Remember The Blizzard Of '13?

Having grown up in Western Canada, I have experienced many winter blizzards - I remember as a kid when our school bus would get through the roads, but other buses couldn't, and there would be maybe 5-8 of us at school (out of 30) - needless to say, the day was a snowday, and there would be no classes. I think now, with the rules in place, we probably would have had a lot of snowdays - our bus driver Stan was amazing and no drift was too small for him.

Over the years, many blizzards have come and gone - some disastrous, especially if they come during the time of calving.  It was a few years back, but there was a storm in which ranches lost close to 100 calves due to a spring storm - Mother Nature can be cruel at times.

Only last year, our first blizzard here was on our first day of calving - unfortunately, those calves did not make it - but the coyotes were really happy for our losses.

This year, a storm came up from Colorado - and apparently the border patrol services were not on guard since they let it come through.  Luckily, we were neither calving or lambing - so no lives were lost.  That is not to say that we won't get another storm - that is what living in the prairies is all about.
Some people during a storm get to bunk 'er down and watch Dr. Phil and eat bonbons.  Okay, Chris and I did that until Dr. Phil was over, and then we did the chores.
I could see why people would just stay inside.

I didn't think I would get anywhere soon.

Drifts galore.

You could see how animals could walk out of pens with drifts - fortunately the drift was on the outside.

Unfortunately, drifts were on the kennel side. As Chris looked after Daisy the milk cow, I looked after the dogs. My shoveling muscles would come into play to get them out.  Some kennels had three foot drifts inside, as well as outside. 

All the dogs were snuggled in their beds in their barrels, On the right side of Jill is June's kennel - and she was in there.  I had to dig her out to see daylight.  I bet she wished I was a St. Bernard with a whiskey barrel.

As we put them to bed for the night, the wind was still howling.   Somehow, I believed in 12 hours, I would be digging them out again.  You can bet the prediction was correct.