Yay!

Poppycat Appeared!

Poppy showed up about a half hour ago. He was very wary, but he was here and I gave him a nice big dish of canned cat food--salmon.

I have left the trap near where I feed him under the horse trailer. Both ends are tied open. Over the next week I will keep putting his food closer and closer to it. I may even put the roast chicken carcass inside it near one of the ends. If I can get him to step into it, and begin to feel comfortable about its being there, I have a chance.

I need to do this before it gets too warm and all the little prey animals are back out of their burrows. Poppy needs to be a bit hungry to risk the trap.

I feel better that he came. I was afraid I wasn't going to see him again.

Whew.

It is well below freezing again. Bummer since I have the day off for Presidents' Day.

I need to go get a load of hay which means hitching up the trailer, no fun in the cold. And I surely can't ride since everything that was wet is now solid ice.

Today, however, is supposed to be the last day of the Arctic blast. Tomorrow the temperature should be over 40 degrees in the afternoon and stay above freezing into the night.

I'll have to change the Boys over to sheets in the morning before school, as their blankets will be far too warm. The sun feels good even today, so tomorrow will be amazing!

The ice and snow should melt pretty quickly. The ring will be pretty soggy, but rideable.

Then again, am I going to have to leave Tucker in because of the mud??? Phooey.

I did order electrically heated water buckets in case I have to leave the Boys in when it is cold--should we have a sleet storm and ice all over the place---but I won't need them if Tucker is in because of mud. The thaw will be in.

At last. It's been over three weeks.