Chores in the Bitter Cold

First, dress warmly.
Yes my son will laugh. I wear the ugly hated green coveralls with rips in them...over that a ripped flannel insulated shirt.
The Elmer Fudd Hat.
Scarf.
Leather 'lined' gloves.
Bog Boots.

Most of the choring goes well.

For those who don't have heated tanks, I break out the ice and fill their buckets with water. I watch them drink and add some more.
This takes several trips slogging through the hard falling snow.

Lil' Richard takes a drink then pauses for me to take his photo.
The amount of snow on his back is a good indicator of how warm his coat is and how well it insulates him.
I check him over. He is not shivering, but is nodding off to sleep.

The snow literally 'pours' down on me while I water the donkeys' heated stock tank. The view to the meadow though is certainly worth ducking under the hotwire and taking a shot with my pocket camera.

It really is quite a beautiful snow fall...if you like snow!

I water the donkey stock tank, the 'Fred & Gang' stock tank, then drain the hoses after making sure that Thor, Bob, T-Bone, Chuck-Steak, and the Dexter girls are taken care of.
All take nice healthy drinks.

I'll be out before dark to water those who don't have heated tubs again. It is hard work, but the animals need water, even in -5 temps.

I pass the heifer named Valerie, she is dozing near a log. She reclines after I take her picture and begins to happily chew her cud.
Some might argue that they'd be happier in a barn. Outside is natural for them.
Oh Oh...Oh the horrible feeling it is to find that about 100 ft of the hoses that go to the large stock tank have frozen!

I say some explicit curse words and begin to work on getting water to the heated tank that waters 12 animals.

I spend the next hour swapping the donkey hoses and rolling up the frozen ones. I carefully drain the hoses I'd swiped from up the hill and replace them...draining them carefully ... twice for good measure.

The frozen hoses get taken apart and rolled up.
The are thawing in my tub.

Ever take a shower with 2 50 ft hoses in your tub?
It can be done.

Isn't winter grand?