A new year has begun. How many resolutions have you made? Broken any yet? Mine include getting home and barn emergency kits together. I’ve had them in the past, but when we checked after the hurricanes made preparedness an issue in our lives, things had been “borrowed,” scattered, unpacked, and used without being replaced. Heaven only knows where the scissors went. Some school project took them into the land of the missing dryer socks, never to be seen again. It’s the same with the roll of Vetrap. It really is almost as good as duct tape (which I’m also missing). There is a new resolve to get the things we need, put them where they are supposed to be, and replace them when they are used. Another is to spend more time with the horses. Seems the older we get, the faster the days go and the more there is to do that doesn’t involve riding. Wonder if the neighbors would mind lights in the back pasture? Wonder when Southern States is going to get the fertilizer spread so I will have a pasture next year after the drought of 2005? Wonder why the frost-free hydrant froze up the first really cold night of the year (note to buy pipe heat tape)? Fortunately, the heated Nelson waterer didn’t even blink and the horses and goats could drink without a hitch. (Wonder if Nelson makes one for chickens and dogs?)

While this seems rambling, it’s good to take time to think about what we do, what we don’t get done, and what we really would like to do. It’s amazing how they don’t always work out evenly. It’s time to plan your emergency plan. So what happens if the pipes freeze up for several days and the electricity is out? Wonder if Joe Pagan (president of Kentucky Equine Research and a neighbor) would mind me watering livestock from his pond? Wonder if Joe would need someone to help care for his research horses if his workers can’t get to the farm?

Growing up, we just called it being neighbors. Today, we call it a “neighbor action plan” or something of that sort. The shorter version sounds better.

Whatever it’s called, take these cold months ahead to develop a good system to make sure all the animals can be cared for in the worst of times