Snow!

We woke up this morning to our first snowfall for the season. It wasn't more than a dusting to start out with (and actually in our location, while the snow has kept falling all day, we haven't gotten that much accumulation). While the alpacas have a warm cozy barn, it sits empty:



Instead, they cush outside. This morning I found spots all over the pasture, outlines in the dusting of snow where they were cushed overnight:





Here the dams are eating grain in the distance, a few cush spots in the front of the picture:



The alpacas don't mind the snow. Even the cria have snow sitting on their backs:




I like snow. I know many adults who don't, but to me, it's the cold I don't like. If it's going to be cold, I might as well have snow to look at. The dreary brownness that encompasses our outdoors otherwise is very depressing. The snow brightens it up. And now that I have good outdoor gear, I don't mind the cold. The trick is in the layers of clothing. I do find the chores are a bit harder to accomplish in the snow. Grain and hay are pretty much the same no matter the weather, though they do eat more hay in the cold. Hauling water is a lot harder. I miss using the hoses that make it so easy in the summer time. Poop scooping is the job that is much more difficult in the snow. The worst is cleaning up the boys' area and hauling the full wheel barrow back that 1/3 mile in the snow uphill:



It's not easy when the wheel barrow is empty though either, as Spot seems to think he has to stand directly in my way:



I managed to get a picture of how Spot looks when he's pretending he doesn't know me:



I don't mind the chores. I figure that is my workout for the day. And after spending much of my day sitting by a desk, the activity is not only good for me, but raises my spirits.