Yesterday and today were cold and windy. Last evening when I was sitting here at the computer, I could hear the wind beginning to blow, and I could feel the cold creeping up through the basement floor, chilling my feet.
Tonight it's to be in the teens and feel like 8*, and tomorrow it's also to be cold and very windy. Brrrr...
However...in the barn, it's toasty warm...
We've noticed that no matter how cold it is outside in the winter, the temperature in the cow stable remains a pretty consistent 52*-54*. With the cows inside and the doors, windows and hay holes all closed, they keep the barn feeling warm. Milking with insulated coveralls over our clothes is quite comfortable. We still have to drain water lines in the west side of the barn sometimes, but only if it's really cold and windy.
Did you know a cow's normal body temperature is 102*? All that body heat does wonders in the winter. (In the summer time however, it has just the opposite effect. More on that another day.)
Totally unrelated to keeping warm...in fact it makes me cold just to look at the picture...a couple of days ago, Jolynn found her way up into the oak tree and worked her way out almost to the end of a rather thin branch...
 |
| photo credit Jenna |
...and she stayed there for a long time. We don't know why she was up there, almost twenty feet off the ground. Perhaps she was chased there by a dog?? Or maybe she was stalking a bird?? Or maybe she just wanted some adventure?? She finally turned around and made her way back to the trunk of the tree and just at there. Staring at us.
We weren't sure how long she would sit there, but she didn't seem to be in any kind of distress, so we told her that she would need to find her way down on her own.
And she did.
Silly kitty!
Cows are great barn heaters. A temp of 102* explains why they always feel so warm. Even though they tend to be a bit smelly, (although they usually have fresh breath) they are soft and fuzzy and nice to hang around when the weather is cold.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the kitty was just testing her climbing skills and over did. Sometimes you need a little time to get yourself back from being too brave.
The weather here has been a mixed bag to and the winds have been howling the past two days and bitterly cold , with the winds as high as they were this old farm house creaks and groans slippers are required here as our floors are cold due to we have a dirt basement under most of our house just a very small old cellar down there and it is of dirt and the old once was school house foundation ! Silly kitty indeed glad she found her way down ! Have a good evening !
ReplyDeleteI could use a warm milk barn right now. It is cold here also and a big storm is on the way. I so wish we knew what animals were thinking. Wonder what she pondered out there on the branch.
ReplyDeleteOh I loved staying in the barn with the cows when we lived in the house with no heat or warmth. I think cow heat is the most soothing kind of heat. I would have slept out there but all the beds were taken.
ReplyDeleteJolynn looks very comfortable on her roost. Hug B
We had a cat that would randomly venture up the trees and out onto a branch. Cats truly have a mind of their own. Cows are the best heaters in the wintertime!
ReplyDeleteSilly kitty! :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like the cow barn is THE place to be on a chilly winter day!
My little black Magic kitty would do that. He'd go after anything in a tree. It's good that the barn stays so warm. I wish I had a nice place that stayed that warm in the winter.
ReplyDelete