Winter Wonderland~

Yes, we've experienced our first ice storm & thankfully the worst of it missed us!  Even so, it made for some wonderful photos!  Since I'd blanketed Farah for the ice storm - today - with warmer temperatures on the way - it was time for the blanket to come off.  The farm where Farah is boarded is at the top of the hill.

Fishing hut on the pond~

I love seeing the changes at the pond every time we go by.  As I told Butch;  "He must be catching fish?"   Butch;  "It's all about the fishing!"  OK, so I don't know, but our last trip he was sitting out on a chair - this time - there's the hut!   Things were pretty melted in town, but once we were out in the country - it was like entering a different world.  People on the local Facebook page were mentioning the terrible condition of the gravel roads & I was surprised when the truck slid.  If there's enough rain & ice, even gravel becomes slippery.

We're good!

Farah heard us coming & put her nose over the rails - then decided to go out into her run!  I stood inside her stall & said;  "Carrots?"  My very good girl turned & came right back into the barn!   Her blanket did have some frozen ice pellets on it - but otherwise the gold girl survived her first ice storm in fine shape :-)

Back we go~

Once the blanket was off, carrots fed & grooming done, it was time to put her back.  Her tail is actually thickening up!  (The Show Sheen, in my tote, in the tack room, was frozen solid!)  It's still hard though - to leave her...  Nice to not have the chores, but strange to have her living away from us.  The longest the two of us have gone without a ride since we've been together. 

This hay still looks so different!

It may look different, but there's lots of green in there & she's doing just fine on it!  It was nice to come in & see that she's getting plenty.  Her weight looks great & her condition has remained constant.

Ice on the branches~

It's still quite amazing to me to see what the rain does when it freezes on everything!  I was hoping that the sun would cut through the layer of clouds, but that didn't happen until later in the afternoon.

Grasses~

Everywhere I stepped, there was the crunch of ice under foot.

Icy lace in the trees~

Such a different beauty - icy, cold,  but so interesting!  Actually it wasn't even as cold as we've had - with the temperature hovering at a mild 30. 

Evergreens~

Even the evergreens were dripping with ice!  We'd had a couple brushes with ice in Washington state over the years, but this is totally different.  When it was raining - I looked out to see the drops hit the hood on the Bronco, then freeze as they started to puddle!

Butch & the truck wait~

Sometimes we feel like a strangers in a strange land - but that doesn't mean that we don't appreciate the differences!  Today, when we were talking of 30 feeling mild - we knew that we're adjusting well - to Winter anyway!  Another step closer to becoming true Iowans!  :-)