Icy Conditions

We had a cold start but it was predicted for the temperature to start rising and the rain to start falling later this morning. Our walk was uneventful but the ice cleats were really needed.  After the walk I left for the Berean office. There were cars in the ditch, Hanna City Glasford road had almost drifted shut with just one lane open in some areas. Almost all the schools in the area where we live and west of us were closed because of drifting snow.  We had a good productive day at the Berean office. If you would like to read about our morning there click HERE.
A light rain had started by the time we left that office which was freezing as soon as it fell.  Trying to get up our drive was interesting. The snow tires work on snow but there was just too much ice on top of the snow and the car couldn't get much traction. I made it up to the garage but then started sliding sideways. The car was put in park but slid all the way around until it was facing the garage and backed into a snowbank. The car was just turned off and left there. Karin's work had been called off and she offered to meet me at the barn this afternoon to try to get the barn doors open. Karin got her car stuck at mom's house, was able to back all the way to the dam and get a run at it to get up to the barn. The barn doors were shut on Sunday and accidentally left shut. With the below zero temperatures on Monday morning they were frozen shut. We tried to open them on Monday but gave up knowing today it was suppose to be above freezing. A bale will be needed in the far paddock by tomorrow and to move bales the barn doors must be open.  Karin and I worked together chopping ice from under and around and after a good hour were able to open the doors. At that point Karin brought in Ayanna, Rosalie and Indy while I kept working on digging a track out under the doors so we could open and close them easier.  A pickax was used, slamming it into the frozen ground over and over then digging out the debris with frozen fingers and shovels.
Dan came over this evening to help open the barn doors and was glad that had already been accomplished.
Karin's rides were quite entertaining. She would ride one of the mares while the other 2 were just loose in the arena. 3 or 4 times the snow would start sliding off the roof with a crash which would send the mares galloping toward the other end of the arena and each time Karin would need to try to stop the mare she was riding before slamming into a tractor, hay bale or another mare.

This evening at one point there was a truck stuck on the main drive, a van stuck in our drive and a third vehicle behind those 2 waiting in line to get stuck.   Mike was able to bring his truck to the top of our hill, spread sand then help the van get to the top.

The freezing rain is suppose to turn to snow tomorrow morning and again they are predicting below zero temperatures.  We have moved the truck and Mark's car into the indoor arena to keep the ice from freezing those vehicles shut. Mark is going to try to spread sand on the hill tomorrow morning. Winter sure makes things hard. So let's do another age challenge. This time of Jewel. Jewel was born April 30th, 2008 out of our 23 year old Thoroughbred mare Grace by Raven. We didn't even know Grace was expecting until she was 9 months pregnant. I had been grooming Grace, turned to answer someone and was leaning up against her when I felt a foal kicking. We knew Raven had covered her once but thought she was too old to conceive much less on just one cover. 

We were pretty thrilled for a safe delivery and a beautiful bay filly and determined this filly would never be for sale. We named her Grace's Crown Jewel.  Below she is almost 4 months old August 14th, 2008

We bred her to Evan and she had her first foal, a beautiful all black filly August 30th, 2012.

Jewel's foals by Evan are all amazing movers but more than that they have presence, grace, train-ability and sweet dispositions. The picture below of Jewel was taken about a week before she delivered her 2018 filly by Evan.

and the next picture was taken after her filly was born.

Jewel is a very fun mare for the trails and the girls have always had fun showing Jewel when she isn't busy raising a foal. Below is at the PRC show in 2014

Jewel was bred back to Evan and is due May 10th, 2019. The foal will either be black or bay but what ever color we know it will be another special one!