There comes a time of year on the farm when our infrastructure no longer accommodates outdoor water utilities. That means any animals we keep over winter require what Papa Rich calls “the 5 gallon bucket experience”. Oh yeah, it’s exactly what it sounds like, hucking buckets across the farmstead, hoping you don’t pick one with a crack (which I have a knack for), freezing your finger to a gate through a hole in your glove, breaking ice from water troughs, and just gallons of grins. This is why we don’t keep animals over winter.

~Joy