Snow, Sleet, Slop

And the Winter Blankets Back On

No point in fighting it. Winter came back with a vengeance. The roads are a mess, the ground is white and I can see big pools of water underneath it all in my ring and lower paddock.

I put the winter blankets back on The Boys and I'm glad I did. The sleet was cold and even though the sheets are waterproof, the cold was getting through the fabric since there is no insulation.

I think Toby was hogging the west side run in shelter, letting Tucker in now and then but generally keeping Chance out. The barn itself was blocking the worst of the northeast wind, but the poor little guy did not look too happy. I brought him in an put him in his stall with some hay and water, which immediately sent Toby and Tucker to the east side of the barn into their stalls.

They had plenty of hay from the morning, and since the water trough is on that side too, plenty of water. I let them decide whether to be in or out since, as bosses, they make their own choices. Meanwhile, Chance was quite happy in his stall on the west side, content to be inside.

I drove out to the market to get some more bird seed for my little sparrows, chickadees and juncos, and bought some carrots and apples to spoil the horses even further.

We have at least two inches of snow, perhaps more. It would have been really bad if the rain from last night had been snow instead, but this is a combination of snow and sleet and is really heavy and wet. It's supposed to keep on falling throughout the night. By morning, I may have to plow out with the tractor.

The good thing is that the temperatures will be moderating pretty quickly, so we probably won't have too much ice to deal with and the snow will melt fast.

I shouldn't complain too much as north of us may get as much as a foot of snow. Ours will be a nuisance more than a disaster.

Ah well, as they say, you can't change the weather. Guess we'll just have to put up with it.

A New York Times reporter was supposed to be coming tomorrow to do a story on the Van Dyke Farm--the farm the EVA, my community action group, is trying to save from development. The old farmhouse actually has intact slave quarters upstairs, and we have many documents tracking the history of the slaves held there back in the 18th and 19th century. Looks like her visit may be on hold until Sunday. If James reads this, I hope he takes note. His expertise is essential to the story.

Speaking of--if you do read this, James--it might be a good idea to bring your "Amy" narrative to the meeting. We could do a little show????