Several More Inches

Adding Insult to Injury

So we got perhaps 6 inches of snow last night.  It was enough to plow considering the following: it is going to get very cold and everything will freeze, there may be another storm coming early next week.

I've not yet run out of places to put the snow, mostly because with the front end loader, I can pile it quite high.  The key here is to somehow keep the driveway and my pathways defined so if we do get a storm, I will be able to see where to plow.  I've already damaged the a lawn in a dozen places, digging up the grass the the topsoil.  I'll have to do some patching in the Spring.  But considering that I never did quite get all the leaves cleared up, I may not have much grass to worry about anyhow.

The Christmas decorations are still up.  I might get them down this weekend, depending on how cold it is.  There is an Arctic high coming to visit that promises some really cold days.  But the sun is strong already this time of year.  Where I cleared the driveway this morning, all is dry pavement again.

Plowing was scary this morning as there was a lot of traffic on the road. As I discovered the other day, not many of the cars or trucks think that it's worth slowing down just because there is a tractor at the edge of the road.  In fact, twice, while I was piling snow across the way from the house, I was passed by cars in the other lane.  They hardly slowed at all when they passed.  This time, the road itself was fairly clear, but still, I was a tractor in the opposite lane.  You'd think.....

I brushed Toby and Chance last night as planned. Tucker was quite annoyed.  He was eating, and my brushing was interfering with his chewing.  At least that's what he was telling me.  "Leave me alone. I am eating. Can't you see that?"   He tossed his head and snapped his teeth, stomping a hind foot and swishing his tail for accent. And this because I was brushing mud off his neck.  What a prima donna.

Chance was fine about it.  He just went on happily chomping away politely moving over when I switched sides.  It's pretty clear evidence of the difference in personality and temperament between him and "His Royal Tucker."

I checked Chance's and Toby's white fetlocks and didn't find any sign of scratches.  Again, it's something to keep a check on when conditions stay wet for a long time.

The Boys were romping a bit this morning in the new snow--or Tucker was simply harassing Chance, I'm not sure which.  I think their biggest frustration is that there just isn't much to browse on.  They do nibble tree branches across the fence, but otherwise, there's not much to keep them occupied.  They all have plenty of hay in their stalls, but that is not exactly the most social experience.  I often find Toby and Tucker in one stall, kind of eating hay and Chance hanging outside in the run in, looking for stray pieces.

This is where a more communal hay supply would be nice.  I don't have a rack, though, and putting hay out in the snow would waste a lot.  I'll have to think on how to make a more social eating situation while the meager grass is covered over.

I just chased another bird off the back porch. For some reason the little ones seem to think coming in under the door is an interesting adventure. I don't know if they are looking for food or shelter, but once they get in, they flap against the windows trying to get back out.  I have to wedge the door open and then herd the little fellows form the back of the porch to the front so they can fly out.  I'm beginning to wonder if it's the same little bird over and over, or different ones with the same idea.  I did just put a baffle along the edge of the door--an wooden sill that was attached to the cement is gone so there is a gap--but that will have to move every time I open the door to go out.

Looks like one more engineering project I need to figure out.  Maybe some plastic matting fastened to the bottom of the door would work.....H-m-m-m--m. Something to keep me busy!

UPDate:  Enough already! The forecast is getting worse and worse for another major snowstorm for early next week.  It does not look good.  Guess I'll need to go to the feed store tomorrow to stock up again.  And, I'll need to get some diesel fuel for the tractor.  *sigh*