More

After two more dumps like This ,I have finally gotten things dug out! It may take a while before the training paddock is available!

Yep, it may take a while!

The parking spot is cleared out, and my truck is back at home. The lower ball joint on the front passenger side broke leaving the tire sitting at 90 degrees to what it should have been. Fortunately, we were not on the highway when that happened or it could have been real exciting!

Looking at the picture, I see I forgot to shovel out the bed. Tomorrow is another day, with no snow forecast!

Just When We Were Getting Ahead!

We got another dump of snow! About 20 cm (8 inches) of heavy wet snow!

 It likely will be a while before i get to ride down the trail, or anywhere else for that matter.

 Brooklyn looked as if to ask "So where is a gal supposed to do her business?" I try to encourage her to leave the trails.

 Hopefully we will get a slow and steady thaw....soon! we are up high enough on the mountain that flooding is not an issue.

 Yep, there is a lot of snow. The rose bushes are burried.

 The driveway took a lot of work to get it passable. Eight trips up and down with the snow blower and then scraping with the quad and blade.

 Our training corral is slightly unusable

Come on spring! I am more than ready!

Boots and Friends

It's another warm, sunny day, and not much to do except eat and watch horses. Boots spends the majority all of his time standing guard. He has amazing patience.

Biz will be the victim for some road riding this afternoon.

More Horses and Things

Hot. +1C  and sunny! What better day for a ride? It was Alpine's turn and she was not impressed by being forced to get up and do something. It will be a while before we get to ride in the paddock due to excessive snow, however the roads were good and not too icy.

 I even let Alpine trot for about a mile! She is a trotting devil.

My outriders were away. It's hard to leave them at home. We did manage to wander up to a moose at the crossover. I figured it was going to get exciting, but Alpine listened to me (from Defcon3 level). There was a whole bunch of stiffening, but no attempt to flee, fortunately. When they are loose in the pasture and a moose shows up, there is panic, running and blowing. Good horse! she trusted me.

Sorry there are no pictures of the moose because I wasn't sure what was going to happen. It was safer just to be prepared and not to complicate the issue.

Before playtime, I took the opportunity to use the snow blower to get rid of some big drifts in front of the trailer. We may need the room. There is the possibility of a heavy snowfall on Sunday. Hope not!
Only 21 days till Spring!!!!

Cops and Robbers in Our Small Town

I had just picked up our youngest grand kid from preschool and got to our son's place when a call came in from the school that all schools were in lock down. Our oldest grand son had just gone back to his school, and a check from my son confirmed that all schools were in lock down.

It appears that a couple of folks at the courthouse jumped a sheriff, grabbed his gun and shot him. The RCMP were pretty fast in collaring him, but it appears that a bunch of shots were fired. No details on the state of the sheriff or outcome other than the lock down was lifted after about an hour. Had I been at home, I would have locked the doors and loaded up the 12 gauge with some buck shot. 

Who would have guessed this would happen in small town Whitecourt!

Update: http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/two-in-custody-after-alberta-sheriff-shot-at-whitecourt-law-courts-1.1172707#commentsForm-373087

On a lighter note, I took the opportunity to do a photo shoot of Garfield aka Chunk while I was waiting. This is a cat that thinks he is a dog, who plays with a very large Lab, and who tolerates being treated as a chew toy.

 It's hard to see, but there are 6 toes on each foot!

Another great day, but no opportunity to ride. Maybe tomorrow!

February Ride

 +3C (37F), sunny and bright! What more could a guy ask for in a ride? Biz and I wandered down the hill and watched a self-loader work the blow down area. He was loading up a semi-trailer with whole length trees. She was all right with that.

 Then we wandered into a natural gas lease and went in on the road about a mile. great! No traffic and reasonable footing. The Texas gate was plugged with snow. That's how we got in.

Brooklyn and Boots came along. By going a different route, we outfoxed the neighbourhood tag-along dogs. It was peaceful!

Self portrait.

Brooklyn crashed when we got back. Biz elected to roll in the snow to cool down and I decided to go plough off some of the loose snow on the driveway. All in all, a good day!

Then and Now

Then

 Which do you prefer?

Now