To this (okay, this is in the mountains, but you get the picture) in a matter of days.
The days leading up to Thanksgiving, we were busy surviving almost record setting frigid temperatures, not to mention the wind chill factor. An arctic cold front from Canada came whipping down on us. . The day time highs were zero if we were lucky, the night dipping down to minus 20 with wind chills somewhere around 35- 40 below during the worst of it. It was a full time job keeping plenty of feed in front of the horses, making sure they were warm enough and keeping an eye on the water heaters, keeping the wood stove going and not to mention making sure our own vehicles kept running. If something is going to break, it usually going to be in the bitter cold. As it turns out, our Dodge diesel pick-up went on the fritz (while we were taking JB to the vet for his xrays a week ago no less.) and is in the shop for repairs. Like I said, if something is going to break…..Welcome winter...While winter can come as early as October here, we don't typically see temperatures this low this early in the year. Fortunately, we were as prepared as we possibly could have been. The horses managed just fine and I didn’t even have to blanket anyone. The Morgans were clearly made for weather like this and it didn't seem to phase them. All the horses just hunkered down in their barns with hay piled up to munch on. Luckily after 4 days, the arctic blast lifted and the temperatures soared to 15 above. Balmy…atleast it felt like it after the 35 below…The horses thought so too as they ventured back out to the pastures and played in the fresh new snow. Once the cold moved out, we were then greeted by more snow. With the arctic cold and wind, most of the snow blew away but this next front was here to cover the landscape with lots of white stuff. Its been snowing for 5 days, each day adding just a few more inches. We have about 8 inches on the level I would guess. The horses have been froliking while I have been shoveling and shoveling and shoveling. I guess it’s a good addition to my workout routine..(silver lining??) I am hoping the sun will come out soon and I can get some photos. It makes for such a pretty setting. It makes me wish for a horse drawn sleigh!!
So, winter has arrived with a vengeance.I didn’t want to believe it , but maybe La Nina really has decided to come for a visit. If that’s true, I guess the best thing to do is embrace it because we have a long one ahead.
So , if you would excuse me. I’m off to bust out my snowshoes, my skiis and ofcourse, my shovel….
5 comments:
It looks truly ethereal! Lovely stuff, although it must be bloody cold!!!
I'm the party pooper...I HATE SNOW. The coldest weather I can stand is about 20 degrees ABOVE zero. Once the cold sets in here around mid December to January I stay chronically cold until the thaw. I've recently adopted sleeping in socks and fuzzy pull on slippers, long underwear AND a long night gown. I'm considering wearing a sock hat. I would truly die if I had to live where ever it is you are at! brrrrrrrr... ~E.G.
We got down to -1*, the water in my trailer froze even though my trailer didn't get that cold... but it eventually thawed. I took a walk in the cold one morning, and it was fine till a little breeze hit me. Brrrr!
- The Equestrian Vagabond
Oh my goodness! We're at 12 degrees, and I thought that was bad!
et all- I hate winter as much as the rest of you, but I guess you just learn to deal with it. Its key to have the right gear, have the right preparations, and basically work your tail off all winter to keep the critters healthy and happy. I don't mind the snow, but we also get alot of freeze/thaw and then ice. That is when it gets scary for the horses. We have had horses get stranded in one part of the pasture due to thaw and then a fast freeze. We literally had to get a sand truck to sand a path for them back to the corrals so they could get access to water. What a mess! Keep your fingers crossed that we just get snow this year.
Post a Comment