Small Animals Being Cute

 I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but there are some cute small animals hanging around here.

How adorable is Donker in his coat?  Very, I know.

And then there are the goats.  They are everywhere.

In igloos....

 outside of igloos....

 in haybales....

that Donker's trying to eat from...

Before this evening's snowstorm mom and I put blankets on the goats too.  They were actually dog blankets and rather ill-fitting, and when I went up to check after it actually was snowing they had wriggled out of them, so they won't be as cute as Donker.  We also tried to put a blanket on Myma, but that REALLY wasn't happening, so they all will be cold.  And cute.

And this is also cute: an Interminable Donovan and Petey video.  It's so long, because their interaction went on so long.  I never did figure out what either of them wanted, but it's clear they are besties. (If you pay careful attention, you can hear a faint Donker hee-haw when Donovan turns to look, as well as Dukey's barking and prancing, as well of course as my brilliant narration.  Then you get a gold star.)

Cows out all over the place

It started really snowing a few hours ago, with really comfortable driving wind.  This was an appropriate time for the cows to let us know that they were out.

The trusty bouviers sounded the alert that these characters were out for a stroll.

Wait, so we're not supposed to be out here?

We better get out of here, here comes the wrangler!

And with that they happily trotted up to the barn, where I shut the gate behind them.  And then I counted, and joining the one that had obediently stayed where she was supposed to (agoraphobic?  Bouviephobic?), that meant that there were only four.  I went back to the house to check with dad that there were indeed supposed to be ten total and that he hadn't in fact put six up in the Hilton for the winter (should've known--Millerton does not have a Hilton).    I didn't really trust my counting skills in the low visibility, plus I hadn't had my contacts in, so Liz and I went back to check.  Yup, definitely only four.


We looked really hard, but  we couldn't find any hoofprints (or, you know, actual cows) indicating where the other six had absconded to.

Liz looking hard for cows

but the road seemed empty.

so I took a picture of us, in which it looks like I have no jaw.

Dad was patrolling in the truck and we heard honking from down the road.  He and mom followed the trail, where our neighbors had pushed the naughty six into a field behind the house.  I kept getting in the way because I wanted to take pictures.

You can't tell, but you'll have to trust me that those truck lights are shining over six up-to-no-good heifers.  

I really tried to document this momentous occasion, but I was late opening the gate and my camera was freezing.  Just trust me, it was big doings around here, but all are safe and sound, don't you worry.

Winter riding?

So it's cold out.  I was prepared for this and have in my possession some awesome winter-wear which makes it not so depressing.  Who cares if it's freaking freezing if you get to wear a cute hat?!

With the frigid air though comes the frozen ground.  Which means that my fancy ring isn't so hot to ride in.  The whole outside world isn't so hot to ride in (because it's cold!  Oh ha).  Believe it or not, I did have a suspicion that winter would occur and have been thinking about how to ride the dear sweet ponyface.  I can go on walking hacks, and we've been doing those.  Before it was so snowy, we visited the geese down at the lake.

You can't really see them, they're pretty far away by now, which is how EZ likes them.

But even walking is hard on the rutted fields, and, sorry to say, gets a little monotonous.  So, I was thinking of boarding somewhere for about a month.  With my really rich bank account I thought I could swing it, and since I wasn't coaching, I would have time to ride in the afternoons and maybe get some lessons in.

About that "not coaching" thing: Millbrook didn't have anyone to take the 6 kids who were riding at Kildare over the winter to the barn, and were looking for someone to do it for some extra cash.  My scheming mind saw some potential--I could use that cash to pay for board, and maybe even at Kildare. It is super close to school,  I'd be going there anyway with the kids three days a week, the little jumps we do with them would be perfect for me and EZ.  I wanted to confirm with Kildare that this would be possible before I committed myself to the job, to be sure I would have enough time for EZ.  But, I didn't.  It's still unclear that they will have room, and I'm still unsure that I want to pay such a vast amount of cashola, even with the infusion from the extra coaching duty, but because I am at the core a selfless educator, I signed on nonetheless.  Thanks for all the back-patting.  Since the kids are not doing the volunteering gig we did in the fall and probably will do in the spring, the time commitment is only a few days a week, and I do think it's important to have some continuity in the program and in communications between the school and the barn; I'd like to see the program develop somehow more substantially, still not sure what that will be, but figure I should be around to figure it out.

In the meantime, a farm down the road from our own Indian Pond Farm has an indoor!  (Cue enthusiastic and relieved applause!)  Broken Wheel Ranch is about a 12 minute ride from Indian Pond Farm, Liz and I used to ride our horses there for 4H.  Good times.  Now the owner lets people use her new indoor for $10 an hour.

Pretty nice, right?  It's legit.  EZ and I have gone over there a few times now, and he loves it.  Not really, it makes him nervous riding up to the farm with all the strange horses around and he starts to sweat.  And that cart in there seems highly suspicious.  But I love it, and he will too. 

"Argh, this creepy indoor is making me sweat!  And speak Pirate!"

Margaret, the owner, thinks all the riding over and around in the freezing cold is a little craycray, and suggested we could figure something out to keep EZ there.  I don't really mind the craycray freezing hack over, (although the way back, when EZ boy is all sweaty and in the frigid wind, makes me uncomfortable for him.  I rub him down with a towel and think I will employ Cathleen's lapcover/quarter sheet in the future) but once I'm back at school, being the selfless educator, it will be hard to do it in the afternoon before it gets dark.  So, keeping him there for maybe the month of January or so might be another good option.  And I won't have to pay my whole paycheck?  Compared to Kildare it will lack the convenience of being close to school/being paid to go there anyway, and also the instruction and jumping.  But it will be right down the street from the herd, as well as being much more sane pricewise, and EZmoneybucks will already be somewhat accustomed to it.  Hopefully less sweaty eventually too.  Although I might have to do some clipping for that to be totally the case.

Anyway, moral of the story, this is why people move themselves and their EZ's to Florida for the winter.

This is not a horse...

But how can you resist?  Maybe I should change the blog title to making creepy-cat-lady dreams a reality?

Scamp has a fascination with the bathroom. (not "going to" the bathroom, just the actual physical space.  Don't be so gross.)  I think it starts with the water.  He really prefers running water to still.  If pressed, he will drink from a bowl, but he'd really rather not to have to deign to do so.  He'd rather lap from this faucet and then choke on the water and make me real nervous that he's either going to die or cough up something really nasty.  Anyway, I think he wanders in to check if there's currently a fountain for him, and then gets distracted and takes a nap.

Then he's all, "Bring me water now, you fool!"  No, he was actually yawning.  Freaky.

 Then he takes this party to the shower, obviously, to try to figure out where all those goshdarn drops are coming from.

 No, seriously.  Where are they coming from.

So cute.

Large Dog Comes to Visit

 Uncle Neil's Great Pyrenees, Duke, was wandering around the paddock the other day.  He wanted to play, but the others were skeptical. It was adorable.

 Dukie goes to check the scene.

Petey is unimpressed.

Everyone thought it would be best to just get a little grazing in.

 Including the...mutant horse!

It looks like EZ is interested in both Dukie and my shadow.

Duke tries to work up a little enthusiasm from the crowed.

 Goats remain unimpressed.

How can they resist?!

So Dukie tries his luck with Donker, who wants none of it.

Donovan asks, What are you doing to us?

And then looks skeptically at the action.

Maybe Dutchie will be more receptive to play time?

Nope, they all just continue their skepticism, including Donker's ears.

Sorry, Dukie, better luck next time!

Views from a Paddock

 

 

"TREATS?!"

Installation  entitled: "Vine Through Wagon."  Materials: Vine and Wagon.

"I WILL be first!"

Horses, Donkey, and Goat Rush Hay Appreciatively

View of New Barns and Horse and Donkey Subtly Indicating Desire for Refill

BTW

Remember this?

Well, now it looks like this:

A beautiful sight, right?  Beautiful dirt.  With no scary metal monsters.

I figured everyone was staying up nights, unable to sleep for fear of poor EZ or Donker or Petey getting tangled up in the metal monster, just wanted to ease your minds.