They call it the January Thaw. To me it’s a pain in the $(@*#. The snow pack by January has usually built up higher than the step up into the run-in sheds which means when a thaw comes all that snow melt runs right into the barn! It doesn’t help that our farm is also built on a slope and ALL the rain/snow melt from the pastures also makes its way right into the barn.
I’m sure the original farmer who built this barn put it in this location because of its close proximity to the artesian well. Great for hauling water, not so great for getting out of the way of run-off.
Future plans have us rebuilding the barn in a new location but until then it is a constant battle with Mother Nature. With the heavy rain we got this weekend on a frozen ground I knew I’d be in trouble. My only defense against the onslot of water, a spade. I spend about 15 minutes of my AM/PM chores digging trenches to control the flow of water away from the barn. Labor intensive but it works!
Hmm, the Mega Millions is at 121M. Maybe I should buy a ticket and dream of a new barn and landscaping.
