First Frost

Last night we had our first frost.  It was 34F when we went outside to do chores.  The sun was bouncing off the ice crystals on the roof so that they glittered like sequins.

The horses and donkeys were standing in the sun, seeking warmth after the cold night.

Lucy has grown a nice thick winter coat and has shown no signs of being cold.  In fact, she seems to be thriving in her new environment.  When she arrived, we referred to her as "the princess" but she is slowly evolving into a happy muddy fuzzy outdoor horse.  Don't get me wrong, she is still a drama queen and will always want all the attention, but the pristine princess who had many changes of clothes is fading away.

Since Lucy won't let me look at another animal (horse, dog, goat) without pitching a jealous fit, Pistol and I have been sneaking around on her.  In the evening, I go into the pasture to muck from the back gate which is behind the mare's run-in shed.  Lucy is always glued to the main gate, watching for Brett and the hay cart.  Pistol comes into the back area and meets me at the gate.  There, hidden by the run-in shed, I love on Pistol.  I groom her, using my fingers as a curry comb and brushing away the dirt with my other hand.  I rub her belly the way I've watched Buffy do it when she visits. Tonight, for the first time, Pistol turned her head to me and returned the favor.  I allowed it for a few seconds (she was using her upper lip to wiggle me a back a massage) and then I thanked her and said that was enough.  I'm not ready for her to move on to using her teeth -- and she probably never would -- but I want to maintain that boundary.  Lucy didn't have a clue.