We Survived the Arctic Blast ;) LOL

Second break-in fire, hopefully just in time for this Arctic blast. We did not get any snow. They thought we might get an inch. That would have been big for this area in November. You ready to deal with chores in this Arctic blast? Secure those chickens, a couple of them are out. Milk the cow, train Harriet, Arctic blaster. No, the farm still goes on. Uh-oh, we are getting some flurries. All right, I was hoping to get out there without Henry because it's cold and I would just like to get this work done, but I guess he's excited and wants to go. Okay, if you're coming, let's go. Where are your boots? No, we're not gonna find the other gloves. We're not gonna do that. Oh my gosh, how lucky is that? But what about socks and shoes? I'm thrown off because I did not imagine them wanting to go. I didn't imagine y'all wanting to go in the— it feels like 11 degrees. Where are your shoes? We've got a deadline this morning because we are gonna learn first aid. Everybody. Mom's getting some implants. All the while I'm gonna do a 36-hour fast from eating that feast last night, which— I don't feel any extra creaky. I just feel like it is time for a bit of a reset. It's too hard. Battery-powered jacket, huh? I'm not gonna wear it. It takes a minute, I'm sure. Why not? It's just heavy. Yeah, and it's not that cold. Let's get these chickens in and let's fortify this fence. We are determined. We ain't gonna have chickens loose all winter. It's definitely an Arctic blast compared to yesterday. Oh, here we go. Okay, we got 3 out.

Look, they're trapped in there! Whoa, whoa, watch out!

I got 2 of them next to the net. Okay, grab this other one over here. You're gonna get me some steaks. Put that in your pocket. Put that in your pocket. It's lifting kind of up. I would like to go out. Maybe we'll— I could go around, but I'd have to poke a hole in that. This side's better. I can wrap around that pole. We might even save mom's tomatoes by putting this side down. Okay, we got ground secure, ground secure, ground secure. Okay, you think that— hey, stop! Why are you chasing people? Kidding. Get that egg and put it up in there. Okay, I told the boys to wait on me, but they didn't, so that's gonna have to be the end of our chicken thing.

Let's go train.

Let's go train Harriet while we have a moment. Rain, sleet, snow, ice. We still got to train Harriet because she's still gonna have a baby soon and we need to be able to milk her. I looked over here at the cabin this morning and did not see the doorbell light. Does that mean the power's off over here? I'm just checking the— what, the electricity Nope, it's good. It's lit. I guess the tool is blocking me from seeing it. And the heat's working. We're too close to being done with this. We're too close. Look, we're at floors, guys. Look how close we are. Look how close. I hope to be done with this by group Mighty Man Camp. Rebecca is gonna have a princess palace with all the Meeks. So all the Meeks men are coming, helping me lead this camping trip. Well, all their— it just so happens that all their wives, plus Donna, my mentor's widow, is coming too. And it'd be really nice with 5 or 6 women plus all their little kids, probably 12 or 13 people, to also have this cabin. Is this frosty or is this gray? I think it's gray. So what's got to happen there is we're going to pass the deck inspection today, plus HVAC. Come on! Plumber comes today or tomorrow, and then it's the plumbing and the final inspection. Floor guy's got to finish this week. Cleaning lady's coming Friday at 3. It's Monday. Hey, let's go! And then Sunday, Lord willing, and the creek don't rise, Sunday and Monday we're moving stuff in. Okay, I think it's getting colder. Get up, let's go! You got to do break-in fire, so we can't have a blazing fire quite yet. I think what's so tough about this is the contrast. It was really warm yesterday. Okay, what's going on? So the sheep have water, so we're just gonna let these two paddocks be mixed so that everybody can have some water. I don't think they're gonna drink a lot, it's just so cold out here. Okay, and then we'll see what this afternoon— we have to do this afternoon. Well, you have to— we're gonna have to get— well, actually Mom's going to town to the dentist. Hopefully I could go with her and get the troughs. All right, let's hope today is the day. Oh wow, we're not going to get anywhere close to her, are we? She's already moving around. Why are you being so jittery? Come on, how are we ever gonna get this on here? Hold on. Go long! No!

You got it!

Hey, I got the collar on, but I got to get the zip tie on back up there before the boys leave. I can't believe I got that collar on, but it is so gonna fall off again. If I do not get a zip tie on that extra— hey, wait, don't let her push the fence! I gotta take all her on. This is such a big deal because it means we can tie her to the side-by-side and start training her to being touched to the udder. Okay, hey, where's the alfalfa? Where's the alfalfa? I'm not gonna be able to do this without alfalfa. Yeah, no, it won't work. You'll undo it. She's too strong. All right, let's see if I can't attach this. If it's gonna— oh shoot, wait. Okay, it's gonna fall off. Heard her down here. Hey, surprise! We ought to have CPR classes in our home more often. You guys have high scores. Well, we were doing first aid and Pound Cake come into the yard. I bet that's the first time her first aid class got disturbed by a pig. Uh, let's put mom and pop in here and then the two babies over there. Let's take our chance to get them separated right now. So Beefcake's got her buddy back. We've been meaning to do this anyway. I guess this chain wasn't unlatched and they lifted up. This chain wasn't hooked. So you guys are weaned. It was a good break. I was getting a little drowsy. It's nice and cozy in there by the fire. Class is over. How'd everybody do?

Oh, great.

You feel proficient?

Yeah, it's funny how much it's changed since we did it.

We keep doing this, we keep not needing it, but that's a good thing. You just never know, something might happen. I'm gonna cook a— we have some lamb strap from our lamb harvest. We have a T-bone from when the boys and I went camping. Don't think I'm gonna take— waste the bones off the T-bone. I went and grabbed some knuckle bones we needed to roast. How is that lamb back strap? Full review. Good, because it's usually— yeah. This is the lamb chop, but it's just boneless kind of. Yeah. I guess this is boneless lamb chops. Errands. We're gonna knock them off. We're gonna get implants. We're gonna drop our books off at Heather's. Are you nervous? We're gonna go to the library, don't forget. Don't be nervous.

Well, you've had it done.

I've done it 3 times.

But like, they're gonna drill into my bone.

Yeah, be nervous. Yeah, go ahead and be nervous. I asked them, I was like, Is this gonna hurt?

And they're like, well, everybody has different pain tolerances. I'm like, well, duh, but like, is it gonna hurt? Like, is there gonna be pain? I know everyone has different pain tolerances.

Typically don't need to see you. And they're still letting her drive. So I'm gonna get the work done over here. I mean, you've got an implant in. I don't remember if I could drive after. You sit still. You sit good. You do good about it. Oh, you might have to You gonna fast with me tonight?

I think I'm going to just because I don't— I'll just drink water.

Heck yes! Where there is pain, there is inflammation. And where there's inflammation, not eating can help with that. All right, we gotta get home and get by the fire. It's so cold.

I'm ready to get in the bath. It's 3:20.

Let's get you in the bath, babe.

I'm ready to get in bed.

I'll draw it for you, babe. And we're back. Good. Hey, you guys save one for Josiah. He wanted one too. There was two. He ate one. Good for you. Chilling, watching a little bit of TV. Dude went and got troughs. How'd that go? Fine. And you got the water set up for tomorrow, right? We got to do water chores in the afternoon for the next day because normally it falls out enough in the afternoon to do water, and normally it's frozen in the morning to not be able to do water. How'd these turn out? Oh my gosh, these look delish. Of course, I haven't eaten in, uh, Almost 24 hours doing a 36-hour fast after the feast yesterday. You're fasting for 36 hours? I am, and it was so worth it for that feast. Just a little reset, so reset. By the way, it's a little easier after having not eaten for a month. I'll say this, day 1 is harder than day 14. Day 1 through 5, 6, hard, but then it gets easier. Jonah, does this never get put away? Can you put that away right now? Jonah's gonna go test the fence. Put a daily alarm on that. We've been testing it. I'm gonna go get the eggs and find these chiddlers. I heard they're all playing in the hay. It's one reason I love those little square bales. Hay forts! Uh, chicken out. Only 2 eggs. That's not good. I think it's just this sudden cold and the move. Maybe, just maybe, Mr. Brown got the eggs and these are two extra ones. I gotta get inside. This ain't funny. First, let's find them in their fort. I like it. Y'all here? Are y'all here? Y'all here, kids? I don't know where they are, but it's too cold out here. There you guys are. Where you been? Oh, that's where it is. Hey Gideon, did you get the eggs today? Oh shoot, that means we only got 2 eggs. Just got back from a walk. Look at this, kids. Look, don't step in it. Oh, or not, or do. Flurrying.

Well, it's actually snow.

It was all over our jacket. If you go down the road a quarter of a mile, it's snowing. It's cold, and we survived the Arctic blast. But buddy, that fire feels real good right about now. Happy day.