It's been snowing all night and all day. My DH only came to bed when it was already light. Early this afternoon when he woke he told me what happened. He arrived home at about 4am but couldn't get up the driveway, couldn't even get up past Jasons'. So he left the Honda down at the bottom of the drive, walked up, started the tractor, swopped the bale spear for the snow-thrower, did 2 swipes of the drive, drove the car up, walked back down and drove the tractor back. Says he was cursing everyone and everything while I peacefully slept on his side of the bed.
This afternoon I took the tractor back out, blew all the way down to the road, the snow-plow guy hired by Jason and Sue hadn't cleared it at all yesterday, nor does it look like he came out today. Saw that Doug, Doris and their kids were shovelling their drive, so I went and blew some for them. Blew back up to the top, struggled a little with slippage. Then took it out to the water trough, and promptly got the tractor stuck right up against the electric fence. Tried kitty litter, didn't work. Left it a while after switching the fence off and trying to pull it out with the buggy, didn't work either. Brainwave. Fetched grain, took a bucket to the cow feed trough. Had to scoop snow out, the cows were rather patient waiting for the grain, but it kept them busy. I had first moved the empty water trough, had to use the buggy with the chain to pull the full one over (damn, will have to re-fill it too). Then I just cut the wires, backed the tractor up into the veggie garden and drove out. Fixed the fence by putting a little extra wire in, switched the fence back on. Took a fairly long time, but I did it. Didn't have to explain the snowed-in tractor to DH ! Had to fill both water troughs, so about 8 trips, throwing the frizzbee for Anni. The snow was so deep that if she ran in the wrong direction, which she does occasionally, I had to go show her where it was as it was buried.
It was dark already, and I was wet, snowed and iced. Checked on the chickens water and couldn't get the container open. Luckily it was still half full, so they're good until tomorrow.
Then got back on to the tractor and did some more clearing between the house and shed, outside the door where the truck enters the shed, then some hand shovelling around the 5 doors. And it snowed and snowed.
DH took the truck to work as the 2 hay bales on the back of the truck weigh it down for good traction, plus it has the 4-WD so he can drive up the driveway no matter what Mother Nature has left on it. And I didn't even miss it. Know his car was here, but there's something wrong with it, so wasn't planning on leaving the farm.
After a nice hot shower I'm thawed, warmed and happier with a hot mug of chamomile tea.
Strained the first lot of water kefir this afternoon. Not sure it was ready, I tasted it and it was still a little sweet, but it had been 36 hours so I just did it. Added elderberry berries for the 2nd ferment, rinsed the grains and popped them into fresh sugar water. I believe it takes a while for them to settle after being shipped, there was a little fizzing, so hopefully I get better at it.