A Wintry Blend

 

From this above to this in pictures below. 

Overnight, another blast of winter came. 

This interlude would be described as a mini blizzard.

Winds are gusting.  

Snow is blowing.  

And, Baby, it's cold outside. 

At the barn, horses are munching on hay.  I've cleaned their stalls, knowing there will be residual when I go out later and turn them outside. 

Inside, Bill has built the first fire in the wood stove for this year's edition of winter.

He usually likes to hold off on wood stove fires until Thanksgiving.

BUT we don't usually have several days of lows in the teens at this time of year. 

I sat on a cold toilet seat before coming downstairs from my first computer session.  

Then, while rounding the corner from the stairs into the living room and feeling like I had just stepped outside, I announced that it's maybe time to build a fire. 

When I came back inside from chores, the house was toasty and delightful with that inviting smell of bacon in the frying pan.  

Bill also heated up some banana muffins which my sister Laurie made and brought over to us last night.

I sampled two last night.  Yum! Yum!

All this said, the winter still seems odd and a bit maddening with all those leaves left on the trees and bushes.

It's looking more and more like yard cleanup will have to wait until next year. Ugh!

So, I'll probably cover the mowers with a tarp and just grin and bear the thought of a frozen or mushy carpet of leaves to mulch or haul off in the spring. 

Another aspect of major changes around here that come with winter occurred last night when Bridie vomited. 

One day's worth of cleaning horse stalls and depositing piles outside, and those dogs know where the goodies are.  

Ahhh!  Fresh, steaming horse apples. 

Truly doggie delights. 

What the dogs don't know, however, is that their abrupt change of diet may not agree with their tummies. 

Hopefully, the Lovestead canine innards will make a quick adjustment or, better yet, upcoming frigid weather will make the horse apples too hard to bite into.

It's all fun and work and good fodder for griping. 

On a happy note, the ZAGS are officially beginning their season tonight at the Kennel. 

They'll be playing the Ospreys of the University of North Florida, which is located in Jacksonville. 

Tonight's game starts at 6 p.m. PST and will be televised on ROOT Plus/KHQ.

GO, ZAGS!   

Happy Monday.