Almost done

 The cold weather is almost over- one more day to warm up, yay! We can kick La Nina to the curb!

You know your windows are not airtight when they do this....

Odd formation! Almost looks like jet trails on my window pane!

Deer tracks and pawing craters in the back yard

Darn coyotes are traipsing through the yard in the early morning hours. The coyote choir has been in full voice close by ever since the full moon. I reckon this cold weather is making them rather hungry. Not much for them to eat unless they can take down a deer. Good thing they leave my horses alone, their tracks go right in front of the horse shelter and within feet of the barn. The barn cats don't venture out much, they are all snugged up in the loft of the barn, so I think they are safe. 

Velvet keeps me guessing. Is she in foal or not? 

These photos say no..

And these say, well maybe!  She is definitely carrying differently than when she was carrying Theo if so. 

Love this photo of the old girl!

I have been in touch with Ruby's owner, I am definitely first in line if she decides to sell Ruby's Beamer baby. I would be absolutely thrilled to have two Beamer babies here!

4 more weeks to spring!

It was a year ago today...

that Gussie came home to us. 

She took a long time to adjust, as she is quite an anxious horse, and so herd bound. It helped that Belle was here for her to hang out with for a while, and it also helped when Ruby left, as Ruby disliked her. Poor Gussie, she has been moved around a lot in her life, and I think it has taken her the whole year to trust me to just not do that to her any more. 

No looking back any more Gussie, you are here to stay. 

I mentioned before that any time I approached her, she would look away. However, she was always easy to catch and nice to ride. But in the last two months, she has started seeking me out, and volunteering touch. That really warms my heart!

It has taken me a long time to get in tune with her- my fault, not hers- and it is so nice to have that now. I am looking forward to this year 

You too Gussie?

Winter chores

I have to say, the least  favorite of my winter chores is chipping the snowballs out of hooves. 

It seems that they come back just as soon as I walk away! Gussie is good about letting me pound away at them but Velvet has opinions about it and doesn't always let me get it done. 

The snow is that dry squeaky stuff that comes with the drop in temperatures to 30 below Celcius. We have very dry cold here, not like some areas near lakes that get more moisture and heavy wet snow. We can still clean the sidewalk with the leaf blower, bonus!

Snow blankets

The mares were on high alert again yesterday, sure enough they had spotted this cow moose. This photo is deceiving, as that fence is a good hundred yards from the moose, who is browsing across the river. 

Velvet is getting rounder and I am trying hard to be patient!

Velvet is good at sharing; Gussie eats faster and helps Velvet clean up 

 We get ice fog when the temperatures drop and it frosts up the horse's hair and eyelashes. I looked at the forecast for the month, and the cold is going to continue, albeit in the minus 20s instead of 30s. So much for the old wives tale of heavy precipitation 90 days after a fog, which due to the fogs in November should have given us a snowy February. I reckon we will get spring snow storms instead! Bah!