Not much more than a dusting really. Not even enough to help track a deer. But David and Likely New Bonnie's mom will be 2 of the many hunters out there trying on this 4th to the last day of open hunting season in Maine.
The view down the driveway from the little piece of "lawn" in front of our woodland log cabin. The driveway is an entire W, I'm standing at the first tip of it (where pencil strikes paper if you were to draw a W)
This is the view from starting up the slope from the cabin door to the Arena this morning on my way to do chores. Poor Sparticus has to be either in his kennel or leashed during daylight hours of hunting season. All he can do is stand there and smell the breezes.
I have walked past Scooby and am standing beside the weeks hay supply (which is palleted and tarped and semi protected) looking left towards the third shed where we are acclimating the New Bonnie to camping on Lithos.
And looking ahead across the arena.
"How much is that Pony in the Window?"
Nordri has watched me pile the breakfast hay onto the wheel barrow and she is just about to go charging out of the shed and pretend that she will run right through the divider fence to drive Dove far far away form the approaching meal wagon.
Here I have made piles of hay way out away from the narrower allies to the divided shed. You can see Willie and Lucy's shed in the background behind the arena.
Dan made sheds one and two out of 2 inch steel pipe frames. This one has steel pipe skids which makes hauling it around work well. Here I have removed the pipe from the 12 foot closed side of the front, removed two sheets of siding and hung (laced through grommets) heavy vinyl and run a sturdy rope fence high front to back to create two separate 12 x 12 sheds. All floors are made of rubber mats over sand--which have to be swept at least once a day, more often in foul weather when I have to feed them under cover to keep them from eating any sand with their hay. You can see the end of the 12 foot 6 x 6 post that is holding the bottom of the vinyl wall in place.
Willie gets fed after the Pony trio. Bear likes to try to sneak in for stay pieces of grain.
Greed always makes him push just a little too close! He nearly gets bitten at least once a week. Willie has been know to dive over his bucket and attempt to run over a dog who gets too close. Sparticus will no longer risk it, having been the target on more than one occasion. Bear however cannot overcome his greed with practical thinking.
Here you can see where Willie sleeps on the little sandy slope outside the opening of his 1/2 of shed number 2. The afternoon sun shines so nicely on this spot.
I bet getting up and down on the slope is easier on his old arthritic hocks.
This is Lucy's side of Shed #2.
She likes her grain inside and one flake of her hay.
Lucy is sensitive and although she has impressed me with her first attempt at a real winter coat at age 6, she has a wardrobe hanging in the ready for several versions possible 
of inclement weather.
While I pick manure balls out of her sand area she works on her other pile of hay. Little Bonnie is still waiting for her breakfast. I am experimenting with how to most efficiently get morning chores done in the new configuration with 6 horses. I had been making the rounds twice, once with food and then again to pick manure and sweep. Today I was later than usual so I tried doing it all in one round.
Little Miss Bonnie Bright, You can clearly see that she is not pleased, as she give me the sideways glare watching me finally on my way to bring her feed. She waited patiently for 10 extra minutes--and yes I would have dropped my manure fork and fed her faster if she had complained.
Now everyone is happy.
It has not been very cold since I filled the water tubs yesterday. Soon enough Breaking ice will become part of the daily rutine.
This weekend I will be burning the second set of pine tree piles, finishing the third shed, doing some pony training. and riding Lucy for the first time in 7 weeks now! The Fjords are so sluggish and seemingly unhappy about being ridden around the arena that to trot is absolutely exhausting --for the RIDER. This is a completely new issue for me. I have only had horses that were too forward or just right. We are going to try out an excercise that I saw Bryan Nuebert teach once. I'll post details.
Ready to leave for the commute to the big city of westbrook. I couldn't hardly believe last night that my wimpy little Prius made it up the driveway over the slightly slushy dusting of snow. I almost wished it hadn't when I contemplated the drive back down this morning over slightly more solid icy snow.
But off I went.
And look I even had traction enough to stop and snap two pictures!
What a huge difference it makes having the right surface material!!!!
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