We had 8 inches of snow this week on November Hill and now it is melting. The contractor is finishing up the fencing. It looks like a monster truck rally just happened here.
A huge pile of snow slid off the back side of the barn roof and is about 2.5 feet tall right outside the shelter.
Mud. Mud. Mud.
I walked back there this evening. It is a mess. The entire farm is a mess!
I’m ready for sunshine, sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine. Dry ground.
Meanwhile I went into an inside the house cleaning frenzy. Control the things you can control, right?
Hope all are weathering the winter better than I am!
billie hinton’s camera-obscura:
life and lessons on November Hill Farm
It sounds like you're warming up a bit if you have mud. We're still dealing with snow and ice but have had a few warmer days. The herd has been quiet and I think they're missing their friend Donnie. But for the most part they just stand around eating out of hay baskets all day and mill around aimlessly. Hope you dry up a bit soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, cold, warm, cold, warm. The warm days melt the snow but then it is a muddy mess. The herd here are milling about aimlessly too. That and rolling in the mud! Can you tell this is not my favorite weather combination?
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry they’re missing Donnie - it is a huge loss for humans and the herd when one of them leaves. I hope Rosie is adding some adventure for all of you!
Rosie is adding some adventure,unfortunately, she seems to be a kicker. Blue is now lame on his right hind because of a kick and I saw her go after Grady today and try to bite him. She leaves Sami alone though. She seems to only like him. She is in heat again so maybe that’s her problem. Otherwise she’s very well-behaved most of the time.
ReplyDeleteWell, mares. Sigh. Salina was definitely the bossy type and she kicked the pony once and literally sent a slice of his coat flying. He was bald in a patch on his rump the size of my palm and the piece of hair was intact on the ground! She also kicked through a stall door at him but thankfully did not make contact, unless you count the splinters of wood sticking in his forelock and mane!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if she is establishing the ground rules and maybe will settle down as the boys learn what they are supposed to do and what they are not supposed to do. :)
It will be interesting to see how things play out. I’m sorry Blue is lame - that is not good but hopefully he gets what she is demanding of him and offers that from now on.
Thanks for your input. I'm not used to this behavior, Dusty never kicked or bit. I hope she settles down and stops going for their legs.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I love snow, but the farm is indeed a muddy mess when it melts.
ReplyDeleteI always loved it until we had horses - I just find the whole routine is hard when there is significant snow on the ground. And once the first footprints go in and things start looking yucky I am done with the whole thing. I guess in places where there is regular snowfall the new snow covers up the mess over and over so it stays pretty until spring and then there is one huge mud fest and then it’s over!
ReplyDeleteA, Dusty was a dream girl, and I know you miss her! At least she loves Sami. Do you think there is any chance she has claimed Sami as “hers” and some of this is her trying to keep the others away from him? The time Salina kicked through the stall door at the pony was because he was IN KEIL BAY’s STALL and although Keil didn’t care, Salina did! The issues with the pony and Salina lasted the entire time she was with us but they did calm down quite a bit over time. I think the pony’s constant pushing of the boundaries kept things going with her, so if your boys aren’t as determined, hopefully Rosie will just take over as boss mare and the conflict will be over! They are so interesting with their herd dynamics. You and your herd have had a lot of changes and loss the past year or so - I am betting it will just take a little time and things will settle out nicely.
ReplyDeleteIt could be that she has claimed Sami. I have no idea what's going on in her head. She took an instant dislike to Grady the first day and that is surprising since he is the sweetest horse we have. No trouble he always wants to do the right thing and he is a kind mannered horse. Sami is gentle and calm and causes no trouble either. He and Grady hang out together and play with each other. Blue has turned into a grumpy old man and is now running the herd. He keeps her close and tries to push her around. I think that's why he got himself kicked. She takes it for a while then rebels. Then again on the other hand she seeks him out to hang out with him. So maybe the two of them think they are co-running the herd. I need Mellon back he always kept the peace! Nobody messed with him and they all listened. I'm thinking Blue may not know how to be a benevolent leader. I'm hoping once the grass shows up and they're not so bored things will calm down.
ReplyDeleteWow - that is complicated! Maybe she has claimed Sami and her dislike for Grady is b/c he’s friends with Sami. And interesting re: her relationship with Blue - I had to smile at the grumpy old man thing! Keil is the benevolent leader here and he and Salina got along well. But they sort of split things up. She was the bad guy and he was the good guy but it was clear they were the two leaders. He’s still the leader but interestingly Cody has become much more assertive now and the pony has gotten sweeter. ??? It’s a mystery.
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