Why I Love Iowa~

We woke this morning to a wonderland of white!  It is just a tiny bit cold though - at a whopping eight degrees, now warming to 15!  It was warm enough, with the south sun hitting the back deck full force, we sat out.  A hot latte helped keep us warm~

Prism~

Yesterday's blow~

Only maybe 3" of the white stuff, with the wind turning the surface into a light frozen crust.  The weatherman says we'll be turning cold.  More snow is on the way next week & much lower temperatures than those we've been enjoying up to now.

Nika - Buhund Heaven :-)

Nika absolutely loves the snow! She made her daily run at the mailman as fast as she could go, intentionally flinging snow into the air with her hind paws :-) No problems with cold! Little did we know - when deciding on this breed - what a wise choice it would turn out to be.

The Timber~

With the honeysuckle cut, I love the wide-open look of the timber. It'll be fun to see what the spring season brings, now I can see the entire area. Still, there's plenty of work to keep me busy, especially when things start growing again.

Another resident~

The above dragonfly, was made by a teenager in Greenfield. Very inventive - to use a railroad spike for the body - the wings are beautifully cut.

An old friend~

This one, flew all the way from WA - where he'd spent years in the woods.

Up by the Cabin~

By the time I was done with my walk, my hands were frozen.  A good weekend for inside projects!

Weatherin' Winter~

My shoulder is still very stiff & sore after my slip & fall on ice last Monday.  Butch tried to share his cold with me, after I'd asked him to keep it to himself!  I spent most of  the later part of last week, feeling under the weather.  Saturday was one of the ugliest days we've had.  Gray, freezing rain & cold.  I think everyone stayed in.  Just the smartest thing to do when things are so bad.  Yesterday was much better, the melt again underway.

With the forecast for 50's today & sunshine - all I could think of was, Ride!  Ride!  Told Butch I planned to take the trailer out & see if the trail was dry.  Then - I went outside :-(  Everything still frozen, with standing water on top of the ice.  Getting the Bronco up the gravel road to the farm was a muddy slip & slide.

Silver gene~

I'd noticed last during our ride a week ago, that Farah's mane was showing more silver than I'd ever seen!  All the new growth is a light silver.  I can't imagine it will change from it's dark color, but still fun to see it different from what's been normal.  I have to wonder at the change.

Yes!  Shedding~

At the farm, a truck was parked across the drive down to the barn, so I parked on top of the hill.  That's when I realized that I'd forgotten Farah's tote.  I've kept it at home, since the tack room isn't heated & I didn't want stuff freezing.

Thankfully, I keep a shedding blade, brush, pick etc. in a tote for just such an emergency :-)  Farah was out enjoying the sun, but was more than happy to come in for a good scrub down.  I worked on her for about an hour, until my shoulder said; "No more!"

What was that?

I didn't bring my saddle, so we worked through our routine.  My girl was much better!  I think she enjoys getting to move out.  She let loose with a couple big bucks both directions, when I asked for a canter.  All good.  It took me forever again when I asked her to give me her head at the girth - Step 3.  I wasn't giving up, she knew it, I eventually I got what I wanted - if only for an instant.  The wind always seems to be blowing at the farm & it sounded like a jet taking off overhead.

My plan is to keep at it - maybe if she gets enough one-on-one - she won't be as rowdy as usual the next couple months.  We both want to get Out - but now it's a waiting game.  If the wet weather ends & the winds blow, maybe things will dry up!

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!  :-)