Archive for February 2024
Contest Winners
Hays Hayward Weekend Photo Contest Winners!
First Place, Category: Laughter by John H. (adult)
Second Place, Category: Laughter by Heidi S. (14yrs)
First Place, Category: Food by Kolten M. (14yrs)
Second Place, Category: Food by Henry S. (12yrs)
First Place, Category: Still Life by Kolten M. (14yrs)
Second Place, Category: Still Life by Henry S. (12yrs)
First Place, Category: Wildwood by Elysa H. (adult)
Second Place, Category: Wildwood by Latisha M. (adult)
First Place-Tie, Category: Nature by Heidi S. (14yrs)
First Place-Tie, Category: Nature by Julian H. (adult)
Second Place, Category: Nature by Henry S. (12yrs)
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Family Funnest
I find this precious and true: the combination of extended days together where food, activity, laughter, late-night conversations, and early-morning lingering builds unique familial bonds. We are having a fabulous time.
It was so much fun that Asher fell so soundly asleep that he was left all alone in front of the fireplace after all the people had moved on to somewhere else.
I’d say more except…
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Weekend Begins
The 2024 version of a Hays relations gathering up at Hayward in the winter is underway! No time to write, conversations are non-stop and I don’t wanna miss anything.
We are already having a wonderful time.
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Snowscape Again!
I got what I wanted! I’ve pared down the photos to seven from the many more pictures we couldn’t resist taking of the glorious snowy scenes that greeted us yesterday morning. What a difference a day makes.
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The snow won’t be around for long. By the end of the day yesterday, I bet we lost half of what fell. The driveway was clear and dry just a few hours after I plowed. Even though the air temperature never rose above freezing, the mid-February sun was at a high enough angle to have a big impact on surfaces.
We expect to be on the road before noon today on our way to Hayward for the weekend. Our newest horse volunteer will tend to the herd while we are gone. Here’s hoping they don’t give her a hard time. The mares were unusually rambunctious yesterday at feeding times.
Thankfully, they understand our routine enough to calm down quickly after a few mouthfuls of feed. The hanging buckets have been a good change in almost entirely eliminating their tendency to chase each other around like a game of musical chairs.
Tomorrow, I post from the lake place! Maybe I’ll take a picture or two.
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It Snowed!
Around the time we headed out to feed the horses in the late afternoon yesterday, it was beginning to drizzle. By the time we finished, the precipitation was changing over to sleet. After our dinner, snow was beginning to collect on the ground.
When Cyndie took Asher outside for one last pee, she said the snow was pelting them and it was very sticky underfoot.
I turned on the barn camera to check the view:
Those flakes were falling straight down.
A couple of hours later, the snow was floating around a little more:
At bedtime last night, there was already about an inch piling up on the deck railings. From the way the radar looked at that time, I’m expecting we will have received the upper end of the predicted 3 to 4 inches by this morning.
It was even snowing up in Hayward, where we will be this weekend. Another week after that, the annual American Birkebeiner ski race will happen. It has been significantly modified in length and route due to the snowless winter.
It’s not like a real winter but with any instances of accumulating snowfall, it sort of rhymes with winter for a short time.
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Birdbrain Decision
You’d probably think my preeminent focus on LOVE above all other distractions in life would make February 14th a special day for me. Uh-uh. I generally refer to it in jibes at the marketing of it and other holidays aimed at coercing of consumers to spend their hard-earned sums of money on barely affordable things.
Still, I’m not above throwing out a “Be Mine” to sweethearts or favorite desserts every so often.
Maybe it’s hard for me because I love you all. That’s more cards, chocolates, and flowers than I can manage.
Today, I’m here to report the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory that includes our county and mentions SNOW ACCUMULATION! of 3 to 4 inches overnight tonight. I will not be holding my breath in anticipation, but if it falls and if it accumulates, that would be a welcome change, to say the least.
In preparation, I raked up some of the piles of leaves that had blown around outside the barn and ended up in places I shovel and plow after snowfalls. I hope that didn’t jinx the possibility of us getting a fresh white blanket over our landscape.
I also raked leaves so I could boast that I did so in the month of February. That is a first in my lifetime.
Is that a birdbrain decision? I don’t think so. That’s certainly not why I chose the title for today’s post. No, that comes from the behavior we observe of the pigeons that have chosen our barn overhang as their favorite place to be.
We are not fans. Their flapping and noisy footsteps on the metal roof, incessant cooing, and way too much excrement (on the horse’s placemats of all places!) put barn pigeons on our list of annoyances begrudgingly tolerated.
Recently, we have seen an increase in activity that has me thinking they may not be growing in number as much as I suspected. Their egg-laying decisions don’t seem all that compatible with procreation.
Maybe if it snows they will find the landing a little more forgiving but underfoot where horses are active seems to qualify for what people have come to mean by the term “birdbrain.”
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Snowless Sadness
Being a snow lover during a snowless winter is a daunting burden for a sagging spirit. Seeking solace where I knew I could easily find it, I meandered my way through some of my photos from different winters now past. Ahh, those were the days…
They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.
There is always a chance we might experience a blast of snow between now and May. I will appreciate that when and if it happens, but I’m afraid anything yet to come will be too little, too late. For the people who try to earn a living wage by plowing snow for people, selling snow-related recreational equipment, or housing and feeding vacationers who engage in winter sports, the lack of snow is a complete disaster.
I’m just finding it deeply saddening in a multitude of ways.
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Wasn’t Easy
It was a championship game. It’s not supposed to be easy. The 58th NFL Super Bowl game last night between Kansas City and San Francisco was tied after regulation time expired in Las Vegas. Watching the game on television from the comfort of my home, I was exhausted by the end. It doesn’t feel right that one of the teams had to lose.
Congratulations to Kansas City for the overtime win.
Let the crazies grow their conspiracy theories to bizarre new lengths. It won’t make them any harder for me to ignore.
It was a great end of the season for the NFL and it makes it hard to deny the Chiefs have a reasonable claim on the beginnings of a dynasty.
I don’t know what that’s like. I grew up rooting for the Minnesota Vikings, four-time Super Bowl losers. For the record, we lost the first one to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now I need to adjust my sports spectating to college basketball in preparation for the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
While I’m waiting for that to get here, I’ll sneak in a few NHL games and watch the weather predictions for hints of possible accumulating snowfalls before the vernal equinox arrives.
We do have one bit of guaranteed excitement in store for the coming weekend. A contingent of the Hays clan will be joining us for a weekend up at the lake place in Hayward.
It won’t be easy to come up with viable outdoor winter recreation choices, but it will be a fun-filled few days, that’s for sure. I’m planning a photo contest while we are there and expect to publish some winning shots here on the blog when I can.
We are going to take Asher up with us so our time may be equally split between training him and having fun with family. I expect I’ll find it to be almost as exhausting as watching the Super Bowl game last night.
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Herd Leaders
Ever since they arrived here, we’ve witnessed signs of complexity over which of the four rescued Thoroughbred mares is in charge of the herd. If we were to number them 1 through 4 in reflection of their most common order, it would be:
#1 – Swings
#2 – Mix
#3 – Light
#4 – Mia
The aspect that always complicated things was that #3 (Light) could push around #1 (Swings) but remained threatened by #2 (Mix). Thus far, Mix has never shown signs of having any sway over Swings. It’s been something of an ongoing stalemate.
Recently, we have seen growing signs that Swings is giving more and more control of space over to Light. I am curious about the likelihood we’ll see Light begin to stand up to Mix to “officially” challenge for the full authority of herd leader.
This morning during their feeding there was animal activity in the vicinity that was commanding their attention to the point of picking their heads up out of the buckets. For the first time that we have seen, Light was the one who took the initiative of moving her feet to turn straight toward the potential threat to the protection of the herd.
It took me a while to spot the movement in the distance that was making the horses wary. It was far enough away that I wasn’t sure what I was seeing beyond it being two shapes, low to the ground, moving along the edge of a large stand of pine trees across the road.
Using her phone camera, Cyndie zoomed in and saw that it was two small deer. Light soon satisfied herself there was no threat and returned to her bucket of feed. I don’t know if the other horses paid much attention to Light’s gesture but it sure made an impression on us, probably aided by the spectacle she seemed to be making earlier in moving Swings away before the buckets were served. Light sure looked like she wanted to be in charge.
I will not be surprised to see this trend continue but I have no idea how accepting Mix will be to Light’s increasing assertiveness. It’s also possible that Swings’ recent acquiescence will be only temporary.
At least we don’t need to wait for an election. Herd leadership is always an ongoing process of flexing roles. These four horses don’t have much else to worry about in the safe confines of their retirement home. Maybe they all decide to take turns on a constantly rotating basis. Or not.
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Relative Something 