What a beautiful day. Sun is shining. The thermometer reading is 44.9 degrees. Balmy! And in December! You all know we are going to pay for it before winter is over, don't you?
But, step outside and your breath is stole away! The wind is blowing. Fiercely! So, I'm packing some more wood in the wood stoves and still looking out the window, counting how many horses and dogs I have to take care of tonight and tomorrow morning (lets see, 5 horses + 4 dogs +5 horses + 4 dogs = argh! too many.) My girl friend, a very wonderful friend, is off watching her eldest son play hockey, so I'm doing chores at her house tonight and tomorrow morning- yep. Keeping up with the Joneses! No, not really. We just keep matching each other in dogs and horses. Not intentionally. Just happens, honestly!
I live just outside the boundary line of the little town of Perkinsville, Vermont, (don't blink- you'll miss it!) on my grandfathers small farm. Right next door to where I grew up. Sixth generation Weathersfield. My girls are the seventh. Weathersfield, Vermont. In Windsor county. EVERYONE knows who we are. Most days that is a blessing. When your car is broke down beside the road. When your chimney is on fire. When someone from out of town, out of state, is looking for you. There are days that this blessing isn't so good. The day you mess up and EVERYONE knows it was you. When you slip on the ice and land on your butt. When your daughter runs out of gas and three people call you before she does to be rescued. You get the picture, right?
My horses live on 2+ acres. I don't mow much lawn. When the girls give me a hard time about doing their lawn mowing duties, I move the fence around and, ta-dah!, instant lawn mowing! I don't have enough pasture to feed five horses. I don't even have enough pasture to feed one horse. Ok, maybe the pony. But not by much. But, because of the neighbors who own behind me (the State of Vermont gravel pit), there is approximately 3/4 an acre of additional pasture that I am able to let them run on.
When I had a horse with Cushings and a tendency to founder, this was a good thing. I didn't want him wading through deep, lush pasture to hasten a call to the vet. I worked very diligently to make sure his feed, his FEET and his girth stayed as moderated as possible. Aba had a good life.
Come pasture time, sometime in the next (sigh) four months, I will be down to at least 4 horses. Aspey is to go back north after graduation in June. Lacey - well, when that time comes, we'll see how her mom is doing and what is going to transpire for her. My boys, Smokey, Buddy and Elias... well, they'll be here until their time is up. Then they will lay in the pasture alongside Aba, Chris and Shiloh. And numerous other 4 legged, furry friends who have graced our home.
Hmmm.... didn't mean to end on such a gloomy note. However, the shards of loss aren't so cutting anymore. It's easier to remember them without getting hacked up with the sharp edges. Kinda like sea glass - it's beautiful, pocketed, smoothed and various, beautiful colors. Collecting sea glass when I lived in Alaska was a favorite hobby of mine.
So, I'm still looking out the window at the lovely sight, while I am puttering around the house looking for my Christmas long janes (women's version of long johns:) and my wool socks. Man, winter. Snow. Cold, biting wind. Bleck!
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