A Vaguely Gloomy Week

This past week, a glacier descended over us. I and my Red Mare Herd (and my fat donkey and Bert) were "safely" imprisoned inside the barn, lest we find ourselves unable to cope with the ice and injure ourselves. Considering the near spreadeagle and faceplant my fat donkey performed, I understand the humans' concerns and their need to reassure themselves by containing the lessor abled equines, but...

I grew up in North Dakota. NORTH Dakota. Much colder and icier than South Dakota, much less Ohio.

It was a very boring time. I didn't have my window open, because the bracing, refreshing breeze might have chilled the older members of my herd. The doors were battened closed lest the fat donkey wander and fall through a crevice in the glacier. We were allowed to wander the hallway of the barn at times (I, singly), to at least stretch our legs a little bit, but it was so boring.

Mother came up one of the days and filled my hay bags for the rest of my sentence, and distributed Herballs to the inmates.  It was nice to always have hay in there, although the others complained that I made too much noise all night as I ripped, ripped, RIPPED hay out through the teeny tiny small holes of the hay bag.

Jealousy is such an ugly thing.

At long last, the humans felt they had melted enough of the ice that it was safe to lead us to the pasture. Really, the ice was worst in the barn yard and the close areas of the small... the places where we most congregate. I, as leader and sworn protector, was taken out first to test the footing. A good rousing gallop was enjoyed. I'M FROM NORTH DAKOTA!!!! I can handle a little pansy wansy Ohio ice storm.

The humans waited until I had gotten my fidgets out, and then the rest of the herd joined me in moving about. Things have settled back to the regular pattern, and Belle and I are once again out all the time with our run-in. It's nice to be able to groom and chat... the way the barn is set up, I could only see Belle if one of us was on a leg stretching break in the hallway during our imprisonment. The aunts even salted the way to the water trough (presumably so Belle could get to it without injuring herself)... really, is she that delicate?

I may have to rethink my plans of escaping with her and moving back to North Dakota, after all...