WINNIE'S FAMILY....

This is Winnie...I have posted many photos since she has moved here and even before that. Fortunately for her, over a year ago she hooked up with the Kenney Family.  Their daughter,

Justine had been taking riding lessons and when they were ready to buy a horse, Winnie must have been out there calling to them.  Her owner could no longer ride and wanted her in a good home...and voila, they appeared.  The whole family loves this horse!  All of them.  And they are so committed to the quality of her life they go above and beyond to make sure she has what she needs.  She will be 20 years old this spring and can still do it all.  She has evented, been driven, gone in lead line classes with the Kenney's young son, been used for lessons, visited a nursing home, gone to a school for the blind etc.  Winnie (with vision in only one eye) can still jump and she takes good care of her rider.  That's just part of the story.  The Kenney's are extremely generous with their time and energy...wanting to help around the farm.  We are in a co-op situation and Justine does chores two times a week.  Her Mom and Dad are always there if she needs help and if Winnie needs something, they are on it.  You can't imagine how much snow blowing Darrin has done in the past week.  They are the most giving people I have ever met...and believe me, they have learned an enormous amount about horses and caring for them over the past year.  And by the by...I love having help!

Here is Winnie in the late 90s when she was eventing.  What a beautiful girl.

GAYLE...YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IT!

When I looked out the window this morning...what did I see but more snow.  It is back big time.

There were drifts over a foot deep in the middle of the driveway!  Once again, we had to shovel a path to get back to the barn, and another out to the road so we could set out our garbage container for pick up.  What a thrill!

It took me forever to get back into the house, as there was a lot of snow to move on top of cleaning the stalls.  By 11am, where we shoveled was filled in with 3 more inches of white stuff.

The smarties know enough to eat under the shed roof.

Today I opened up the indoor so they could get out of the wind....did any of them go in????

Gary spent part of the afternoon splitting wood and stacking it out behind the kitchen.

Miss Phoebe Bluegrass ventured out with me late afternoon.

She was greeted by Miss Blueberry Chocolate Pie (Lilly May).  Within 10 minutes they were both shaking and had to go in.  With the wind chill, it was near 0.

Now that I am in the house, I can take a nice hot shower and get ready for our friends who are coming over for a special dinner.  Grilled Strip Steaks, Pilaf, Marinated Asparagus, Tossed Salad, Toasted Wheat Rolls and Pie for Dessert.  Sounds good to me.  

Happy New Year Everyone!!!  May it be a healthy one for you, your family and all your 4 footed buddies.  Thanks for adding such richness to my life with your words and photographs.  I have never traveled so much...and the price was right!  There are so many great people in this world...don't you wonder why we, in particular, have connected?

THIS AND THAT...

Look who I brought in the house this morning before I went out to do chores.  He would not stop meowing for one second.  Phoebe did not budge and Bermuda walked right by her.  I brought him in this afternoon too, but the same thing.  After over 15 years, maybe I can get him used to being in the house.  (He has 3 beds in the basement, one of which is under the hot water pipes....I also leave a light on for him...and he can go in an out whenever he wants).  Just does not want to be a house cat....yet.

One more beautiful sunrise.  Are we lucky to be here or what???

This windmill shot is for SJ....

I was happy to have class today.  Those who came were ready for it too.

Tina brought these cookies....they look like her horse Sunshine.   Hands down, they were the best cookies of the season....and they are all gone now.

This is the drawing Tina is working on.  Bedlam Farm donkeys.

NOSTALGIA.....

These photos show you what the horses do when they are not hanging around in the winter. The grey horse above Berlin is her Dam....Marieke (who I lost to colic many years ago).  The young lady riding Pony is Ariana (our grandaughter who is now 10).  Jenny is on Target and I am trail riding on Berlin.  A couple of years ago when Joe was working he was a great driving horse (now at 31, he is pretty much retired). One of PC's front knees has blown up from arthritis and he has been retired for years (he will be 30 this spring).  Yet, my golden oldies are happy and healthy.  Now, Abbe is not part of that age group....she is a youngster at 10.

 

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY....

Does it look like this where you live?  Hard to believe that this was covered with two feet of snow a couple of days ago.

The pastures still have a lot of water in them, but it is going down pretty quickly.

The back pasture is high and not so wet, so the horses left their hay in the paddock and went out to eat grass.

The corner of the biggest pasture still has a pond in it.  Hopefully the rest of it will be gone by tomorrow.

Now everytime Joe rolls I have a heart attack!  

This time he got up on his own and was trotting around.

Fabulous sky this morning.

Miss Abbe was checking things out.  

She likes to put her nose on my camera.

We had Finn and Coop come up to the Farm today...Mom was working and we wanted to give Dad a break.  Both were so much fun and very cooperative.

They found Gary's Yoga mat and messed around on it for at least half an hour.

Finn is 5 and goes to kindergarten.  I swear, he knows as much as most adults about football...teams, players, scores, playoffs....you name it.  He is an avid fan and was very disappointed that the Jets lost yesterday.

Coop is 3... never bored and can occupy himself for hours.

Ice loves to come to the Farm so he can get in some big run time.  Gary and Finn took him down the lane for a long walk while Coop stayed in the house with me.

I went out a little early to do evening chores so I could fill up the water trough (while the hose was defrosted) and pick the pastures (so the manure would not freeze again).  The sky was dramatic ....what can I say?



It was pretty dark by the time I went back to the house.  This photo of the paddock is pretty unusual in the light department.

Here I am on the outside looking in through the kitchen window.

I read "The White House" blog today...last night the temperature (in Fairbanks, Alaska) was -36.

Today we just about made the mid 40s....quite a difference.  I don't know about you, but with me, by the time I finish dinner I feel very sleepy.  It's only 7:24 and it would not bother me to crawl into bed.  

PS - if you want to see a lot of Skoog Farm stuff, click on the Skoog Farm Picasa Album link.  I am in the process of updating.  I want Ewa in Warsaw to look at my photographs of flowers.  (I know, I know....I am out of control).