Winter is now upon us despite today's freezing drizzle and above zero temperatures. We've had a couple of really cold days which makes me thankful that the heat tape is wrapped around the barn water pipes and that the gaps in the old chinking are stuffed with used feed sacks filled with old wool.
On the livestock front, Alfie went off to a new home last Sunday as we can't have two rams. We took him to join the five ewes we sold earlier to a small farm near Silver Lake and I'm sure he was most happy to rejoin some of his family flock.
We are getting acquainted with Texas Longhorns as I continue my search for just the right breed of cattle for our farm. It's the first time we've had this breed and after a meal of burger and now a gorgeous beef stew, I do believe that this lean and tasty beef is my favorite. Lower in cholesterol and in calories and I so very much like the way these gorgeous animals have managed to survive and thrive on those arid Mexican and Texas ranges for the past 400 years. They thrive on grass, are hardy and resilient and the meat is well marbled but low in saturated fats. And they remind me of the Spanish fighting bulls which I admire...these cattle are the descendants of the original Iberian cattle brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus and other explorers. I've been trying to decide which beef breed we want as our specialty and I think I've found it. And I hear, they are very protective of their calves and will put the run on wolves and coyotes. I see them also as wonderful protectors for my sheep in the pastures.
