New Year

Happy NEW YEAR

Please make it a safe and special one. Full of color, especially the color Green

And, Please, be safe. Remember shooting off a gun for the heck of it on New Year's Eve can be a very dangerous thing. Even if you think it is safe by shooting it off into the air. Remember what goes up must come down. Even one person or animal being injured or killed this way is one to many.

Zero

Yesterday when I went to feed the thermomater read at 0 (zero degrees) first time I have ever seen it do that here. Lee had to go out and break the ice in the big water buckets with a sledge hammer so we could dip a little water to put in the smaller heated buckets. We were afraid the hose would crack if we tried to use it. Today it was at 19 degrees - much better, at least I was able to break the ice. The horses are doing ok with this cold. But sure wish I had better shelters for them. Who would have ever guessed that it would get this cold and stay that way day, after night, after day. Has only been getting up to about 30 degrees in the day time. Albuquerque gets a bit warmer due to lots of buildings and concrete to hold the heat but out here it is cold.

Cold Weather

I've had enough of this cold weather. This morning when I went out to feed at 8 am it was still only 20 degrees. AGAIN. It has been at about 20 or so for the past few weeks. That isn't normal for here. Usually it is freezing at night. But just barely. Maybe at the 30 degree mark. These 20's are usually normal for maybe a few weeks in Feburary or March but not December and it is driving me nuts. I am cold and can't get warm. Neither can the water the horses need to drink. And I can't keep the idiot birds from sitting on the edges of the horse buckets and pooping in them. Anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of these yucky black birds? Don't know if there a type of small crow, or a cowbird or what. Don't think their starlings. But I don't like them.

Merry Christmas

Size

There was a comment from Donna about the difference in size on my ponies. And we are hoping that the pinto, Traveler doesn't get so big we have to seperate them. Trave is a yearling and Stormy is a 2 year old. As I said in a previous post when I first got them, they both were from the same Shetland mare, but both had different sires. It is amazing what a difference that can make. Stormy had a Mini stallion for a papa, and Trave had a Tennessee Walking Horse stallion for a papa. At this time Stormy is 40 inches at his withers, and don't think he will get much bigger if any. That makes him to big to be considered a mini and to small to be considered a Shetland. We just think he is really cute and love him dearly. Now Trave is 50 inches at his withers at this time, which makes him a lot talker than a Shetland but a lot smaller than a Walker. We are thinking he might get a bit talker as most yearlings aren't grown. And yes, anyone that would breed a Shetland mare to a Walker is nuts, but my understanding is it was one of 'those accidents'.

Full Moon

There will be a full moon on the 23rd of December. AT this time it is so bright here at night that you could read a book by the moon. Any time there is a full moon the horses get fussy. They don't want to be cooped up in their shelter areas, and pick fights with each other, as well as trying to find things to do some pretend spooking at. Of course we hear more coyotes howling then, and my dogs, especially my German Shepherd, Codee, likes to go out and bark at the moon. And the rabbits - I'm not sure what the rabbits are up to. They seem to be having rabbit conventions in our driveway every night. You can go out and see a dozen or so out in the yard messing around. Maybe it's just that they learn that the coyotes don't come in our yard and the dogs arn't out at night, and there is always a bit of hay left laying around that is good to nibble on. And I don't sleep very good during a full moon. Does anyone else see a different during this time?

Winter Solstice

It is the first day of Winter and the day of Winter Solstice. Hope it's a good one for everyone.

Ponies in the Snow

This is both ponies playing in the snow. Traveler and Stormy. Stormy is the hairy beast. He took after his shetland moma and has tons of hair including the beard on his face. Traveler had the same mom but a different dad. His hair is thick but not as long.

Time for Play

Here is a photo of Traveler playing in the little bit of snow we got last week.

again

The Thanksgiving storm came and went. On Friday we had another one come in and terrize the whole state. Horrible winds as well as cold rain. We had about a half an inch in the rain gage. But it sure caused a muddy mess in the horse pens. Winds were the worst. Sounded as if the roof of the house was coming off. Gates kept banking even though locked tight. Horses survived. The shelters kept them sort of dry and protected. What gets me is that we can have that much rain and with in 8 hours the ground is dry enough for the sand to blow with the wind again. You guessed it - the pens are dry again.