Monday was one of those days that makes me hate winter. I woke up to find that freezing rain had left a healthy layer of ice over every surface. My driveway looked like a luge run and when I got to the barn, the steps, the fencing and every flat surface gleamed. Just walking down to the barn was out of the question. The steps were covered with ice and even the wooden fencing was completely coated.

Walking down to the barn was tricky and I’m sure I looked ridiculous. I inched my way along the fence line, cursing the fact that I’d left my gloves in the barn. I stopped to admire the frozen pine needles and to look for a less slippery route, but there really wasn’t one.

Freedom and Willow were crunching their way over to me; although every blade of grass was covered with ice,

they were pretty stable on their feet. Icicles dripped from their blankets and the hair around their ears glistened in the sun.

I can remember the last time I saw ice that was so pervasive. Since we have no snow on the ground, the grass and the pine needles looked like the were under glass.

However, it’s time for me to find my Yaks Trax, or at least dig out a pair of boots with some grip to their soles. I was wearing my Muck boots, which, after many seasons of use, are like driving on bald tires. It made walking even on the flattest surfaces not much fun.

Of course, with the crazy weather that we’ve been having, the ice didn’t last. The very next day it was warm and rainy and in the midst of all that mud, I almost missed the ice.