November 16, 2005

• Man, did we get winter from
  one day to the next!  It’s been blowing for several days and this
  morning there was a dusting of snow on the steps when I went out to
  feed the cats.  The snow has been blowing horizontally all day and
  although there isn’t much accumulation it definitely qualifies as the
  first snow of the season. 

  Poor ole Ivy was shivering with cold today.  She is filling out
  slowly and looking much better but she still doesn’t have the reserves
  to keep her warm and her winter coat isn’t very thick yet.  She
  didn’t have the nutritional reserves to produce that, either.  So
  Becca and I went on a mission of mercy and bought her a coat.  Now
  she’s out in the pasture sporting her latest fashion.  I put my
  hand under there and she’s toasty warm with that on.  Becca said
  the cat likes the blanket, too – he jumped on Ivy’s back as soon as the
  blanket was in place.  Definitely must have been around horses
  before…

  Toby and Gracie are exhilarated by the cold and wind – they absolutely
  love it!  They are jumping on each other and playing like kids on
  the first day out of school.  I put an old sleeping bag on the
  barn floor for old Bear, to pad him from the cold concrete. 
  Unfortunately T & G thought it was a new toy for them.  Becca
  saved part of it but there are remnants of the stuffing blowing all
  over the pasture.  Sigh.  Have to think of something else for
  Bear. 

  Yesterday I got my beehives all tucked in for winter.  They are
  wrapped in black tar paper to keep the wind out.  Didn’t get that
  done a minute too soon.  I’m feeding them sugar water so their
  reserves of honey will keep them through the winter.  Easier to
  feed them in the fall than in the spring. 

  There’s a fire in the woodstove tonight and we’ve already been hitting
  the cocoa.  Is it too early to put Christmas music on??? 
  Maybe we’ll watch “Home Alone” tonight.  At Aaron’s suggestion I
  went out and bought that.
  

  • 7:22 pm
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