A Frigid Ride...Welcome to January in Maine!

The Gang

Brrrrr..........I think someone said it made it up to 12 degrees today. Well at least we hit the double digits! The water buckets had drinking holes punched in them, the manure pinged off the fork like golf balls, and the horses were feeling rowdy.

I felt like the Michelin Woman (4 layers on top, 2 on the bottom) trying to maneuver my recalcitrant mount past the spooky snow-capped stumps. Mind you, we'd spooked at them yesterday as well, so I should have just dismounted and led Harley. He was no help, and a bad influence, for Ruffy. Unlike the day before, when we half-passed and jigged back up the road, Harley settled down once he realized he'd won and we were heading for home. Except, I pulled a fast one! John stopped at the barn, while I made him keep going, past home and up the road a ways. So there, Harley. You can't always get what you want.  But if you plea and make begging faces, you know you'll wheedle carrots out of my pockets. Oh you rascal!

Tomorrow is another day, and if we go back down the road, I fully intend to get my stubborn steed past the scary stumps. With the frigid temperatures, the road is the best place to ride. A breakable crust coats the snow except in the case where snowmobiles have passed. For once, I see a need for one--to pack out the trails! Orris Falls was snowshoed out, but just barely. It needs to warm up in order to soften the crust. The picture below shows Harley's playful nature,"Come on Vance, let's play tag. Got you, you're it!"

Harley and Vance sparring