Author: Elaine

Ice Fog

December 08, 2007 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

One or twice each winter, we will have one of these weird gray days when the snow falls continuously, but the rate of evaporation equals the snow fall so there is no accumulation beyond an inch or so. As usual when this weather occurs, the horses are ignoring their stalls where they could stay dry and standing braced against the snow instead. Every once in a while I will look out and catch the horses playing in the snow. Hap is still a graceful creature, even at the age of 22: the other two, not so much.

Borscht

Today I had a cup of cold Borscht from the deli across the street. I had forgotten that borscht can be served cold, and it was a freezing day. Once I got over the shock of cold soup when I was hoping for hot soup, I enjoyed it. I am fairly certain that I had borscht before and liked it, but can’t remember if I had the cold or hot version.

Google Maps

November 20, 2007 – Click on image for higher resolution version.

When Google Maps first became available, we noticed that the entrance to our drive way was shown as being near our northwest property line, instead of near the southwest corner.  Google now allows you to move markers. In this satellite photo found on Google, you can clearly see the difference between our main horse field and the one we enclosed several years later and still call the new field. You can also see the track that leads through the new field to the gate to the old field. I am surprised that it is so clear because it only gets driven on one or twice a month.

German Night Sauerbraten

Last Saturday we had a pot-luck with a German theme.  I had always wanted to make sauerbraten, so I made what looks like a traditional Sauerbraten recipe from the Food Network.  However, I also decided to try a much simpler version (skipping the marinating step) called Crock Pot Sauerbraten (the first of the two recipes at this link).

Although the traditional recipe turned out well, my guests and I preferred the Crock Pot Sauerbraten.  The only change I made to the recipe at the link was to brown the meat in a little olive oil before putting it and the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot.  The ingredients (including a 3.75 pound roast) almost over-flowed the crock pot, and I would use a larger size next time if I had one.

Updated 11/10:  I’ve posted the recipe with my changes at Crock Pot Sauerbraten.

Habits

In the year Hap lived elsewhere, I’d manage to forget several of his habits.  The least objectionable of these is the “empty the stock tank on a warm day” habit.  Now, mind you, he doesn’t drink the water:  instead he uses his head to scoop the water over his forelegs, chest and neck.  It is very entertaining to watch but makes  a muddy mess around the stock tank.  Fortunately, the hydrant is over the stock tank, so it doesn’t take much effort to fill it.

I am less fond of his habit of pinning his ears and attacking Rags over the partition between the two stalls as I put Rags’ horse chow into his feed bucket.  Hap looks more like a velociraptor than a well-bred Thoroughbred when he does this.  Rags pays no apparent attention to these attacks, although he is careful to stand just far enough away from the partition that Hap can’t actually connect.   Or perhaps Hap doesn’t really want to risk retaliation by connecting since Rags is the dominant of the two horses.  I try to remember to warn my critter sitters since it is a bit startling the first time one sees it happen. I think it is akin to dogs’ fence fighting, which is also very annoying.

Not Good

I seem to have three tons of hay the horses don’t like.  It looks like good, nutritious hay and presumably the horses will start eating it before they starve to death.  In the meantime I am getting tired of going out to feed and finding the hay  from the previous feeding arranged in artistic drifts.