Friday, January 22, 2016

Top ten (or 11) things I love about a blizzard . . .

I know this isn't what you expect to read from someone on a farm during a blizzard, but there are some amazing things I really appreciate about a good snowstorm. . .

1.  Snow days for the kiddos - duh.  Any day my kids don't have to go to school or to any of their multitude of practices, social engagements, or other activites is a great day!  The snow slows things down, muffles the noisiness that comes with the busyness of life with a teenager and almost teenager, and this mom treasures those days.  When they were babies, the days went by slow, but the weeks went by fast.  Now it just all goes by fast, and I'm trying to savor every minute of it.

2.  That Bruce and I can focus on the basics - taking care of our family and the 200+ creatures that depend on us.  Life gets simple during a storm, and it's pretty great.

3.  That the forecast shows above freezing temps by Sunday and 40+ degrees on Monday.  Short blizzards are the best blizzards!

4.  That the horses have the cleanest feet ever when they come in from playing in the snow!  Several inches of snow beats 38 degrees with rain and mud every day of the week when you have horses who need their play time outside.  No fungus, no thrush - just beautifully clean hooves.  This goes for the cows, too.  Mud or hard frozen ground is rough on our girls, but a foot of snow is soft and clean!

5.  Rambo blankets. Yes, they are expensive, but when your husband says, "those Rambo blankets are just the best," you know they are worth it.  The snaps at the chest, the strong velcro, the buckles that work, the lack of need for leg straps, that I don't have to take my gloves off to get them on and off, and the horses are always dry underneath - perfection in a blanket!

6.  In conjunction with #5, my brilliantly simple blanket rack in the barn that lets me hang each snow covered blanket to dry so they are always ready to go again the next morning.  It is the little things that make life so much easier, and I appreciate my blanket hanging rack every time it rains or snows!

7.  Good forecasting so that we have plenty of time to prepare.  And giant, 4-wheel drive, cab tractors, so that we aren't really ever stuck.  (touching some wood right now)

8.  Frost free hydrants and generators = peace of mind.

9.  That the horses practically purr with appreciation for their warm mashes when they come in for dinner.

10.  That Fizzie, at nearly 30 years old, has the best winter coat, best feet, and healthiest weight he's had in the 8 years he's lived at Sally Run.  Other than worrying that his tongue might get frost bite because his front teeth are no longer long enough to keep it in his mouth, I don't walk into the barn scared he's had his last days with us like I did a year ago.

11.  That Glory bug doesn't have to wear her muzzle when the ground is covered in snow. (She asked me to put that one in here because it's a really big deal for her.)  With our warm, wet fall, she has spent an unusual 10 months wearing her muzzle (and she miraculously still lets me get near her to put it on each morning and doesn't even try to bite me).  Not only can she now eat hay like a normal pony, but she can also up her bossiness by using her teeth to terrorize her adoring geldings.  All good things according to her.

So that's my immediate list - oh, and that I can drink as much tea as I want without feeling like I have an addiction because it is really, really cold out there!  Stay warm and safe everyone!!