The last winter I remember being like this was the year I was pregnant with Roderick, he’s 25 years old now. That winter it started snowing in November and we had snow in places until May.
I don’t remember it being quite so cold that winter, but it probably was.
That was the year we got the barn on the edge of town where my horses are now. But I also had some out at the farm in the pasture. It was the first year I had foals that I had been responsible for all the decisions as to who the sire would be.
We had one foal who after a few days got sick. He also couldn’t stand and nurse so Mike would go out and help him several times a day. We took him to Colorado State University to the Veterinary School because I knew of a racing stud farm that was near there.
Ultimately, that foal was septic, had a broken rib, and I think a punctured lung. The vets there were very concerned that I had been around him since I was pregnant. They didn’t feel like there was anything to do for him, so we decided to have him put down and took the mare to be bred back at the stud farm.
One winter what felt like the only snow came on September 20, technically that’s still summer.
This year has been different. It has been so wet that the farmer who Charlie works for didn’t finish fall harvest until after Christmas. Normally, fall harvest is complete before November. It also seems to be snowing every week. Not huge amounts, just enough to keep it on the ground and make it slick when it thaws and refreezes.
Crazy icicles as the snow thaws and refreezes.
Mike was always watching the weather. Any time we were out of town he was always calling home to see what the weather was doing. We spent three days at Rochester when he went to the Mayo Clinic and I don’t think the TV in our room was ever tuned to anything except The Weather Channel.
The last few years whenever it rained or snowed, he would talk about how it would affect Cedar Bluff, a reservoir near here. So, I’m telling people that Mike is making sure the lakes get filled for his buddies to go fishing and as a bonus, the farmers get abundant moisture as well.
I’m ready for the temperatures to rise and the mud to dry up so I can get out and work with my horses.
Regardless, there is nothing we can do to change the weather. For those of you who live where there is snow and ice, use caution when you must go out.
I’m ready for spring, this Hazy Shade Of Winter has hung on too long.
Onward! Resilience
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