Dang, it's cold outside!

It's been snowing all morning, and we've warmed up to a toasty 10 degrees.  Needless to say we'll be staying home today... I'll make a fire later to take the chill off the house, and after dinner I'll let the kids talk me into making s'mores. 

I'd make a fire now except I'm still so chilled from going out to the barn earlier to feed the animals that I can't face the cold walk out to the wood pile to bring in more wood.

It seemed to take forever at the barn this morning... which is probably why I got so cold. I had to clean out the stalls, then clean the snow out of the feeders and move them inside so Murphy and the donkeys didn't have to stand outside to eat (when the weather is dry they'd rather be outside, but I feed them inside when it's snowing or raining). 

Once that was done I fed them, and broke the ice on the little feeder before filling it again with buckets of water brought from the barn (too cold to use the hose). Then I put Tilly's coat on her and filled more water buckets to put in the stalls (it's important that they drink enough when it's cold, but they don't always want to).

It's actually kind of fun working out in the barn when it's this cold... I like the way the hammer I use to break the ice... wet with water from the trough... becomes glazed with ice before I even have a chance to put it away.

I love the warm fuzziness of Murphy and the donkeys, and the way their breath steams in front of their nostrils.

I even love the walk through the dark to the barn... the way the frozen snow crunches under my foot with each step... and how wonderfully warm and welcoming the house feels after being outside when it's really cold.

I guess I'm easily entertained...

All in all I was only out there about 30 minutes, and was bundled up (flannel lined jeans...

...sweatshirt, thick "hunting" socks inside my mud boots, heavy coat, scarf, hat, and two pair of gloves...

...snowmobile gloves inside work gloves. But even with all that, I was COLD when I got back inside again and still haven't warmed up.

I think multiple cups of hot chocolate is probably the only cure for my chills...

Mmm... I'd better get started.

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