The Really Bad, No-Good, Awful Monday

Just last night I was lamenting that I really had nothing to blog about. I haven't sat on Carmen or been able to do any ground work for a few weeks with the weather. My time with the horses consists of grooming and feeding of cookies.

cute face looking for cookies

who can resist this face?

Alternate title: Be Careful What You Wish For. (ominous fore-shadowing)

Last night we had a winter storm. It started as snow around 8 p.m. but overnight turned to rain. This morning the farm looked like a sheet of ice but it was actually deep slush. Things looked okay around the barn so I went in to get their breakfast ready.

When I walked into Carmen's stall the shavings felt squelchy under foot. I took a second look and saw that her stall was flooded.

Alternate Title: I Hate Mondays (well any day with a nasty surprise)

I gave her and Irish their feed and hay, headed into the house to ask Ed for help and then grabbed a shovel. I have drainage ditches around the barn but they were full of slush which was preventing the water from getting carried away.

Between the two of us we got the ditches cleared out and the water flowing. Ed then went and got on the tractor to clear out by the stall doors while I did some more shovelling.

All of this before coffee.

Alternate Title: Love is Shovelling Snow to Save the Horses Because You Love Your Wife (too long I know).

Once it was clear I let the horses out and went in the house to have coffee. I then headed back out to
clean the stalls.

So much mess

Alternate Title: FML (short and punchy don't you think?)

It took forever.

Thank God for shop vacs. Also, they are foul evil things. I can just picture them being invented by a group of engineers:

Here, look, I have invented this thing that is powerful and very useful. 

And it looks like R2D2- super cool. 

But it's not evil enough. What can we do to make it both a blessing and a curse? 

Well, let's put teeny wheels on it that only work on the smoothest of surfaces. 'Cause who's going to use it on those?

Yeah! and then have it move in random directions so that it's guaranteed to either stub a toe and/or bruise a shin. 
*enthusiastic nodding*

Daryll, you are a genius. Now, I've constructed a hose that is stiff to make it impossible to unwind but when it does go it will fly up and hit you in the face. 
*applause*

Now you're talking! And, and, and, we can put on a cord that is long enough to make the user optimistic but short enough to be just unable to reach the thing needed to be shop vacced.  

Ta Dah! It's now totally rad. 

*high fives all around*

*ahem* Anywho....

In the end I got the stalls cleaned up and the wet bedding put in the manure pile. During the day I kept making sure that the ditches were running. In between the weather alternated between sunshine, hail and snow.

Early afternoon I was out futzing around the stall doors and Irish's door seemed to be stuck. I pulled on it. It wouldn't move. So I pushed it.  And it fell off the track.

Really Universe? You couldn't wait for this little gem?

Alternate Title: Things Can Always Get Worse (sigh). 

I sent another text to Ed and he came out to help. Together we got it down. Turns out that the bolt holding the front runner on had come off. Fortunately Ed had the part to fix. But we couldn't get it back up between us. The snow was built up and the water was making it all hard. So Ed called a friend to come and help. They got it together. Hopefully, it will hold until a real fix can be made when things thaw.

We are entertained.

Things seem to be calm now. My back is killing me. On the plus side I got my steps in (actually by 11 a.m) and the water is continuing to drain. But the temperatures are dropping and I will be shocked if Irish's door is not frozen solid in the morning.

Alternate Title: Cross that Bridge When You Get To It (cross your fingers). 

Carmen enjoying her nice fluffy shavings and clean stall.