November 15, 2022
We have survived Fiona, just!! But there is so much wood that has to be moved. One man on a regular basis, 3 hours at a time is not going to put much of a dent in the wood mass. But the good thing is a spot is being cleared in the woods, so if need be the herd will have some shelter from wild winds this winter. The adventure grove is no more. It was a spruce grove and gave me great shelter from road traffic. I had no idea of the amount of traffic on the Millvale Road, and they do whiz by. I am much more aware of night traffic now, so many night lights I had no idea.
Much sorrow this month, oldies, oldies, I promised them the summer on the grass. Of course this just saved me from the final decision. Over twenty their teeth become nubs and it is difficult to chew dry hay. We have supplemented with Alfalfa cubes in the past. But logistics are, with the cost of cubes rising, it will be close to $150 per horse per month and there are six horses which equals $900 extra a month. And the fact that when you replace the free choice hay with cubes you must feed three times a day; their stomachs can only hold so much at a time. This is physically impossible for me and the help to do on a daily basis. My staff do not live at the barn, therefore cost of gas is figured into this dilemma Most of these guys and gals have been under our care for 18 years or more, I have done the best I could do with the resources I had. Such a hole in my heart to see them cross the rainbow bridge.
Except for Fiona, the fall weather has been a gift to get things done. Today I did the last prep for winter by putting the ice breaker in the tub. There was a thin layer of ice this morning so it is not before time. Just a reminder that if you have an electric heater in your tubs. Be sure to ground the tub. I put a brick in mine and it is wired to the grounding pole. It is important if you want the horses to drink lots of water. YouTube has a couple of very good videos explaining the reason why and how to do it.
There were great plans afoot to set the bunkhouse back on its blocks, plans were aborted. Enviro Canada gave us the promise of high winds and much rain on the 12th of November. It takes a bit of organizing to get a crew and machinery coordinated for the job. So that job is still on the TO DO list. To date I have logged 102 hours of work accomplished by friends of the Sanctuary felling trees, moving brush, fencing, fencing, fencing, wiring insulators to Tbars and tightening wire. There is still more to do.
Evenings are quiet at the barn, Melanie, my resident Equine Massage Therapist is visiting family in England and Italy. Max and Gert are building their tiny home next door. This has been Maxine’s dream every since they arrived at the barn from Europe. It is amazing the work they have accomplished and I am sure they will be moving the furniture before the winter sets in.
Zoe Novaczek has taken over the herd management role. She has been a Trailblazer of 25 years or so. Zoe knows the herd and she knows the work. It did not take her long to get into the routine again. In her youth she was responsible for starting quite a few of the oldies. There were quite a few Standies in the herd, just off the track. In those days I was able to give each Trailblazer a challenge working with one of them. Ahh the times we had, the memories they made for me, it keeps me going. Take care and help each other out, winter is beginning, it is going to be costly to keep warm.
Love and hugs from Yogi and the herd.