Sunday, November 24
Nov. 25th, 2024 12:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Being able to sleep to fulfillment, and waking to beautiful creatures.
Getting a few things done, mainly for the comfort of creatures.
We have a small space heater that keeps the "sun room" where the turtle lives a good temperature. Today we set that up and got it going, and it's a much nicer temperature in there now.
We had a strip of electric fence up to control Wonder's access to grass in her corral, and since it's been below freezing long enough, and there's good deep snow, she can have access to the small amount that is left now. My Sweetie took the fence down.
I needed to dig out the pony blankets, because they didn't use their nice shed during the snow storm yesterday, so their backs are one solid mess of ice, that was melting in places so their backs were cold. Normally I don't worry much about them having snow on their backs, but if it's melting that means wet, which is bad for them.
I threw the blankets on them so that it will all melt and eventually dry out, but safely under a warm blanket.
Dandy's blanket, which fit him fine a year ago, is now too small for him. I have no idea how that could be, he doesn't seem bigger..maybe a little rounder, but he's always been round. Do adult animals occasionally have growth spurts?
So we will have to find him one that will fit.
Then my husband brought more cubes of shavings over to the goat/pony shed.
I worked with Wonder and Dandy in the big pasture, but they were very distracted. Normally I would have their grazing masks on, and that keeps them from being too interested in food. Today, since we've had a ton of snow, I left them off. They were very distracted by being able to eat whatever they could paw for under the snow.
I did get a good lap around the pasture with Wonder before she got too silly, but in general there was a lot of leaving and silliness. At least they got some exercise and stimulation.
I just got good and sweaty and exhausted from walking for almost an hour in deep snow.
Then we went to see River.
I put this "Back on Track" back warmer on him, and after you get it out of the packaging it becomes obvious that it is meant to be attached inside some other winter blanket. Great. NOT a back warming sheet for use under a saddle, because there is a long strip of velcro all down the middle of it.
This is frustrating for me, because this stuff isn't cheap, and the two people who worked at the equestrian supply store had NO IDEA what any of the Back on Track products were meant for, or whether I could ride with them on.
So, I don't know. I put it on under his bareback pad (it needs something to hold it on his back) during our ground work to warm up his back, and pulled it out to ride. Who knows if that does anything. I can't ride with it because the velcro strip would be a raised strip that might irritate him.
Anyhow, his energy level was really good, and he stayed with me very well today. I was really happy with all of his work with yields and circles and so on.
We are supposed to be working on canter circles at Liberty, and a fast backwards draw, and we were able to do that today. Yay!
Our ridden work was good too, getting a bit of collection in the different gaits. His canter felt better, so maybe the adjustment helped?
The barn owners installed a small heater for R to sit under to warm up during lessons, and my husband used that tonight. It's kind of funny, because it's a bit like the heaters for keeping chickens and hot dogs warm in stores, but my husband seemed to enjoy it.
We had to sort out some blankets and liners for River, and it felt like it took FOREVER to get it all figured out, but anyhow, now he has his "winter" blanket and liner on, since it's supposed to be getting pretty cold tonight (my phone says a low of -25 C).
We came home, had soup with added stuff (they never have enough veggies in them for me) and watched some "Scooby Doo".
What's nice, is that I dressed well enough today that I didn't feel too cold, so it was enjoyable to be outside for a few hours. You get tired just walking though, with the heavy boots and the heavy jacket, and you feel so bulky with all the layers.
I did get that nice feeling though, of being pleasantly tired and being a bit cold, to come in to a nice warm house and have soup and coffee and curl up in front of the screen for a while. Very cosy.
Being able to sleep to fulfillment, and waking to beautiful creatures.
Getting a few things done, mainly for the comfort of creatures.
We have a small space heater that keeps the "sun room" where the turtle lives a good temperature. Today we set that up and got it going, and it's a much nicer temperature in there now.
We had a strip of electric fence up to control Wonder's access to grass in her corral, and since it's been below freezing long enough, and there's good deep snow, she can have access to the small amount that is left now. My Sweetie took the fence down.
I needed to dig out the pony blankets, because they didn't use their nice shed during the snow storm yesterday, so their backs are one solid mess of ice, that was melting in places so their backs were cold. Normally I don't worry much about them having snow on their backs, but if it's melting that means wet, which is bad for them.
I threw the blankets on them so that it will all melt and eventually dry out, but safely under a warm blanket.
Dandy's blanket, which fit him fine a year ago, is now too small for him. I have no idea how that could be, he doesn't seem bigger..maybe a little rounder, but he's always been round. Do adult animals occasionally have growth spurts?
So we will have to find him one that will fit.
Then my husband brought more cubes of shavings over to the goat/pony shed.
I worked with Wonder and Dandy in the big pasture, but they were very distracted. Normally I would have their grazing masks on, and that keeps them from being too interested in food. Today, since we've had a ton of snow, I left them off. They were very distracted by being able to eat whatever they could paw for under the snow.
I did get a good lap around the pasture with Wonder before she got too silly, but in general there was a lot of leaving and silliness. At least they got some exercise and stimulation.
I just got good and sweaty and exhausted from walking for almost an hour in deep snow.
Then we went to see River.
I put this "Back on Track" back warmer on him, and after you get it out of the packaging it becomes obvious that it is meant to be attached inside some other winter blanket. Great. NOT a back warming sheet for use under a saddle, because there is a long strip of velcro all down the middle of it.
This is frustrating for me, because this stuff isn't cheap, and the two people who worked at the equestrian supply store had NO IDEA what any of the Back on Track products were meant for, or whether I could ride with them on.
So, I don't know. I put it on under his bareback pad (it needs something to hold it on his back) during our ground work to warm up his back, and pulled it out to ride. Who knows if that does anything. I can't ride with it because the velcro strip would be a raised strip that might irritate him.
Anyhow, his energy level was really good, and he stayed with me very well today. I was really happy with all of his work with yields and circles and so on.
We are supposed to be working on canter circles at Liberty, and a fast backwards draw, and we were able to do that today. Yay!
Our ridden work was good too, getting a bit of collection in the different gaits. His canter felt better, so maybe the adjustment helped?
The barn owners installed a small heater for R to sit under to warm up during lessons, and my husband used that tonight. It's kind of funny, because it's a bit like the heaters for keeping chickens and hot dogs warm in stores, but my husband seemed to enjoy it.
We had to sort out some blankets and liners for River, and it felt like it took FOREVER to get it all figured out, but anyhow, now he has his "winter" blanket and liner on, since it's supposed to be getting pretty cold tonight (my phone says a low of -25 C).
We came home, had soup with added stuff (they never have enough veggies in them for me) and watched some "Scooby Doo".
What's nice, is that I dressed well enough today that I didn't feel too cold, so it was enjoyable to be outside for a few hours. You get tired just walking though, with the heavy boots and the heavy jacket, and you feel so bulky with all the layers.
I did get that nice feeling though, of being pleasantly tired and being a bit cold, to come in to a nice warm house and have soup and coffee and curl up in front of the screen for a while. Very cosy.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-26 08:54 am (UTC)Also, it gets dark before 5 PM now. I like it - there's a certain atmosphere at this time of year - but no one I know is happy about it.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-26 10:43 am (UTC)The whole week was supposed to be a lot colder, and it seems to have shifted to a little warmer, more in the -teens than the -20's.
I'm really glad we got the snow. It feels pretty bleak to be very cold but have bare ground. It's brighter with the snow, and the cold feels more appropriate.
I can't say I'm a huge fan of the short days, but when we do have bright winter days there is a very different quality to it that is special.
The nice thing is, we are already approaching the shortest day, and by the end of January it is already noticeable to me that we get longer days, and it helps me get through the last months of winter.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-27 09:16 am (UTC)I haven't finished blowing the leaves. By last year, I'd done everything. This year there's help, perhaps even more than what I've done, so it's slow going.
I do enjoy the early darkness, but it'd be better for me to rise earlier to get yardwork completed.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-28 07:45 am (UTC)I know that pretty much anything can happen where weather is concerned, so I shouldn't get too attached to the idea of "appropriate".