Yep, that looks weighty!

It has been a long lovely weekend. Youngest daughter and family were up from Kentucky and it was eldest daughter's 40th birthday - food and insanity reigned. We went through $250 worth of groceries and about 12 gallons of milk from Thursday to Monday. I am so tired breathing seems like a chore!

For all you weather fans, 2011 was the 23rd warmest year on record, the average US temperature (lower 48) was 53.8F, one degree above the 20th century mean. The average precipitation was 28.78 inches, 99% of normal. Texas endured its driest year on record and its second hottest year on record. 46% of the nation had abnormally wet or abnormally dry weather during March, April and May, the largest area in the 102 years of record. 16% of the contiguous US experienced above average to heavy one day precipitation, a record high. The 102 year average is 9%. Thanks to the Farm Journal for their Stat Rack on the Tailgate Talk page in the mid-February issue.

Here, we had a nasty Saturday followed by a cold but sunny Sunday. Today is cloudy and chill with the possibility of rain. yay.

Stan has the USDA Ag Census ready to mail. I didn't look at it. He has some projects that he's working on in the shop. One is getting the new tractor ready for chopping season. I think the big one is getting the shop clean enough to do the others.

Leap Day. I read somewhere that you should take this extra day to consider your life. mostly, I'm considering the mess in the backroom. Earlier, I considered the mess in the study and maybe later, I'll consider the mess on the dining room table. All in all, a very full day of consideration.

Stan has gone to a meeting put on by several area veterinarians concerning Lowering Your Somatic Cell Count and Keeping Milk and Meat Free of Antibiotic Residues. There is a complimentary lunch and talks by an Senior Extension vet and a vet who works with Pfizer Animal Health. Tomorrow, he's going to a meeting sponsored by King's AgriSeeds on Getting Ready to Graze among other things, with a complimentary lunch. There's another meeting on Friday, but Stan thought two in a row were plenty.

Kathleen, I have taken my guts in my teeth and am washing down the kitchen walls so I can paint. And after the painting will be the new linoleum. Have half of one wall left to wash and it is the one that is behind the stove and fridge. The stuff will stay pulled out and I will "hopefully" paint it tomorrow. At least that wall, since I have the paint for it. I'm painting it black. The other walls will be an orange sherbet color. Way different than what I have now.

You trying to make me feel guilty? Interesting color combination. Take pictures!

I've been cleaning up fencelines. Normally February is a good time to do this job, but this year everything is already growing as we have had such a warm winter.

As for considering: I am trying to decide whether to add to the herd this spring or stay understocked to prepare for continued drought...The drought has brought us a new problem: without competition from the grass which was killed over the summer, the clover has gone wild and many people are losing cows to bloat. I lost one steer two weeks ago but I don't think it was bloat. I have round bales and bloat blocks out for them to eat so they should be protected.

I am anxious to see the colorful kitchen when finished too!

Cows and clover - they love it to death!

We lost a heifer in a rain storm this winter. She was on a side hill just above our little creek and apparently got caught in little mudslide that rolled her. She was quite pregnant and ended up jammed against a tree head down and couldn't get herself up. It looked like she must have drowned. Bizarre year.

In honor of a new month, we are moving here: The thread "March, roaring in like a lion" in Farming forum