Welcome Spring?

Our first spring morning!  21 degrees with a blowing wind & feels like of around 10!  Ice on the Explorer...  With our new virus scare, we did have bible study this morning.  Only five of us, so well under the prescribed limit.  Even here in our smaller neck of the woods, things have changed for everyone.  I miss going to the Y...   Over 14-months of working out three days a week, it's a hard habit to give up.  Now, I'm back to my stationary bike :-(  Our Matt-makers weekly group has cancelled & I cancelled our monthly garden club meeting too.  It's been very quiet at night, only a few people out for evening walks.

As far as anyone knows, no one in our town is sick & all pray it remains so.  I stopped at our local grocery on the square to pick up a few things.  They were well stocked.  Thank You to ownership & steadfast employees for working above & beyond to keep our town supplied.

Ice!  Defrost ON!

Late winter - mostly Beautiful!  I've bragged about some spectacular days!  Yesterday started with overcast & light rain, but the temperature climbed to over 60 degrees!  Strange - indicative of change.  I went out during our afternoon sun break to take a few photos of my trails.

Behind the Cabin~

I removed the last two small piles of debris from this area & added several wheelbarrows of mulch at the top.

1-10-18  Just west of the same area~

To think of the hours of hauling it took just to get this one area cleared.  Whenever the sun shines, I'm still seeing the glint of broken glass & can easily pick up a bucket full.

Bucket of "trash"~

Above is a typical bucket full of the odds & ends of years, of accumulated trash.  About every item ever used by man, I've found.  Even a dash clock out of an old car!  

Looking down from the top~

The mulch really has come in so handy.  I wish now I'd had twice as much!  I  used a lot at the top & start of this trail.  For now, old logs are my edging.  I'm not sure yet what I'll use to keep the trails marked.  Maybe just mowing will work - I'll see when things start growing.  (We also recovered three of the stall mats we'd used at the farm for Farah.  They work super well at the back & side of the horse trailer - converted storage unit!  As Butch said;  as long as Farah is alive, we keep the trailer!)

Lower Trail - along the creek~

To the right of the "V" is where the trail turns to go up to the cabin.  Instead of using the mulch to complete one trail, I used it on both. Therefore ending up with not enough to finish either one.

View from the front porch~

It doesn't look like 32 degrees with a nice breeze - at least from inside a nice warm house!  But when I went out - my hands told me it was too cold to think of working!

Nika & I sat out on the deck, late yesterday afternoon.  Watching as the sun disappeared, clouds moved in & temperatures dropped!  Next, thunder & lightening along with pouring rain!  We did have a tornado watch, but the brunt of the storm went south of us.  Just incredible to see temperatures drop from the 60's to the 20's overnight!  Like everyone else, I'm looking forward to much warmer temperatures - in the hope heat - will cook the virus to death!

Officially Cold!

Now - we're talking Cold!  Daytime highs only 11 degrees.  Wind gusts yesterday up to 40 mph.  I went out to sweep the snow off the sidewalk, making little headway.  The wind blew it back as fast as I was taking it off! 

Napping in the sun~

I took the photo above, out the west bedroom window.  The snow from the last storm was almost gone, except for in our backyard. With the new 2" of light snow, Nika loves it!   I've given her every opportunity to be in the house, but usually it's mid-afternoon before she comes in for a warmer spot to nap. Outside, she also has her favorite places. The one above is where she watches for the mailman, Fed-x truck, etc.

I've been spotted :-)

It just amazes me how well she handles the cold!  Of course her nice, thick fur coat sure helps!  The emerald green trees we planted last summer are hanging on...

With the wind chill, the feel's like temperature has been -11 or today, -15.  School has been in session all week.  Butch said the kids were still running around with their coats unzipped!

Windswept~

When I first got up this morning, the sun was just coming up over the ridge. The surface of the snow was covered with ice crystals that sparkled like tiny diamonds.

Moon-rise~

Last evening it was SO cold that my hands were freezing in seconds! Of course the wind is what makes it hard to be out for very long.  You can just see the last of daylight reflecting off the hard surface of the snow.

Let there be light~

 I tried about everything to keep ahead of snow building up on the decks.  The blower seems to work best.  The Christmas lights add some cheer to the bitter cold evenings.  I love seeing them from the house.

My flight tomorrow to WA was cancelled & delayed to Sunday, due to a big storm they're expecting.  Hopefully I'll be flying out on Sunday, when we have more snow due here.  Winter has finally arrived about everywhere!

When It's Cold Outside~

When it's bitter cold outside - what oh what is a Buhund to do?  Thankfully, Butch came home after his mail route & made Nika's morning!   I spent Wednesday taking down all the decorations around the house - except for the big tree.  I always like to start the New Year with a fresh slate.  Yesterday the flu hit...

Patiently waiting~

Butch brought out the latte machine, usually reserved for weekends.  Nika, like all the dogs we've had since our first in 1990, gets a taste of the foam off the top.  Our stellar 50 degree weather on Christmas has deteriorated to the low teens with a stiff wind most of the day.  She goes out for her daily barking session at the mailman - but when I call her - comes running!

Butch pouring our drinks~

t took me just over 2-hours to get the ornaments off the tree - then back to bed.  I wasn't going to attend a Christmas Eve service, but did & I think the flu is the result.  At least I have time to kick it before leaving for WA.

I've been admiring some of the beautiful bookmarks that the ladies in our bible study use.  Those of you who know Farah, will recognize the tail feathers on the bookmark below.

Bookmark

When Farah left, I didn't take a piece of her mane, or tail.  It seemed too permanent a thing to do.  We would see each other again!  

Bracelet~

It came as a surprise when a box arrived from Renee, just in time for Christmas.  I knew that she had a Etsy store & made jewelry - how thoughtful of her~ 

Time for Farah~

When the Grandkids & their parents leave, the house is always way too quiet!  The plane in Omaha was delayed at departure by almost an hour.  It was a relief when we heard they'd landed safely in Seattle.

Enjoying home~

For the last week, we were busy enjoying family time.  It was David's first visit since he'd helped Butch with the first U-Haul load out from WA.  Everyone went to visit Farah more than once, but neither of the grandkids wanted to ride.  They both had when they were little, but now they're old enough to decide for themselves.

Helping with the mowing

 I picked Farah up at the farm & brought her home for a bath.  Here, she can graze without the constant attack of the bugs that are still active out at the farm.  The lawn is growing faster than we can keep up with it.  Last evening was the most perfect we've had in months, the temperature dropping into the mid-50's, with a light breeze.  I opened every window & turned on the ceiling fans to air out the house.

Today warmed up into the mid-70's again with a light breeze & low humidity.  Farah loved getting a bath.  She's already starting to shed her summer coat, not that there was much of it!  With the extended season of high heat & humidity her coat was the thinnest I've ever seen it.

Her American Warmblood Brand

As with every seasonal shedding, her brand appears for a few weeks.  I still wish the iron had been hot enough to turn the hairs white.

Grazing~

I'd brought home the ground tie & she loved being out on the grass, fresh & green after all the rain & heat.  Our riding miles are pathetically low this year.  I'm so behind on my blog posts, there are some good stories yet to be written.  I'm hoping with my schedule & the weather, we can still get in some trail time!

Changeable ~

The difference a day makes.  When the thunder rolled & rain hit last night - it was a welcome sound to most everyone.  Our dry spring has continued, the string of 80+ degree days finally broken today.  After Kay's bible study this morning, I picked up a few more bedding plants in town.  I was taking the wheelbarrow through the gate, when Nika raced up & squeezed through.  I'm long beyond worrying about her.  I'd just finished up - when she came near enough - I managed to grab her.

Once out at the farm, Farah met me in a huff...  Not much wind, but she was ready to get out & go.  So was I.  The cool day & light breeze were about as pleasant an afternoon as I could imagine.

The Farm laced with green~

I decided to stay closer in today - the weather looked like rain & I'd forgotten my jacket.  On the far side of the timber & saw the blooms on the Mulberry!  Janice was right!  There are a lot of Mulberry trees & I can't wait for their fruit to ripen!

Mulberry Blooms~

We started up one of the climbs to the west, when Farah suddenly spooked & 180'ed.  I lost my inside stirrup & only just managed to retain my seat.  A deer had jumped up almost under our noses - but come on...  A deer?  I made it clear - any more spooking at deer would not be tolerated!

Grass~

Farah makes it plain, terribly plain, the main thing on her mind is grass!  It's that time of year & I do try to be tolerant.  Once we can put her out on pasture, this will change.  

Our dirt road~

It only took a few strides to know our dirt running road was way to wet to rumble~  Farah was slipping even at a walk.  Her shoes would compact with the dirt & then it was like walking on ice.  She didn't even ask to run, smart mare she is.

View from above~

The texture to the landscape this time of year is so intriguing.  Still corn stubble, then the newly disked & planted fields below.  Other's turning green with whatever's been planted.  We watched as a hawk circled overhead, then dove down into a terrace after game.  It started to sprinkle, the air filled with negative ions & smelled so rich & earthy.

Farah spots Dean~

Even from this distance, Farah stopped to watch as Dean went to the chicken coop.  I yelled, but he didn't see us until we were closer.  The Grainery is such a beautiful building, viewed from any direction.  The Martin Silo is one of the very few I've seen & Farah's little barn makes a nice touch of color against a drab, gray sky.

Beautiful~

 Dean came down to talk as I was unsaddling Farah.  She was paying no attention, just grabbing every mouthful of grass she could - when Dean tossed a small rock on to the pile at the side of the gate.  In a split second she jumped, hit the side of my face with her nose & knocked me back into the side of the Bronco.  The next instant, she felt the Ziploc of carrots in my hand slam up against her nose!  Tit for tat!  I mentioned to Butch that his animals were in rare form today...  He blamed the weather!  :-)