May 1st Snow

It's May 1st. Hard to believe when I look out the window. It certainly doesn't LOOK like May 1st. In fact, it looks more like February.


We've been dealing with rain since yesterday morning. Saturday night I started blanketing horses in preparation for this storm. I hadnt' really paid much attention to the weather until someone said something about snow. Snow?!?! In May? It's not unheard of but still, a few snowflakes. Nope, 2-4 inches.


I have learned from past experience that this time of year is actually much worse than when we are dealing with a polar vortex in the middle of winter. Once the horses get wet, they get chilled and can't get warm. I don't want to deal with any more sick horses. Bo is the only sick one right now and he's still sick, even after two weeks of omeprazal and the cough is still there. So I don't have the energy to deal with more sick horses.


So on went the blankets Saturday night. I sort of thought maybe I was over reacting. But I woke up Sunday morning to a bit of rain and snow. Yup, glad I put blankets on most, the others wouldn't let me. So I went out to do chores in the morning Sunday and put blankets on a couple of more (the only two that would let me). By the time I got back in, I was back to thinking I was over reacting again. I can't win! But at least the chill is off of them.


But by 4pm, I was glad I had put blankets on everyone that I could. We are down a few blankets. Winters are tough and we lost a couple. I swear the Sanctuary horses have a death wish for blankets. Anyway, it started raining, and raining, and raining. I figured I'd better get out to do chores. I was soaked after just a short time but figured the rain would let off and it would be back to the way it was, thinking I was over reacting.


An hour later I get a message from work saying that I didn't have to come in because the weather was going to be bad. What?!?! They didnt' cancel work but they said we could stay home. Oh man! That means it really IS going to be bad.


So back out I went to put everyone into stalls that I could squeeze in. We don't have enough stalls or enough blankets. What I would give for a 20 horse stall where I didn't have to lead them in, to just open the doors and have them walk into their own stalls would be wonderful!


I wont' go into details on who went where and all that. You can see in the videos I posted on Facebook. I think I was overly tired by the time I finally got done (hence the odd videos). I apparently was much more stressed out this weekend than I had though (family stuff).


By the time I went to bed last night, the rain hadn't let up. It was raining steady (and hard) all that time. When I went to bed, I took a peek and sure enough the rain had switched to snow. I sure was glad to have horses in. Everyone was cold and shivering when I put them in last night.


This morning I woke to ankle deep snow. I'm guessing that's about 2-3 inches. But it's still snowing. I put Bo back into his pasture even though I KNOW he wanted to go back with the rest of the herd. But he let out a huge cough, which tells me he is no better today than he was when I hauled him to the vet. Of course I was hoping that his cough would go away but this weather certainly doesn't help with it.


I let the mares and Junior out and they were unimpressed with being out in the snow. Yes, it's still snowing. 12 hours later and it's still going. The trees are starting to really sag.


I'm going to stay safe and warm in the house and let all the crazy people go to work today. Who doesn't need a day off from the paying job?


Happy May Day Everyone!!