What did you do today?

[Taffy]

What the heck is a polar vortex? Is it just a fancy term for "winter is finally here"?

Well - it's definitely going to bring an end to our gorgeous fall. Here's a good article about them and the one due to hit this week. It's going to nail you guys in Colorado, too.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-ne...s/37049255

[deschutes dawn]

I've spent some time with my little "stinkers" lately too. They are such cuties but man can they reek! Kodiak, my guy I got from Dave, is a sweet guy and definitely all boy. His new nickname is Kodiaroma! Olaf and Churro will get taken care of next week, then I just wait for the first good snowstorm or haul them up to Mt Bachelor to play in the snow. Kodi gets to stay intact until January or February. Then, no more stinky boys 'til next fall!

[nebs]

Deschutes Dawn, I would love to see pics of your goats. Especially Kodiak, as I really liked him and his brother. Great looking bucks, and it would be neat to see how they are growing up.

[deschutes dawn]

I will sure try to get some. My schedule has been dawn to dark recently so getting pics might not happen for a bit. These shorter days are murder on getting daylight things done! I milk in the dark with a construction light and a head lamp. The electricity will very soon be used for tank heaters-like this week when the cold hits. Yikes.

[Nanno]

I was out cutting firewood in a light jacket with sweat rolling down my back and was just fixing to strip down to my shirt sleeves when an icy blast suddenly froze the air in about 10 seconds. I cut wood for about five more minutes before I ran inside to grab a sweatshirt to wear under my jacket. In a couple of hours the temperature dropped about 40 degrees, from 65 to about 25. There's a blinding blizzard coming down now and I'm going to go put more wood on the fire!

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

oh yuck Nanno. That sounds terrible. But I noticed a huge temp drop here as well. About 2 or 3 today it dipped but once that sun went down it got very chilly. 30 degrees here currently with a weeks worth of chill fore casted.

[Nanno]

Oh, it's not so terrible. It's a bit startling, but I don't mind. If I had my way I think I'd take this sudden cold any day compared to a long build-up of chilly gray weather. Until yesterday afternoon we have the loveliest Indian summer you could ask for. We could wear t-shirts, play outside, let the goats graze, and no heating bills. Then suddenly, BOOM! Winter is here. I can live with that.

It was 15 degrees this morning, so today I broke ice on water troughs and split firewood. I've got a quart of cream out to thaw on the countertop so tomorrow I can make butter. Tonight we're having hot potato soup--a wonderful use for all this goat milk. I've got two ladies who I still milk once a day and between the two of them I get about three quarts for me and one for Daisy's breakfast. Yesterday I moved the stanchion into the basement so I can milk in comfort near the wood stove while the snow flies. Do you think my goats and me might be a tad bit spoiled?

[sydneyjd]

ugg, its just cold, wet and rainy up here. I want winter to hold off till at least thanksgiving

[Dave-Trinity-Farms]

Ya was pretty nice here till this hit. Was nicer then forecasted today but I really hate early freezes. Most years we dont get a solid week of freeze temps till late Dec. early Jan. Its amazing that a storm out near alaska can effect so much of the lower 48.

[michael]

We are hovering around 0 + or -a few degrees. Today my cold water to half the house is froze up. PTL though we have a free trickle waterer for most of the stock. No breaking ice for the most part. Should make it through this, the warmer days are coming. Highs of 36 by next Wednesday .