It’s important for the animals to get outside.

Chickens need fresh air and exercise. As I write this, it’s 9° F, cloudy, and there is snow on the ground. Given their druthers, the Ladies would have a lazy, indoors day. I lure them out with leftover cooked rice and cantaloupe. In normal weather I wouldn’t feed such a large portion of rice – too many carbs mess up the protein and mineral balance –  but they’ll burn off the calories staying warm. I’m happy to see them out and energetically foraging. More snow is forecast tomorrow. It’ll be another indoors day.

Meanwhile, the dogs are limited to shoveled pathways.

Lily is big enough to air scent over the mounds of snow on the ground. She’s still doing her job. She’s keeping watch.

All that little Scooter can see is white. That’s 40 inches of snow. He hurries down the snow trench to do his business.

And he gallops back.

The dogs say Enough, already!

Another full day of snowfall and cold winds ended last night in a starry sky and moonlight on the snow. Steve took this photograph from his office window. The north star is at the upper right.

The geographical center of my backyard is also it’s heart. The Little Pond. When we built our home twelve years ago, we had to blast through granite to put in the foundation. At the end of that process, there was a hole for the basement, and a lot of rock. Boulders were used for stone walls, but what to do with a 17 ton behemoth with a blasting hole straight through it? I turned it into a water feature. A hole was dug, a liner installed, a crane was brought in, the rock was placed just so, a filter and a pump was installed, and water circled up through that rock and down into the pond. Frogs and toads laid their eggs in the shallows, herons came, and birds bathed.

Here is what it looks like in the summer.This photo was taken on the day that my home was on a garden tour. For a video of that, click here.

I bought a 3-inch koi. She grew. Which is an understatement. I named her The Beast. She is now a wise old fish. She lives with goldfish. I call them her minions.

In the winter, the pond freezes over, but the pump continues to move and aerate the water below. The Beast goes into a form of hibernation.

The Blizzard dumped 30 inches of snow on top of the rock. It needed to be cleared off for the pump to function.

Thank you, Steve,

I know that I haven’t posted much about Tonka recently, but I’ve been thinking big thoughts about horses, relationships and training, and I’ve needed to let my ponderings stew and become coherent before committing them to words on this blog. At the end of October I moved Tonka to a stable a half-hour drive from my home. It’s well worth the time spent in the car. Tonka is now getting hay four times a day, which keeps his belly full, which is essential for both health and mental well-being. He is turned out all day in a paddock with one other horse, a beautiful grey mare named Maggie.

He says that she’s okay, but bossy, and that she claims the best hay rack. Since there’s always enough hay for both of them, he defers to her. He’s a peaceful guy. Here is Tonka coming to say hello. Note that one ear is on me, and one ear is watching out for what Maggie is going to do next. She’s just told him that this hay is her hay. She might be in love, but that does’t include sharing.

There’s ice under the snow. Although Tonka has studs on his front shoes, which give him traction on slippery ground, his back feet are bare. He’s standing, braced.

He’s outside, but not able to move freely, so I led him to the indoor, and let him loose. I left the blanket on, because I’d be riding soon, and I didn’t want his back to get cold before putting on his saddle.

Tonk said that it felt good to stretch his legs.

But, he’s ever so sane. No mad galloping. A bit of cantering.

Some trotting and snorting to clear the lungs.

Some fancy trotting down the long side.

And always, my beautiful horse has a kind eye turned to me.

Like Maggie, I’m madly in love with Tonka, but unlike her, I share, and he knows it.

The other day I had a discussion with Phoebe.

Does this fur coat make me look fat? she asked.

Ahem. Well. To be honest, I said, although it is a very thick and lovely coat, you have been the only one eating that pumpkin. Let’s just say that you are well-insulated from the winter’s cold.

Phoebe sniffed. This is the best season. Dressed properly, one can enjoy it fully.

Agreed, I said.

Thank you to Melissa who sent me the screen shot.

For more about keeping a rabbit with your flock, read this post.