Cat at home

At home Izzy is not impressed with the snow. She thinks the Bad Tolz cats have it easy.

All this snow and where are the birds? Well it seems this one may have crash landed but found its wings on take off.

(photos by Brad)

15" of snow + 1.3" rain + 56 degrees = Mud

Just when we finally recovered from the 15" of snow it rained - a lot on night of the 25th! Once again it was raining into my office but that is another story....

Next day (Boxing Day for you Brits) we saw temperatures over 50 degrees. What do these ingredients make? Mud! I can't remember the last time we had a real Spring Mud Season here in Northern Virginia but this is just the beginning of winter. Most of us have forgotten the sound of boots and horse shoes being sucked off as you walk across the fields. Not anymore. December is ending with mud season this year. Maybe that means spring will arrive in January?! Not a chance...

They are already predicting snow for New Year's Eve.

At least we have had a beautiful pink sunset last night.

'Pink sky at night, sailors delight.' Well let's hope that means the arena will be drained enough to ride in today.

Winter has come to Virginia

The storm is over and has left us with 15" of snow; more in the surrounding area. We have already begun digging out but it looks like the weather is going to remain cold so the snow is not going anywhere any time soon! I have posted a snow photos on the gallery.

I will have to see how this is going to affect my riding. Right now I think it is going to put it on hold.... just when I was getting started for the winter. Ah well, I guess this means I have more time to spend reading and writing and recovery from 2009 clinic schedule.

In the mean time Al is enjoying using his nose as a snow shovel.

Snow in the forecast

I was supposed to be teaching at Morven Park, Leesburg VA, this weekend but we have had to cancel on account of snow! They are predicting 12 inches or more. I left New Hampshire many years ago and moved to Virginia because I got tired of the white stuff and now here it is coming after me. It seems that they have had less snow in Finland than Virginia this year.

I have started a group on Facebook called Fans of the Murdoch Method. Please feel free to join if you have a Facebook account. I started a discussion on riding in winter and how to deal with the cold. There are a couple of good ideas out there and I want to see if I can make one of those polar fleece riding skirts... but I haven't used my sewing machine in years. So we shall see.

If we really get the snow they are calling for I might just have to teach Andy or Al how to pull us along in some kind of sled. We don't have anything formal, nor do we have cross country skis like they use for skijoring but I am sure we can come up with something!

Stay tuned!