Hazey Crisp Morning

The air was crisp and cool the other morning, and I snapped a quick shot, while I was at the horse farm, of the bizarre post-apocalypticesque sun as it broke through the low laying clouds. We've had the strangest weather this fall and while it's really to my advantage as a late season gardener, it's kind of making me nervous. I have to wonder if this is an indication of what is to come in weather. Global warming seems to be doin' it's thing...
Michigan is known for dropping twenty degrees over night (60's to 40's, or even 30's in 12 hours) to start off the winter season. So far we've had at least one drop like that, but then a week later we were back in the 60's. The forcase for now looks like 60-62 daytime highs for the rest of the week, and sunny. If we had a smidge more rain I'd be a happy (albeit skeptical) camper, but I guess I should just enjoy this while we've got it. I'll be eating my words in a month when we're frozen solid!
I pulled my horses blankets off after the bit of freezing rain we'd had while I was out of town this weekend and they were all happy to lose the bulk so that they could go roll and run around like maniacs. Of course after pulling their blankets on they all refused to be caught for their lessons and caused quite a stir while I ran around with treats trying to calm them down. They really can be a tricky bunch. They're all mares, 5 arabian, 2 half arabian, and their intelligence makes them a real challange when they work together!
The winter is always a financially trying time for us since I am a professional riding instructor and my DH is a professional comic book artist/creator. My income really depends on the weather so if we have a mild winter, everybody gets to eat well. If we have a rough winter it's ramen noodles and straight grass hay! Of course our animals eat better than we do most winters, but that's a fact I've come to embrace.

On a final note, we had a scare this morning when our kitty, Harrison, started hacking like he had fluid in his lungs. He has a grade 3 heart murmur and so fluid is a big deal. After the vet visit however it turns out he has severe hair balls, one of which was stuck in his colon. Yikes! He wasn't fussed at all by the vet visit, as usual. He's the most laid back kitty I know, and this trip we brought Basil with him so that hopefully Harrison's calm could maybe rub off on Basil a bit for a friendly visit to the vet. Ah well... maybe next time

Harrison kept trying to get Basil to play with him, but Basil was far too preoccupied by her nerves.