Mud and Yuck!

We usually have snow in January. This year we have rain and mud in January.

It's nice that we can be outside without heavy jackets all the time. It's nice that we can be outside more often because it isn't as cold as usual.

It's awful to work in the barn with all the mud and muck! All the rain has made muddy spots where the animals live.

Look at all the water and mud.
It's so mucky that we always have to wear boots.

We also have to dig small drainage ditches so the water will drain away from the barn.
Can you see the small stream?

We also have to clean out Echo's stall and her pen outside the barn
every single day or the muck builds up so deep that we can't walk
through it, and Echo won't walk through it.

All the muck and mud that we dig out of the stall and the front
of the barn gets dumped into the garden.

Do you see Echo in the photo? I feed her out in this pen when the weather isn't rainy so she doesn't have to stand in the mud when she eats.

All the muck and mud is smelly if it sits in the stalls and the barn. It's not good for animal hooves for them to stand in the mud, either.

Mud and muck is really good for gardens! All of the mud and muck is like vitamins for garden plants! I think it's very interesting and nice that muck and mud is good in one place on the farm, but not good in another place on the farm.

This January we've had a lot of rain. Last January we had snow.

This is a photo from January 2017

JJ and Scout love the snow. This year they haven't had a chance to play in the snow.

Instead JJ is sneaking out of the fence, and then sneaking back in!

Matthew will be fixing the low spot under the fence so she can't sneak out.

JJ and Scout are very smart dogs. Sometimes that is a bad thing because they can figure out how to get outside a fence. We really like how smart they are because they learn things so quickly and can be a real help around the farm.

*     *     *     *     *

I've been thinking about the garden already. It's almost time to plant seeds inside so the small plants are ready to put in the garden in June. Are you thinking and planning ahead for Spring and Summer? Farmers and ranchers are always thinking ahead a few months. We are always thinking about when to plant our garden, when kids and calves will be born, will we have enough water to grow a garden this year, do we have enough feed and hay for the animals?

Your teachers have to plan ahead, too! They are already thinking about what to teach next week, and next month! They are thinking about what needs to be copied next week and what activities they will be doing with you.

What do you think you will be doing next week? Are you still doing something kind for someone else every day? What can you do for someone this afternoon? What can you do for someone tomorrow? Can you do something that will make someone else happy?

Enjoy the nice weather and have fun playing outside at recess. Lots of fresh air and sunshine is so nice in the winter!

Remember to 

Do something kind 

for someone else

every day!