Happy Halloween

Selena on porch rail

Halloween is a time to honor the goblins that haunt Moondance Ranch.   Goblins are elusive, and it's hard to photograph them.

Coyote

A hawk perches on the Ponderosa Pine outside our bedroom window.  He seems to have a co-op with the Great Horned Owl.  The hawk takes off at twilight, and the owl takes his place.  The owl wakes me with his soft woo-woo-woo-woo-woo.  He is too elusive to photograph.  So far.

A hawk takes flight.  Can you see him in the lower right?

The horses had a lovely Halloween.  So did we.

Boomer gets an apple from Chris, Clifford (sitting) and Rebecca.

Zan and Diana share a laugh and a peppermint.

After the Blizzard

Ok, we had a blizzard. On Day 1, we did limited pasture turnout, then run-only turnout. Day 2 was worse. We started with run turnout, then went to stall confinement with the top half of the run doors open, but we finally had to lock them completely in.

This morning we looked out the bedroom window at the snow -

The View from the Bedroom

Then we looked out the living room window at the snow. We can usually see Pikes Peak, but not this morning.

The View from the Living Room

Then we went to the barn. The horses couldn't wait to get out.

Paj plows a snow drift

Here Paj demonstrates how blankets get ripped -

Paj (left) and Reggie

Boomer (left) and Zan

Snow Prep

All of my photographs are looking a little blurry. It might have something to do with dropping David's camera in the snow when I took the "Footprints in the Snow" pictures. If the photo quality doesn't improve, David will be getting exactly the same thing for Christmas this year as last year - a new camera.

Yesterday was sunny and cool.

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Pikes Peak
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The horses were happy to get out in the pastures.

. Reggie - Leave me alone! I'm not going back in, ever!

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Zan - It's so bright out here!

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Today is much warmer, but we are expecting a snow storm tonight. We spent the day getting ready for the storm.
.Hooking up the snowplow felt a little strange in 55 degree weather.

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We stocked up on bedding
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We filled the hay barn
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And most important, we got the horses exercised.
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David and Boomer

Footprints in the Snow

We've had another snow here at Moondance, just enough to be picturesque.
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Zan shakes the snow off after a good roll.
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Paj and Boomer

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Here's some footprints in the snow -


Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
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Cottontail

Jack Rabbit
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Clydesdale

Cold Snap

We came through the cold snap in fine form. Our coldest day had a low of 16 degrees, and a high of 25. It was cold, but it was pretty. The Ponderosas were snow-flocked,

and the aspens were covered with ice.

.The barn stayed above freezing,

and the horses were anxious to get back out to pasture. Here Zan and Paj transform from restless to content as they go from runs to pasture -