We're dealing with some real winter weather this weekend--about 2 inches of ice, to be exact, with some snow mixed in to improve the color. Raleigh got enough snow so that the roads look like well-groomed ski slopes (beginner hills, mostly). I know this because we drove the 50 miles between here and there to a concert last night. Kris Kristofferson played and sang his wonderful songs for an hour and a half. It was one of the best performances I've ever attended, worth every moment on the untreated roads.
The horses are getting lots of hay during this cold snap. You'd think any creature with a brain would know to get in out of the sleet and freezing rain. My horses have lovely (read: expensive) sheds for shelter, but they prefer standing outside, so they end up with ice and snow in their manes and tails. Suzette had an icicle on her eyelash and chunks of ice on her back. I put blankets on her, along with Abby and TBone, but the drafts were Iowa-bred, so I'm thinking they can handle the cold.
Yes, Lucy and Joy are home again and have lost the orange tint they acquired at the training stable thanks to red clay in the pasture. I haven't had a chance to drive them here, yet, but I'm sure they don't mind the vacation. Today is definitely not a work day--the ice is crisp and hard, thick enough to support a 16-hand horse's weight without sinking. The ice will melt later this week, and then we'll get to work.
Mud, however, is eternal. It lurks there, just underneath the white frosting, ready to break out at the slightest step and mire me in its ugly brown grip. Thank goodness for rubber boots!
Drive carefully,
Cheryl
No comments:
Post a Comment