Monday, March 26, 2018

Mud. It's a beautiful thing...

We got another dose of snow today.  About 3-4" of wet, wet stuff.  It was all right because what followed in the afternoon was warm and sunshiny which made some of this.  Mud!


Mud means different things to different people.  To me, mud means we've had a good snow or a good rain that soaked into the ground.  It means that the run-off is going to fill reservoirs and stock ponds, creeks and wadis, and puddles.  It means fresh water for livestock and wildlife to drink.  It means grass, wildflowers, and hay meadows will get enough to drink to bring them up, full of life!  It means that robins will have mud for their nests in April.  Ducks and children will have their fun wading and waddling in it.  And lest you think my definition a bit lofty, mud also means my mudroom lives up to it's name.  The dog shakes her muddy body as she tracks in, the boots come in and leave globs everywhere, and my mop and bucket are always wet and on-the-ready.  It does help if we give our boots a good slap-together outside before bringing them in, but sometimes we forget.  Ah well.


These are the cows that are the most likely to calf in the next week or so.  We sorted them up by calving dates and this bunch is on the hill by our house for close observation.  Normally, we do not keep the mature cows this close, but the pastures where they would normally be calving are still knee deep in snow and there is nowhere for them to be.  So for now, this is where the action happens.  With all this melting, perhaps we will get to those pastures with cows soon. 


These little girls are all cozy and dry under the shelter in the straw.  The babies that are born out there in the small pasture are sledded in to a place in the corral where it is dry.  The calves can at least have a little dry, warm time with their mothers before the are kicked out into the wide world of mud.

Just a couple days after the Vernal Equinox, the Western Meadowlarks began to sing.  What a joy!  Come (scroll down), take a listen, and feel the joy!

12 comments:

  1. The song of the meadowlark is one of my all-time favorites! Glad you're water sources are being replenished and that you are able to be philosophical about the mudroom, lol. We got probably 6-8 inches of snow. May your calving be blessed! :)

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  2. I so miss hearing the meadowlarks! We have no mud, still snow here. I looked at my blog last year at this time and our yard was melted off. Perhaps this is a sign we will have more moisture this year. I hope calving goes smoothly.

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  3. Like you, I appreciate mud. Later this year, hot summer, we'll miss the rain and snow. Are you familiar with Waterhog rugs? I bought something similar at Sam's Club (I think it was SC) and those things are great! Outside and inside all doors have those type rugs that catch/trap water, mud, hay, dirt, etc. It's amazing how much trash they save from coming into the house!

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  4. Glad you have a mudroom. It's good to know and understand why mud is important for your land and business. Hope the calving goes well.

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  5. I just love seeing those babies. I felt the same thing about seeing the mud after we had all our lovely rain. It soaked the ground so deep.
    I love hearing meadowlarks. We have them too. It always makes me so happy to hear them. I hope you have a wonderful week.

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  6. What a pretty bird! Love that burst of yellow. We are not muddy here. We have so much rain, so much water, so near the ocean -- we simply have huge ditches everywhere, and they fill and fill. Eventually all the water gets into the creeks and rivers and flows out. Our water levels vary because of wind direction -- blowing all that water either in or out. I'm so glad you're getting rain and mud and moisture for all the living things.

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  7. That song. From such a tiny bird. I could hear a rooster crowing in the background. :) I love seeing all the babies that spring brings.

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  8. When our boys were little (in the days of Raffi) our favorite song artist was Rick Charette and one of our very favorite songs was I Love Mud. I found it on YouTube for your listening pleasure LOL - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbCLHM1QpQ8 Oh how we loved singing that song!

    Your mud looks wonderful -- I hope you get some stomping time and that it doesn't come in your house LOL!

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  9. What a lovely viewpoint on something that most people despise :-)

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  10. I've never thought to looks for beauty in the patterns of mud, I've fallen into the prosaic trap of thinking how long it would take to scrape it off shoes. I'm quite ashamed, looking at your beautiful photos.
    Amalia
    xo

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  11. Mud can be fun if one has the right boots, right? I've been listening to James Taylor on Amazon Music and he makes me think of you, friend.
    Happy spring and blessed Easter!

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  12. Ahh... I listened to the meadowlark for several minutes... probably I have heard it in person at some time in my life, and I hope I will again. Just imagining those birds in your backyard made my heart swell. Thank you, Jody.

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