The year changed

I used to get really excited about staying up until midnight and watching Dick Clark's count down. 

I don't anymore. The new year is another way of starting January all over. I know that sounds pretty dumb and stupid. But for some people, the holidays are bummers. The expectations that on January 1st things are suddenly going to change is well,

stupid.

January can be a contentious month for winter weather. It can be awful or fun depending on where you live and how you like or dislike winter.  

I woke up early and thought to self. Hey Self, have a cuppa coffee and walk to the ridge with Charlie. It isn't too wickedly cold and perhaps the sunrise will be beautiful for the first day of 2023.

And we did.

I walked across the cropland to the eastern edge where the land is highest and waited. Charlie wandered around the corn stubble smelling deer and searching for mice or voles.

Maybe there wasn't much that was incredible about changing a number from 22 to 23. But the feeling of standing there in the still morning air watching the light change felt pretty incredible.

As it rose the predicted fog/haze from the high humidity of the previous day started to work its magic on the land.

I stayed longer than I intended too. Rich's coffee was made and I hadn't left a note but I figured he'd know that I walked up to the ridge as it is my usual routine.

I stayed a bit longer. I like this little tree. In the summer it gets lost with all the weeds and crops growing up on each side of it.

I walked home.

2023 officially had begun.

Let the adventures begin...

So it is 22

Change the Page

The Holidays are over [Thank goodness!] I've taken down most of the decorations and am turning my attentions on my next project.

The photos above were used with some new editing techniques I've been trying to figure out.  For those interested I will show the before shots below.

I just went out in the fog with my Olympus DSLR and a 12mm lens. That means if I want to be closer, I have to walk closer.  

Of course I wanted a deep mystical mythical looking forest. The one that would have Hobbits running about and perhaps a few elves too. Sorry, no elves or trolls, just the trees and the clutter of the forest floor.

I picked out the cool oak tree I love so much and tried to find a good angle of it. This tree, I call the Hugging Tree. I mean it looks like it is ready to give you a hug! 
It's odd shape makes it a favorite of mine to take shots of all year long.

This boxelder tree is not well loved by most people. But I adore it. 
I think it is the absolute, best-est ever climbing tree in the universe. 

Okay, just the best one on our back road.

My neighbor lady found out that her kids were making a fort there once and was aghast. The tree resides on the edge of our absent neighbor's land. 

I told her that it was the place I would pick for a fort if I were their age.

She wouldn't let them keep their ropes and little chairs there. 

The photo below is just a random shot through the fog towards our house from deep in the woods.  I just thought that the leaves that still hung on the trees were unique. I don't know what kind of trees these leaves belong to, but I suspect some kind of cherry tree.

I won't repeat the snowy scene. Nature provided the absolute perfect backdrop for that. 

It is 22.

Just that.

It is just another date change. 

I'll get excited about the next snow storm or ice storm perhaps.

Today it was all about staying comfy while doing outdoor work.

Onward.

Hank, Hankster,...The Hank, the Dexter Calf

So 'the calf' who was born in the cold during our Christmas Supper ... remained days without a name.
I am often hesitant about giving a name to a critter that ... well, simply put, should not survive.
Yes we already established that this young heifer had been penned with a young bull and had not been separated before what we felt would be active breeding time.
Well, we were very wrong!

I did not feel confident that without bringing the calf into the house and giving it milk replacer that I'd be able to keep it alive. The little guy was cute. All animal babies are cute.

My Kenosha Gang showed up Friday evening and we put together a heat lamp and made the little pen a bit cozier by putting plywood around it to keep the heat in and the cold air out. Well, that was the idea.

The little guy seemed okay but would sleep in one corner or another and would shiver a bit. When he was up and nursing he seemed fine.

Well I bedded them heavier with shavings, I have been cleaning their little pen each day and putting in fresh pine shavings.
I'm sure Stella would say thanks, but she is more interested in water and in hay. She does stop occasionally to pull my gloves off my hands.

The heat lamp and bedding really helped a lot. Mother Nature took its course and Stella was nursing him very well. He found the best way to nurse was to go directly under the tail.
I tried to tell the calf that perhaps one day he'd not want to do that.

He didn't listen to me at all.

While I was cleaning the stall and making arrangements on Friday before our next house guests arrived, I found myself talking to the calf and Stella while working on their little pen.

I called the calf 'Hank'. He looked like a Hank. And it stuck.

Welcome to the farm 'Hank' The Sir Prize little Dexter!

The temperatures were forecast to drop well below zero on New Years Eve. Daryl had brought a small heater and he set it up. New Years Eve we'd thought we'd do all sorts of fun things.

But Hank ended up as the main attraction. With the temperatures falling well below -12 F and the wind chills a sinister -33 or so, ... we opted for no night hike. However everyone took turns checking on Hank.
It didn't matter if it took several minutes to wrap up and put on facemaskes, heavy gloves, boots, coveralls,.... we all had to see Hank.

Yes. The Hank has defied the odds and continues to grow like a little weed.

He sometimes thinks he is a Big Boy...well, not quite yet!

However, he is doing great.

What a wonderful thing to happen on our little farm to give us hope and and joy for the New Year.

Taking a Walk

...I like to try and make each day count.  Besides there were some fantastic frost formations in the creek bottom this afternoon.  I was out for just over 2 hours.

Yeah it was cold.  But it was warmer than the day before and when I got into the valley it may have been cooler yet, but there was no wind.

Taking a 'self' shot like this is really not easy.  This camera is my knock about camera.  Good thing I took it, I dropped it in 8" of snow, banged it against a tree, and nearly dropped it in the water when changing the little thingy to put it on a tripod.

It has a 10 second delay on it.  Push the button and run like hell and see if you can get in the shot.
I got it on the second try.  But let me tell you, I got my sprinting and creek jumping in for the day!

Morris did not come along.  He walks in the creek and runs in the snow.  At 3 degrees  F, his poor feet get very cold and I end up carrying him.
Last time he got to shivering a lot.  If we are hiking and I am not messing with tripods and such, he will stay pretty warm as he is always running.

Had a great first day of 2014.  Looking for many more.