Ice Capades

Last night after work my time out is always sitting here catching up on sanctuary news from other rescues. I knew what i had to do from the moment I left work as i drove to Haney Builders and picked up another hose to run from my laundry room in the house. All the hoses are frozen outside even though i kept them open on a drip into pails the freezing wind took care of that. I ran the hose out my window and found my water pail and took it around front to be ready and out to the horses i go.

It is hard for the horses to walk on uneven frozen ground and they labour towards there gates into soft footing into the barn. Dior's tub is cracked open from the ice so i go dig her old one out and the hose , thankfully that one is running fine. Both horses are wearing thick winter blankets now so they are all snuggy .

Jack is helping me out at the barn and he is such a good good pig and I treat him to keep him busy and fill up a small bowl of water for him as i know they will have had nothing to drink for 24 hours.

I know every water tub in every pig paddock will be frozen solid as i smashed out ice the night before which took two inches of water out with it. I can only feed then hammer out the ice one pen at a time. This takes quite a considerable more time. Once i fed one gated community i go to the house fill up the water pail and fill up there tubs and on to the next section to start the same process. Its brutal work when it is this cold outside.

I yelled out to the herd to go back in until i was closer to them as this was going to take a lot longer for me to get to them all. The farm pigs oblige but not before me hearing one of them drag one of there frozen water pools in desperation to get a drink. They will have to wait as there is an order of things and they go right back into there houses. Comet is the only one i hear. And as i go on my rounds I hear the slurps of water and it makes me happy as they will not get another drink until i get home from work again the next night.

Wearing a ball cap so i can attach one of those LED lights screws up your sight a tad and low limbs on trees are leaving there mark on my forehead. If i don't show up for work one day will some one come over here and see if i knocked myself out cold out there.I smashed my head twice tonight going in and then going out duh!

Last night it took two hours to feed and water but when i came in i had a few exciting emails as our Penny's Extreme Make Over blog fundraiser netted the full 1500.00 after a reader/rescuer gave us the last 192.00 to enable us to reach our/Jeans goal. Talk about wrapping up a brutal job with a bonus for the pigs like that!!!!!!! An incredible amount of cash raised for this rescue and i thank you all so very very much!

So tonight i only had to hand pail one bucket full as i was able to simply smash out the two inch thick layer of ice on each tub and there was enough water for them but tomorrow night I will have to fill everyone of them again.

Tonight;s miracle was my Mom stopping in at work today with a pot of chili for dinner tonight and i just ate in between typing this. Now where are my Advil LOL