March heads out like a lion AND I get back on board Harley

A big storm hit Monday night and still hasn't quit as of 10:15 tonight. I got a snow day from work, but still had to shovel twice and then go take care of the horses. They were raring to go today, prancing out to the paddock, kicking and bucking, glad to be outside in the snow. While I did the stalls, made beet pulp mash, hayed and watered, they played horse games, which included grabbing sticks from the brush piles and waving them around.

Vance appeared to be the only horse interested in what he could unearth from under the snow. I'd put hay out the other day, and I think he found it! The other sillies just gnawed on brush. The wind was howling, threatening to lift the roof off the barn. As I picked stalls, the beams in the loft creaked and groaned under the wind's fury. After of few hours, the novelty of playing in the snow wore off.  I whistled the gang up to the top of the hill and brought them inside out of the storm. After a good rubbing, everyone got a beet pulp mash while I tested out the skiing.

I took a run down through the pasture, but the snow was so deep and heavy--a good 12 inches of snow--that my skis tunneled under and the snow packed against my legs, bringing me to a halt at the bottom of the hill. I trudged back up, gave everyone some dinner, and headed home just as the storm was winding up again, dropping an inch an hour or better. This what I saw out my windshield on the drive home--not much, just pure white!




After almost 2 months of not riding Harley, it was time to get back on my fuzzy boy. Yesterday John and I took Rolex and Harley out for a nice ride in the woods up towards North Point. One ominous sign was a lot of flagging tape up in the woods. I hope this doesn't mean new houses and roads going in. That would be such a shame and we'd loose quick access to a lot of trails. The snow wasn't too deep except in a few protected spots. This made it much easier on the horses, although Harley and Rolex paused at an icy watery muck crossing. Both sailed over without getting their feet muddy! Harley popped from a standstill--hang on and grab mane! He was good, feeling frisky, but not too spooky. He even walked out front for much of the way, and didn't jump at the goats! That's my brave boy.

Post ride--Harley watching for whatever may come up the road.