Although it's probably still warm in Texas. Sorry for the delay, don't know where my head was.

The Clymer Pirates football team is headed to Ralph Wilson Stadium where the Buffalo Bills play for the Section Six DD final. Because we are so small, there is no State Championship in our league, but this is quite a big deal as it is. Our son in law is the coach and our grandson plays, but we will have to be happy with listening to the game on the radio. Stan is driving bus for the driver taking the team up (SIL's mother actually) and I could have gone with our daughter, decided not right after I twisted my ankle and walked 1/4 mile home on it. O well. A little ice took care of the ankle, but the rest of me got a good jarring.

Just got a call from on of the Extension agents. She has a young man who works at the Buffalo Zoo who wants to start a small grazing herd and wondered if we'd talk to him. I said sure. We've done this a couple of times and it can be quite interesting.

Eewww.................cold weather coming and I hate, hate, hate it. However, in 3 weeks we are headed for white sand, blue water, and tall cold ones with a little umbrella in it. I am taking orders for "sloth time" for anyone who wants some time on the chaise lounge by the waves................

We actually did have a cold front blow in last night. It was 40 this morning and made it up to 63 or so. Cold for us, warm for most of you. This front brought rain or snow to the rest of states through which it passed, all we got was WIND!

I went to a seminar put on by the extension service called Drought Management. What it boiled down to was: buy insurance, sell your cows and don't plant winter grasses!

Porkpal, I can't imagine what I'd do in your situation. It's so depressing just to think about it.

Here, we've had several above average temp days with lots of sun. I've gotten some of the outside chores done, but I discovered yesterday that even with help, moderately light tree covers don't need me picking them up. I will just have to learn to have someone else do it!

Stan got the storm shed up, insulated and sided and he's got the calf room under the barn bridge mostly rebuilt. He took out a window that was in the path of falling ice and moved it around to where the outside door was. He's insulating all the walls and putting metal siding on. He got the big round bales delivered to my brother, he's been busy.

Ok, just looked out the window and what was rain sprinkles has suddenly become tiny little snow flakes. Guess the good weather has ended.

We had measurable snow yesterday......by the old Indian formula we should have 23 snowfalls this winter. It's pretty much on the money, not usually "off" by much either way.

Happy Veteran's Day, Remembrance Day, Armistice Day to all who have served and are serving.

What's the formula, Anna? We have snow, probably 3+ inches, and it's still snowing. I need to go shopping, but I think I'll wait for the State of New York to get themselves squared away and get the salt trucks out. My nephew who is a highway engineer says that our section of road is the freckled redheaded orphan with it's tongue sticking out stretch, and he's in charge of it! I told him he needed to come out and drive it every day for a month and then see what he thought of it. He'd rather play on the interstate.

Take the age of the moon.......I think the new moon was Oct. 26th. Add to that the day of the month and that is the number of snowfalls you should receive. A measurable snowfall is one in which you can track a cat, here our first measurable snow was on Nov. 9th and the new moon was 14 days old. Add 14 and 9 and you get 23.

Interesting! - even though I guess it isn't likely to apply to us.

Interesting formula! Our first measureable snowfall came before Halloween! In the 18 years we have lived here we have only had measureable snow before Thanksgiving once, that was last year. Now we have had 3 more days with the ground covered. Yesterday I attempted some flower bed cleaning, it didn't last long with the cold wind even with the sun trying to shine through the clouds.

Meanwhile, I'm working on those buckets of apples, so far putting some in the freezer and making apple butter. Applesauce is next.

We've had 3 measurable snow falls so far. I told Stan the formula and he asked, "For that month?" I don't think that one will work here, with the lake influence. We had severe thunderstorms here and at least one possible tornado in the north part of the county last night. Tomorrow is supposed to have falling temperatures, with lake effect snow setting up in the 'hills south of Buffalo' overnight and into Thursday with heavier snow possible on Friday.

Stan's been getting ready for a federal milk inspection. These are basically the federal inspector checking up on the local inspector and if all the farms don't have a 90 points or above score, they can shut down the whole bulk tank unit, or all the farms in the area, from sending fluid milk for 90 days. The milk (which is still actually a fluid) will go for cheese and butter, grade B rather than grade A. Another one of the joys of farming.

I remember those - best of luck - may you get an inspector who is in a good mood!

First there were two snow flakes, then a dozen, now there's a flurry that's building in the breeze, a dust devil swirls up to meet it and the breeze becomes wind.

Maybe the snow will scare off the inspector! LOL

Yeah, Kathleen........you get degraded, and the same truck picks up your milk that did "before" the "incident". Bah..............Am SO glad we don't have to deal with those clowns anymore.

Did they get repelled by the snow?

The inspectors??? They're such pansies.

Haven't seen them yet, but there's one more day. The milk hauler said ours is the only place that looks good on his route. Somehow that isn't very comforting.

Well, if they don't come today, you're safe for another 3 years from the feds. At least, that's how it was in Wisconsin. Every 3 years was federal survey.

My uncle's dairy was degraded once and somehow he ended up getting MORE for his milk afterward! (?) He laughed about it for years.

We got degraded once, many, many years ago for not having the ceiling in the barn painted. And they did, indeed, pick up our milk on the same truck, went to the same place, and got made into the same "stuff".............nothing changed except the price we received. Now, where is the sense in all that, I ask????? What did it prove, except that the big boys can throw their corpulent selves around??? Sheesh.............

Yup, and they were mixing other dairies' "inferior" milk with yours all along.