the spring, having noticed the last windy day that the wheel was turning too fast. I also climbed to the top of the cake bin to see when more cake will be needed. Having the camera in my pocket, I took photos from both locations.

Earlier I had led our two-year-old heifers to a nearby pasture and fed them hay. Saddletramp came over to help Peach Blossom and I run these heifers through the chute to give them a Scourgard vaccination. The corrals were dusty to start with, but before we were through a "mini-blizzard" came along. Big fluffy snowflakes were in the air, and soon there was an inch of wet snow covering the ground. We came in for dinner with the white stuff still falling, but it soon let up. By mid-afternoon, the snow was all melted off and the sun was shining.

Here are the pictures to prove it.

View from on the windmill

Home, sweet home

Looking east

Looking northeast

Looking northwest

Looking southeast

Looking west

Looking down

Looking north from the cakebin

Looking down the road

Looking east from the cakebin

Getting two-year-old heifers in to vaccinate with Scourgard

Peach Blossom vaccinating

Five minutes later

Intent on the job at hand

Saddletramp surrounded by snow

No frost on the pumpkin, but snow on the Peach

Taking the heifers back to the pasture

Later, the same day

No snow

Cows across the creek

 

[Mrs.Greg]

Nice pictures! We get those mini blizzards here too,had one last friday driving into nearest city,couldn't see to drive,went for lunch,when we came out it was like spring had hit,no sign of snow :???:

 

[Faster horses]

Ahhh, Soapweed, that was wonderful!!
Your place is so nice and neat, looks like a wonderful place to live.

And melting snow is one of my
favorite things. You did get some big, wet flakes.

Thanks for taking the time for the pictures and thinking of us
here on ranchers.net.

Aren't we all lucky that we do what we do? Peach Blossoms smile speaks
volumes.

 

[Red Robin]

Really nice place Soapweed. Pictures are fantastic. Cattle and facilities appear to be top notch. The company looks good as well.

 

[George]

I love the way you got the cattle to line up in the looking west picture.

Yesturday we had mid 50s and sun - - - got up this morning and we have 5" of wet snow and 35 degrees forcast for a high.

Depending which channel you tune to it will be gone it two days or it might stay three weeks. I like the NBC forcast best.

 

[Anonymous]

Soap-I'd be willing to trade you your dust for this ice we have...Nobody been doing much horse work around here with the layer we have...So thick and slick in areas that even hard shod doesn't help much...

Friend of mine hooked up his team the other day- Was going to just drive them up and down the gravel road- said both had slipped and gone down at least once just trying to get the wagon out to the road- he gave up on the project before he hurt something....

Temp was in the teens this morning and a raw wind--Weather boys say we could be back in below zero low temps by the middle of the month, so I better get used to this ice......

 

[HAY MAKER]

Soapweed as usual,your pictures tell a ranch story,thanks for sharing your day with us.Looks like yall were enjoying that white stuff,wish something like that would happen around here,been drier than an empty water barrel..................good luck

 

[Soapweed]

I love the way you got the cattle to line up in the looking west picture.

Actually those are cedar trees, and we tried to get them "lined up" when they were planted. :wink:

 

[Soapweed]

Sorry about the slick icy conditions in your country, Oldtimer. It makes every task very dangerous.

Welcome back, Hay Maker. You were conspicuous by your absence, and were missed.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

What awesome pictures soapweed, thanks fer takin the time to take the pictures and share them with all of us.

I guess your "afternoon blizzard" is kinda like our "afternoon showers" just a difference in temperatures. Too Neat.

 

[George]

Will the cedar trees end up making a good wind break??? I guess I need higher power glasses

 

[Soapweed]

Will the cedar trees end up making a good wind break??? I guess I need higher power glasses

We depend a great deal on several windbreaks comprised of rows of cedar trees. They grow well here in the Sandhills, and east of here have actually become a problem growing wild out in the pastures. The fenced shelterbelts are a great asset, but the wild trees spasmodically positioned out in the open could almost be considered a weed.

 

[theHiredMansWife]

Yeah they will. (Look at his "looking east from the cakebin" pic. those are grown cedars on the north side of his stack lot)
Cedars are really scruffy, full trees. They don't get very tall like pines, but they really fill out.

The only real drawback with cedars is that they're such healthy volunteers. Not too very far east of soapweed (where they get just a hair more rain), people have to spray their pastures for them, or they take over!

 

[Maple Leaf Angus]

Thank you for showing and telling us such a wonderful story Soapweed. Your picture shows are always so informative.

This forum has been a terrific education and source of insight into how others live and work.