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Angus in the snow.

I could not believe the weather forecast early this week.  Meteorologists were predicting snow.  They were not just saying that there was a chance of snow, but they were predicting anywhere from 2-6 inches of accumulated snow.  It was hard to believe.

We already received snow on December 4th, which was the earliest recorded snowfall in our area.  Then not too long ago, we awoke to find a light dusting of snow had fallen overnight.  This winter has been one of the coldest winters in over the last decade.  We don’t know what to think.

It began raining mid-morning on Tuesday.  Before we knew it, the temperatures began falling and so did sleet.  About 1:30, the first flakes intermingled with the rain and sleet.  It was a real messy mix of precipitation.

The view from the dam.

I decided to stay home instead of traveling to College Station to drop my children off at violin lessons and dance class.  I am glad that I did.  The rain and sleet dissipated as the snow fell heavily.  I have not seen snow like this since my family skied in Colorado.  It was amazing.

Something magical happens when it snows.  There is silence as everything seems to quietly enjoy the beauty of the fallen snow.  Our horses did not mind the snow.  They were dressed warmly in their horse blankets.  I think that they enjoyed the change in scenery.

The cows stayed in the woods.  They enjoyed staying under the natural cover of the evergreen branches.  By the end of the night even the pine trees were covered with snow as if someone lightly flocked them.

The deer were moving at dusk as usual.  Watching a herd of seven does cross the county road, leap across our fence line, and amble across one of our pastures was a beautiful sight.  My husband saw a grey fox earlier that morning in the same pasture.  Our family takes great pleasure in co-existing with wildlife.

Cross Creek Cattle Company is a great place to live any time of the year.  Each season brings about different activities.  Because snow is such an uncommon occurrence here, we tried to enjoy it as much as possible.  The inscription on the James Farley Post Office in New York reads, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers of the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

The ranch could have a similar motto, too.  Regardless of the weather, a rancher must take care of the animals.  The herd has to be checked.  The horses need to be fed.  Hay has to be put out to both in the winter.  Ranchers never get the day off.  There is always something that needs to be done.  It just goes with the territory.

Our snowman last December.

While most of the United States of America is accustomed to snow in their winter weather forecast, it is a rarity in Southeast Texas.  We actually have a chance of this beautiful precipitation on Friday and Saturday.  Already this week it has snowed in El Paso, Lubbock, and Dallas.

Last year two weeks before Christmas it snowed.  It snowed hard during the evening hours.  My kids bundled up and went out in the darkness to play in the snow because we knew it probably would not last until the morning.  They built a 8 inch snowman and a extra large snowball.  They made snow angels on the trampoline.  As funny as this might sound to someone in Colorado, we had a blast.

Hopefully it will snow again this year at Cross Creek Cattle Company.  We don’t need it.  It is not a necessity; however, a little snowfall is good for the soul.  It brings the kid out of anyone regardless how old.  It brings a sense of quiet to the ranch as even the animals stop to admire the beauty of a falling snowflake.  They have no idea what it is, but they know it is special.

When we have a winter blast of cold weather, we do have to take precautions for our animals.  We put the cows on a pasture with a wind block to the North.  Usually a solid, thick portion of a wooded pasture helps block out the bitter, cold wind.  Sometimes it is the dam on the lake.  Whatever the form of the wind block, we make sure that our cattle are as warm as possible.  We also give them plenty of hay as the grass in the pastures are gone until spring.

We have a very old horse named Ladd.  He starts shivering at 50 degrees; therefore, he wears a horse blanket when the temperatures dip.  The blanket does a great job holding in his body heat.  Ladd quite enjoys his occasional winter outfit.

Of course if it does freeze, our main concern is water.  We have to ensure that all of our animals have access to fresh drinking water.  When I was a child living on this ranch, I raised animals for 4-H.  I remember many mornings before the sun rose above the horizon that I was outside with a flashlight breaking the ice off of the top of the water troughs.

Winters here at the ranch are typically mild, which is great for our cattle and horses. They do not have to endure long freezing cold winters.  However this weekend we wait with anticipation to see if we will receive any snow.