Beyond the chores

The Little Rancher has made it through her first winter.

Breaking ice, hauling buckets, pitching hay, shoveling manure, brushing, picking, none of it seemed to slow her down.  But now that Misty is on pasture and has access to an artesian spring, chores have taken on a new meaning.

Setting her alarm for 6:10am, the Little Rancher continues to go out.  One day I asked, "Are you still feeding hay in the morning?"  She replied, "Only if she needs it.  There's not much to do anymore, but I still go out just to talk to her."

Most mornings Misty comes running when the Little Rancher calls out.  It seems even horses appreciate a daily routine, and you never know when a pan full of grain might be waiting.  But one day she wasn't quite ready to wake up and stayed in the back pasture.  The Little Rancher wandered back and had a seat.  Sharing the warm Spring sun is the reward for those long, dark Winter mornings.