Winterizing...yuck

So, the horses' blankets are out from storage (and have already been used!), the water tank heaters are installed and running, but as I write this, the chickens are still waiting for their heated pail. But they're in a nice, insulated coop, and the water isn't quite freezing at night yet. The girls are disappointing their egg consumers...we have some egg customers, and they are going to have to pass on our eggs for winter. Some people put lights on to fake them into having longer days...the way I figure it, they work pretty hard producing those eggs, and they can have a break! I like to let nature take its course. So....I'm only picking up one, maybe two, eggs a day from 9 hens!

My banana trees have all been dug up and are now in the house (potted, but hacked off, I'm going to let them start growing again thru winter), my cannas are dug up till next year...and it's just all stuff I don't want to think about. I want summer back! I guess it's time to get me a winter hobby....I have a sleigh/cutter in my basement, and a belly strap of sleighbells in the garage, maybe it's time I train a horse to use it?

So....for the updates. Blue hates sharing her space with Natage (the one-eyed bandit....), but I kinda think that's what ya get when you put a younger horse in with a 30 year old timid one. She's not had a problem with others... but they're doing ok. She's not hurting him or anything.... Kissy....well, it's been two months since her steriod shots...seems like longer, but that's it. She's doing some limping here and there again, and I've noticed her attitude has changed a little. I hope this isn't what our winter is going to be like. I want her to be pain free. So she has her 10x20' stall that she can come into, rubber matted, and deeply bedded...so I know if she's feeling a little under the weather, she's not a nice place to sleep. She's getting pain medication once a day, her weight is good...I'm just keeping an eye on her pain and attitude. The vet hoped she'd get at least three months on these shots, and I do too, because they're quite pricey...actually more than I can realistically do if it's going to be quite a bit more often than that.

Magic, one of our minis, had his fun for Halloween again this year, and his picture even made it into our local newspaper. His headless horseman costume had NO wardrobe malfunctions this time around, and he had quite a crowd meet us to join him. I'm so torn...it has become a tradition to take Magic every year, a tradition I'd like to continue, but at the same time, I'd really like to give my Shrek idea a try.... dress up as shrek, and take on of my mini donkeys instead. Quite a decision!

Soon time for Christmas decorating...and all eight of our barn critters have their own stocking with their name on it...they'll be hung in the stalls....Deck the stalls!