A cowgirl's tips and tutorials on how to live a crafty life. I hope I can help empower you to get your craft on by sharing some of the things that inspire me in everyday life. I believe the best things in life are homemade. So if you enjoy handmade crafts and DIY projects, jewelry designing, gardening, cooking and baking, decorating, horses and all things cowgirl, you've come to the right place. Kick your shoes off and stay awhile!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Checklist For Winterizing Your Farm
It's time to cowgirl up! Whether you are a rancher with 200+ head of cattle in Texas, or a small horse farm in Ohio, preparing for winter is essential in keeping your barn in top operating condition. Winterizing your barn helps prevent damages from harsh weather, helps keep your livestock healthy and comfortable, and aids in fire prevention during the long winter months. To keep winter preparations simple and easy, develop a check list to help prevent mishaps during the cold weather. Below is Rod’s check list for winterizing the farm.
1. Give Your Farm A Good Once-Over – Check fencing, the roof, stalls and pastures for any necessary repairs. Neglecting even the smallest of repairs can cause major problems during the winter months.
2. Heated Water – Now is the time to bring out the heated water bucket or trough to prevent water from freezing and make sure your animals have a water source.
3. Salt Walkways – Slick and icy walkways and entrances can be harmful for both animals and humans. Help prevent falling or slipping by keeping a bag of salt near the walkway and salt often! Even the smallest amount of snow or rain could make for an unsafe walkway.
4. Heat Tape – This could prevent any extra "honey do's" and expense. Heat tape is a great way to prevent faucets from freezing. It can be found in most hardware stores and is a quick and easy way to winterize this winter.
5. Lanterns – Let there be light! It is always a good idea to keep a battery operated lantern in the barn in case of a power outage.
6. Stock Up – Stock up on hay, grain, and winter blankets for the barn. You never know when a large snow front will come through and make roads inaccessible. Remember what grandma' used to say, "Better to be safe, than sorry".
7. Halter/Lead and Blanket – Keep a halter, lead rope, and blanket at every occupied stall for a quick escape in case of a fire.
8. Ventilation – Never completely close up the barn during the winter. Air movement is essential in preventing fires and even respiratory problems for the animals.
9. Animal First Aid Kit – Keep a first aid kit in the tack room in case of an emergency during harsh weather. It may take an extended amount of time for the vet to get to you, or you to get the animal to a vet.
10. Clean Sweep – Move the “Spring Cleaning” to fall, and clear your farm and barn of debris, trash and all flammables. Get the whole family involved and knock it out. My kid's would rather clean the stalls then their rooms anyway.
I hope your family and your animals have a safe and happy winter!
1. Give Your Farm A Good Once-Over – Check fencing, the roof, stalls and pastures for any necessary repairs. Neglecting even the smallest of repairs can cause major problems during the winter months.
2. Heated Water – Now is the time to bring out the heated water bucket or trough to prevent water from freezing and make sure your animals have a water source.
3. Salt Walkways – Slick and icy walkways and entrances can be harmful for both animals and humans. Help prevent falling or slipping by keeping a bag of salt near the walkway and salt often! Even the smallest amount of snow or rain could make for an unsafe walkway.
4. Heat Tape – This could prevent any extra "honey do's" and expense. Heat tape is a great way to prevent faucets from freezing. It can be found in most hardware stores and is a quick and easy way to winterize this winter.
5. Lanterns – Let there be light! It is always a good idea to keep a battery operated lantern in the barn in case of a power outage.
6. Stock Up – Stock up on hay, grain, and winter blankets for the barn. You never know when a large snow front will come through and make roads inaccessible. Remember what grandma' used to say, "Better to be safe, than sorry".
7. Halter/Lead and Blanket – Keep a halter, lead rope, and blanket at every occupied stall for a quick escape in case of a fire.
8. Ventilation – Never completely close up the barn during the winter. Air movement is essential in preventing fires and even respiratory problems for the animals.
9. Animal First Aid Kit – Keep a first aid kit in the tack room in case of an emergency during harsh weather. It may take an extended amount of time for the vet to get to you, or you to get the animal to a vet.
10. Clean Sweep – Move the “Spring Cleaning” to fall, and clear your farm and barn of debris, trash and all flammables. Get the whole family involved and knock it out. My kid's would rather clean the stalls then their rooms anyway.
I hope your family and your animals have a safe and happy winter!
Until next time, someone once said: "Success is a journey, not a destination."
A cowgirl once said: "The journey to success is just one wild ride after the other!" 
Thursday, November 11, 2010
What's New?
So, it's been awhile...so we should catch upon things. First off, since today is Veteran's Day, I would like the give a big "THANK YOU" to all the brave men and women who have served and are currently serving in our military. God bless you and your family.
We are in the process of getting a new Palomino mare. Excited doesn't begin to cover it! I have been praying for months and months to find the right horse that my boys and I could all ride. She's beautiful and sweet and I can't wait! We've been getting a little taste of all the work involved in taking care of a horse. Well, kind of. I have to say, I've never set so many posts and built this much barbed wire fence in my life! But, it looks great. It's a love-hate thing.
I've also been working overtime designing and making new jewelry. There are many new items listed in my Artfire studio. Come on by and visit, kick your shoes off and stay awhile! Oh, yeah. I had to "graduate" to a larger torch so I could get enough heat to make copper head pins from my wire. It's so cool!. My small torch works fine on my Argentium and fine silver, but I still couldn't fuse the heavy gauges. Now I can with my new torch so I've been playing around with some new design ideas. As far as I know, there is no copper solder I've been able to find. People seem to be using gold solder or rose gold solder to solder copper. I read that you could use a fine gauge of copper wire as a sort of solder. This is going to be my next project. Check back soon and I'll post some pictures!
We are in the process of getting a new Palomino mare. Excited doesn't begin to cover it! I have been praying for months and months to find the right horse that my boys and I could all ride. She's beautiful and sweet and I can't wait! We've been getting a little taste of all the work involved in taking care of a horse. Well, kind of. I have to say, I've never set so many posts and built this much barbed wire fence in my life! But, it looks great. It's a love-hate thing.
I've also been working overtime designing and making new jewelry. There are many new items listed in my Artfire studio. Come on by and visit, kick your shoes off and stay awhile! Oh, yeah. I had to "graduate" to a larger torch so I could get enough heat to make copper head pins from my wire. It's so cool!. My small torch works fine on my Argentium and fine silver, but I still couldn't fuse the heavy gauges. Now I can with my new torch so I've been playing around with some new design ideas. As far as I know, there is no copper solder I've been able to find. People seem to be using gold solder or rose gold solder to solder copper. I read that you could use a fine gauge of copper wire as a sort of solder. This is going to be my next project. Check back soon and I'll post some pictures!
Until next time, someone once said: "Success is a journey, not a destination."
A cowgirl once said: "The journey to success is just one wild ride after the other!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)