They're horses. I'm not.
January 6, 2010 
I love a good snow day.
I especially love a good snow day when I happen to have a bucket of chicken in my fridge.
Forget the hot chocolate, forget the steaming bowl of soup... There's a bucket of chicken in the house. Nothing else matters.
O.k., o.k., that's not true. I love me a good hot chocolate or bowl of soup. They're just even better when they're available in addition to a bucket of chicken.
And by the way, did I mention that I do have a bucket of chicken in my fridge today and it's snowing? That's where this whole line of thought has come from, just in case you were wondering.
I did not, and am not going to take picture of the chicken to put up with this post. I think we all know what fried chicken looks like.
And if I showed you pictures of it, it would just be like rubbing your nose in the fact that maybe you don't have fried chicken in your home right now, and that would just be cruel. I would never do that to you.
Mother Nature is breaking her deal with us shivering souls here in Minnesota. I thought that when it was SO cold (I don't think we've been much above zero all week, if at all) it wasn't supposed to snow. But you know what? It's snowing! Again. And tonight? It's supposed to keep on snowing, and then start blowing.
Not good.
For me, personally, it's not so bad. I don't have any need to venture out of the house for the next several days. That makes me grateful to the depths of my soul. Knowing that I can remain here, safe with my children until this storm subsides is a great peace of mind. (Knock on wood.)
However, I do feel bad for these guys...
I know they're tough. I know their hair is thick and their bellies are full and they have shelter. I know that there's really nothing we can do but give them that shelter and keep their bellies full. But it is COLD. And the wind is only going to make it colder.
I daydream about making them little stalls in our garage. (It's not heated, but it's insulated so it stays a lot warmer than being outside.) I envision them, all bedded down and warm in the straw, sleeping peacefully until the sunshine and stillness return.
Then I remember that they would be freaked out by all of the -- to them -- strange stuff in there and the sound of concrete under their hooves. Then they would poop and pee all over (sorry... just trying to visit the reality of the situation here) and it would be a ridiculous mess, the whole time with them wondering why they were banished to this strange new entrapment.
This makes me feel slightly better about their outdoor plight. They're horses. They're made for this. They're used to it. It's what they know. It will all be o.k. (Knock on wood.)
In the meantime, even as my heart goes out to all livestock everywhere today and tonight, I will hunker down here in the house and eat my fried chicken. Because you know what? I'm not a horse. I'm not made for this. I'm not used to it. I've lived in Minnesota for the greater part of my life (and the other part was in Colorado) and I'm still not used to it.
Thank you, Jesus, for our warm home and our good food. Please keep watch over the animals tonight. Amen.
Reader Comments (1)
Beautiful pictures! My hubby is in Minnesota right now. He said that yesterday it was -20. So I quit whining about our cold and snow.
Enjoy that bucket of chicken!