Dashing through the Snow

The temperature this weekend warmed up a bit - it was literally freezing, 32 degrees F, which is warmer than it's been for several days (still very cold at night).  It snowed all day Saturday but with no new accumulation, just the 17+ inches that is already on the ground.  All the blankets came off the horses and they were playing in the snow.  It's so much fun to watch them kick up their heels.  Even Rosie joined in.

Maccabee

Rooster

Rosie

Zip

Rosie, Maccabee, Rooster and Zip

Rooster and Maccabee being silly

Maccabee and Rooster dashing through the snow

Rooster and Maccabee heading back to the barn

Rosie, Maccabee and Rooster trotting along

Rooster posing for a picture

Sunday Stills - Circles

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is Circles.  I had no idea what I was going to use for this challenge.  We've been a bit preoccupied with the weather.

Craig took all the change out of his pocket and I thought this was perfect

And then I thought about perfect circles - rings

My engagement ring, wedding ring, anniversary band and my mother's wedding ring

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Feeding Time

We feed morning and night with free choice hay available (the bale holder and round bale are just outside of the pic to the left).  The horses have a set routine and specific spots where they eat and the buckets are fed in a specific order.  The balance of the universe is off if anything is changed :)  Zip gets completely confused and it creates chaos. 

Zip eats closest to the barn and run in shed, next the water tub, and his bucket goes down first.  Next is Rooster, then Maccabee, and Rosie last.  So far, this works well and everyone finishes about the same time.  Even in the snow, the routine is the same. I can't wait for spring!

Skywatch Friday - Season 4, Episode 29

A ceiling of clouds with a hint of blue after 17 inches of fresh snow - even the pond is snow covered (right side of the photo beyond the fence posts)

Yet Another Storm

Yet another storm rolled through the area yesterday.  The weatherman initially predicted 4-6 inches total with some rain, sleet and freezing rain mixed in.  It was actually two storms converging (lucky us!).  The initial storm, which they thought would be rain, started as snow and pretty much stayed snow.  It was "over producing" and the snow was accumulating faster than anticipated.  The "lull" between the two storms lasted for a short time midday - it never really stopped snowing and there was some sleet thrown in.  Once the snow started again, visibility was pretty much non-existent and the snow was coming fast and furious, measured by inches an hour.  We now have well over a foot of snow on the ground.  I didn't know this part of Pennsylvania was on the edge of the arctic....

I'll try to post pics later - after we've dug out.

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - What's Left of My Jeep...

The other driver failed to stop at a stop sign and I couldn't avoid her

Winter Wonderland

We have been experiencing quite the deep freeze in this part of Pennsylvania.  We had freezing rain last week followed by a snow storm that brought about 4 inches of snow and arctic weather.  The temperature yesterday morning hovered around zero with a high during the day of about 20. Even with some sun, it's so cold that the snow and ice aren't melting.  The horses are all blanketed and doing well.  The humans are having a harder time...

The creek across from the barn

Sunday Stills - The Color Green

This week's Sunday Stills Challege is the Color Green.  Not much green around there this time of year...

A native cedar tree at the barn

Maccabee in his green winter blanket

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Heart Horse

T posted this on her Facebook page.  I thought it was really cute.

T's caption:  zips chocolate moose, the only guy i can fully trust with everything including my heart

Skywatch Friday - Season 4, Episode 28

T & Rooster in the snow, backlit by the sun

The Calm before the Storm

Yet another storm is coming through our area overnight tonight.  This one should bring 2-4 inches of snow, just in time for tomorrow morning's commute.  It seems that some sort of precipitation has fallen at least every 3-4 days in the last month or so.  This morning is bright and clear with a full moon.  We should have a really pretty sunrise.  I guess that's our consolation for the weather to come.  By midnight tonight, it will be snowing.

This is the sunrise before the snow storm we had on January 11th that dumped about 8 inches of snow.  The morning dawned clear and bright with a spectacular pink sunrise (this is straight out of the camera with no touch up other than resizing and the watermark).  About 12 hours later the snow started and it snowed all night long.

Wordless Wednesday - Freezing Rain

Snow Ponies

T rode Zip and Rooster on Sunday.  No riding for me for a while - my back is still a little sore from the accident.  She rode a little bit in the snow and some in the ring.  The sun was shining and the horses looked so pretty in the snow.

Rooster

Zip

I really wanted to ride but am taking it easy until I feel 100% so I refrained.  Plus it was really cold.

Macro Monday - Zoey

I was trying to get a pic of Zoey's whiskers and speckles for Sunday Stills but he wouldn't sit still (I had to wait until she was sleeping).  She thought just maybe the camera had treats.

Sunday Stills - Macro Pics

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is Macro Pics. Ed took pity on those of us living in cold climates and came up with a challenge that can be done indoors.

Belt Buckle

A pendant of a butterfly's wing set in silver

Zoey's whiskers

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Dog Beds

We bought dog beds for both dogs for Christmas.  Zoey would rather sleep on the regular bed or the floor.  Bandit loves his dog bed.  He is a strange dog in that he will contort himself into any spot even if it seems like he won't fit.  He regularly curls up into a ball and now he can do that in this bed.  He does stretch out and flatten the bed or he moves around.   Since Zoey doesn't like hers, Bandit has one bed upstairs and one next to the couch in the spot where he likes to sleep.

Ouch

Well, I had a really cool photo picked out for today's Skywatch but never got to it.  Someone ran a stop sign last night on my way home from work and crossed right in front of me.  I slammed on the brakes but there was no where to go and we had a wreck.  My poor Jeep looks like an accordian on the front end and pieces of it ended up under the car.  The airbag deployed and I had my seat belt on.  The 2 people in the other car were ok and declined getting checked out by the EMTs.  I ended up going to the hospital to get checked out since I was hurting.  Had x-rays done on both knees, my hip and my neck. Nothing broken but very sore today.  I'm spending the day on the couch with pain meds and the dog.  I'm pretty sure my car is totaled.

Snickers Update

When we brought Snickers home, we hadn't really been looking for a mini but couldn't resist her cute face.  She was destined for a mini horse auction and I would hate to see her passed around from farm to farm.  We very much enjoyed her laid back personality but kind of came to the realization that she wasn't getting the attention from us that she really deserved.  She's a kind, gentle soul with not a mean bone in her body and she really should be around people and kids that will dote on her.  We decided to ask around and list her for sale locally on a small scale.  We were contacted by a fellow member of Buxmont Riding Club who was looking for a mini that her grandkids could play with and maybe use for driving.  This person also knows that Snickers was bred and is comfortable with having a baby mini in the spring.  Snickers left for her new home over the weekend.  She will be in a good home with experienced horse people and kids to love on her.  We wish her well in her new life!!

Wordless Wednesday - Focused

Saturday's Snow

I just checked the blog post for today and realized that half my post is missing (????) so here's the beginning of this post....

Saturday we had another snow storm come through.  Total accumulation was about 2 inches but it seemed like we were getting more while it snowed.  It was flurrying lightly when we left to feed the horses but it was coming down pretty hard by the time we were finished.

Maccabee heading towards the hay (looking away from the barn)

Zip heading to the hay (looking from the hay ring)

Rosie and Rooster, the bookends

Rooster's like a wooly mammoth

The horses have 24/7 hay, a run in if they need it, and access to a large water tub with a heater. They tolerate the weather much better than we humans do :)

The weather forecast is calling for 4-8 inches of snow tonight into tomorrow morning.  How many weeks until spring?????

Macro Monday - Snow on Rosie

Taken during Saturday's snow showers

Sunday Stills - the Letter "W"

This week's Sunday Stills Challenge is the Letter W.  The letter W didn't seem as hard as some other letters in previous challenges.

Wispy clouds at sunrise

White barn (I think that's dried tobacco in a stack in the field - it's one of the crops this farm grows)

Weathered barn and old Windows

Western saddle on Maccabee

Rosie napping in the sun near the Water in the pond

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Yesterday's Commute to Work

We had a clipper system come through yesterday morning just in time for my morning commute to work.  The snow started at around 5 AM and made an ordinarily 45 minute ride to work take twice as long.  I left at 6:30 AM and didn't get to work until 8 AM.  Most of the roads were snow covered, visibility was horrible and it was slow going.  I stuck to main roads instead of my usual back roads.  Luckily I made it to work with no issues and the snow stopped mid-morning.

Taken from my cell phone at around 7 AM

This is actually a main road

More snow predicted for the weekend and during next week.

How many more days until Spring????

Skywatch Friday - Season 4, Episode 26

A pink sunrise with just a sliver of moon on the last day of 2010

This is straight out of the camera with no touch up other than resizing and the watermark.