I choose to live in New England. I like a true change of seasons. I embrace winter. The sky in February is like none other. Bare trees show off their intricate geometry. I like cold weather better than hot. But by March, I’m done with bundling up against the bitter temperatures, the biting wind, and dealing with the dangerous footing. I’m ready for spring.
There’s a saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This year it’s gone in reverse. It started out mild, I even went on a trail ride. But in the last two weeks, three nor’easters have blown in, each worse than the one before. They were so strong that the windows rattled. Quite the roar.
This week’s storm dropped twenty inches of snow in just under a day. It’s beautiful, but it’s also a lot of work.
I went out and shoveled five times to try and keep ahead of it.
Scooter left me to it. This is his way of coping with bad weather. He waits it out, curled up and eyes squeezed shut. He only gets up after the storm has passed and I’ve tidied a path for him.
The hens complain that they’re stuck indoors. Sorry, girls. Steve was out-of-town this week at a client’s, so I was left to shovel. Your run is the least necessary to do. You’ve got everything you need in your spacious barn.
The Goat Boys hate to get wet, and really don’t like snow on their hooves, so they stayed in during the storm. The Goat Maid (as they call me) shoveled out an area for them. Caper thought that I should do more.
The storm obliged and winds knocked down some branches. Good for head scratching and nibbling.
Tonka spent the day of the latest nor’easter indoors. He was able to get out the following day, thanks to the hard work of the stable’s owner and his talent at driving the tractor and plow.
The snow tells a story of what Tonka did today.
He rolled.
He and his next-door neighbor, Patrick, trotted along the fence line and stopped to chat.
The snow is deep and heavy. Underneath there is slick, frozen mud. Tonka doesn’t think it’s worth slogging through it.
He prefers to doze in the sun, and eat hay at his feet.
Which is exactly why, despite my sore back from shoveling snow, I rode today. We got in 2 ½ miles before my muscles cramped. I should really be hand-walking another couple of miles, too. Horses stay healthiest when they move. They’re designed to walk more than a dozen miles a day. If I lived closer, I’d be back this evening.
There’s one animal in my care who isn’t complaining at all.
Another storm is due to blow in next Tuesday. Phoebe is delighted by that weather prediction! The rest of us are hoping that the lamb of March will finally be here, and it’ll be rain.
(If you want to know more about these characters in my backyard, there’s a bio page at HenCam.)
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Snow, snow and more snow has the been happening in your end of the world. Like you – I love true seasons and miss those living in North Carolina. Loved this update of how you and your animal family are surviving the winter that goes on and on. Thank you for this post. Loved it.
It was fun to write – made me appreciate how so very pretty it is out there.
Love seeing the pictures of the farm. Miss seeing my animal friends. We have been watching the weather. Can only imagine the challenges. Being a Michigander transported to the Smoky Mts in Tennessee. I miss my winters. It is beautiful though in the mountains especially when they are topped in snow. Stay cozy, soon the Spring flowers will emerge from their winter slumber.
I drank my morning’s orange juice out of that cheerful little glass you sent me 🙂
That’s an amazing amount of snow… needing an amazing amount of work! But so beautiful too.
Thanks for the photos, Terry. Hope your fingers didn’t freeze to your phone!!!
Late snow falls are dramatic, but the air temp is a lot warmer than earlier in the winter. I’ve been doing barn chores bare-handed. But I shoveled with gloves!
In the U.K. we are forecast to have snow at the weekend but it would never be anything like the snow fall you have. That is phenomenal! It must be such hard work. It is lovely to have an update of the other critters though. Beautiful photos.
Wonderful blog, such a shame that snow makes hard work. Great pic’s, love where Tonka has rolled and all the other photo’s. End off Feb beginning of March was very mild here, my garden was a riot of colour with Camellias, Crocus, Daffodils and Anemones all in full flower and then both storms hit, Snow, Rain, Wind and freezing Temps poor garden did not know what hit it. Such a shame, but that’s UK weather for you. Hope you are all keeping safe and warm. 🙂
Your snow pictures are pretty. Hopefully you won’t get that fourth storm next week. I was hoping for one big snow here, a big snow here would be around 7 inches, but we didn’t get any. Finally got some rain to help with the drought though, but came in one big torrent and washed gullies in the fields where the vegetation has died from the unusual cold and dry conditions. You are fortunate to have a nice indoor arena in which to ride during the snowy weather.
I also enjoyed your blog about the resilient horse, too bad us humans want to take shortcuts too often to get the desired results.
I have your posts on FB fixed to come before any other posts.
What a delight to see all the critters reaction to the snowfall. I really chuckled out loud at the expression of Phoebe, who showed so much pleasure. Thank you for sharing.
Such lovely photos, and the captions are perfect! Animal care is truly a labor of love.