Baby, It's Cold Outside

This has been the coldest December that I can remember. Our Decembers are usually temperate...and snow for Christmas is often a long shot. However, it looks like the snow on the ground will still be around for the holidays.

The snow on the ground makes grazing a bit difficult, so we are into our heavy hay usage season.

Each morning the Bigs head out to the pasture, with flakes of hay spread around the old pine tree in the center.

The littles spend some time munching and playing in the dry lot.

Around noon the Bigs and the Littles switch places and the wild times begin. As soon as the littles hit the pasture they take off running....and they run and run through the snow.

All of the horses seem to enjoy the white stuff, and seem undaunted by the frigid weather. They all have grown long, wooly coats.

As long as they have fuel for their furnaces (hay for their bellies), they munch and stay very warm.

The cats, on the other hand, are a whole different story. They spend short times out of the barn to supervise and then return to bask in the warmth of their heat lamps.

Amazingly, the goats and chickens seem to be unaffected by the cold and continue on their usual routines.

As for us humans....we survive by wearing lots of layers. And, when the work is done, we return to the warmth of a roaring fire and cups of hot tea or cocoa. I actually prefer the cold of winter to the heat of summer.