Spring fever

Just when I thought winter's back was broken, Sunday's rain turned to a steady snow all afternoon. By 3:30, the wind picked up and I figured it was time to go check on the ponies and see if they were ready to come in out of the weather. I fluffed up stalls, filled buckets, and stuffed haynets, while keeping an eye out for Ruffy.  She's usually the first one to arrive by the gate, telling me she's hungry and wants to come inside. And where there's one, three others quickly follow. Everyone was wet, but not soaked and cold. The shelter and hay seemed to have kept them comfortable. Their thick winter coats have served the horses well, this winter, and the extra oils in their feed has helped.

But today....the sun sparked on the snow, the mercury climbed up to the forties, and the horses were taking snow baths while I skied around the pasture.  You can still see a smidgen of snow on Ruffy's rump. Everyone took a turn, wallowing in the wet snow. I think they were feeling warm! I stripped down to just my turtleneck and vest in the blazing sun!

Then the horses got curious and had to come investigate me and my skis. Ruffy sniffed my poles...

Rolex nibbled on my ski tips, while Harley observed...

And then Harley took a turn sniffing my poles...

And when I started pulling mints out of my pockets--I was surrounded! And the begging began.
"Please, mom, just one more?"

Then I zipped away on my skis. The horses didn't venture too far; the snow is still a foot deep in most of the pasture. But I did see another sign of spring. The springtails (aka snow fleas) have arrived! Tiny little black critters, hopping about in the snow, eating microscopic bits of matter, telling me spring is here...even though we're supposed to get snow again tomorrow.