I really feel sorry...

I really feel sorry for the neighbor's donkeys.

The poor things have no shelter in this bitter cold weather.  Weather that has already seen two snowfalls since Oct 15 and temps down in the single digits.  Those poor donkeys, their personal pets, are stuck in the backyard in these horrible conditions, conditions that neither man nor beast should have to suffer.

Several years back, Bernalillo County mandated that livestock MUST have shelter if kept in small areas, in other words, if they are not out on the open range but are kept in paddocks, etc.  At the time, I spoke against increasing animal rights encroachments upon the property rights of animal owners.  I still do not agree with the greatest part of the animal ordinance, but I can see the value of this portion, especially after seeing their animals suffer from being out in the elements.

In the past, the neighbors were cited for not having any shelters for the adoption donkeys.  After being cited, they built some run-in sheds for that group of animals.  However, those donkeys are easily seen by anyone traveling up and down County Line Road, whereas, their personal donkeys are kept in the backyard, which is hidden from the general public's view.  So, their pets go without and their pets have been going without for several years now.

The poor things...  They are out there in the rain, in the snow, in ice storms, etc. Their only shelter is provided by the lee of the house and that only protects from the north and west.  If we get a sou'wester, the animals will be even more exposed to the elements.

Donkeys Out in the Rain, Summer 2013

This past summer, during a bad storm, they were standing in the rain as it poured down in buckets. There was no escape and little protection from the rain provided by the remaining trees in the yard.  I'm quickly becoming of the opinion that the neighbors should not have any animals, let alone donkeys.

Now it's cold and conditions are not dry. There is nothing worse than being cold & wet. I've seen the donkeys with icicles hanging off of them!  Surely, that cannot be good for them.  It is very sad.

Poor things....

Baby It's Cold Outside...

Brrrr...

Damn!  It's 10:40 a.m. and it is ONLY 22 degrees F outside!  The thermometer needs to be calibrated!

And, it's snowing....  The greyhounds don't want to go out.  They're curled up into tiny balls and occupying the warmest places they can find.

Nampa burrowed in a comforter on the bed

So, since everyone is as snug as a bug in a rug, I've only one thing left to say....

Lyricist Sammy Cahn & Composer Jule Styne, July 1945

Snow?

Oh good grief!   It's too early!  It's not even Halloween...

This morning, we awoke to SNOW???

Yes, snow.

Still, I shouldn't complain. We have between 1/2" - 1" while the more northern town of Cimarron has 3" and that's at 6:45 a.m.  Not sure how much more we're gonna get.

Snow on Dog House - 16 Oct 2013

Last night, this snow started out as rain.  Rob & I were watching TV when we heard thunder.  Both of us where like, "What?  Thunder?  Nah...." and then we heard the distinctive sound of hail hitting the windows.  Hmmm...  sure enough....  must have been thunder.  Upon closer examination, the hail revealed itself to be little, round snowballs, which is called "grauple".

At 7:02 a.m., the temperature is 32.5 deg F.

EXTENDED FORECAST
	Today Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers likely in the morning...then partly cloudy with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the west 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.
	Tonight Clear. Lows in the lower to mid 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph in the evening.

Snow....  Just way too early in the season.  I think it's going to be a long, cold, hard one.

Elaine

Brrrrr......

Brrrrr..... Yesterday, we had the coldest day on record here at the Summerhill house since we moved here in 1993. Yesterday, for the very first time, temperatures in the early morning, i.e., 6am, were sub zero! Yeppers.... you heard me right.... SUB ZERO! Yesterday at 6:30 am, it was -10 degrees F. Today, if Weatherunderground is correct, it is much warmer at 14 F. Still brrrrr..... I wonder if this is what it's like in the winter in Alaska?

Funny thing about greyhounds....

Greyhounds are supposed to have short hair and no excess body fat. Many, if not all, greyhound owners put their dogs in coats and blankets when the weather turns cold. So, here it is steadily getting colder over the past week to reach yesterday's record low temp of -10 F with 6" of snow on the ground. Being a good owner, I put polar fleece blankets on the dogs and turn them out for the day. All day long, I'm worried over the hounds because it is absolutely bitter cold. I'm worried they'll have frostbite. I'm worried that they'll be frozen and dead. I'm just very worried about them being out in the cold! NOTE: By 5pm it warmed up to 23 F.

Anyway, I get home from work at around 5pm. I hear dogs barking in the yard. **Good! They're alive!** I dash into the house, open the glass slider to the back and, lo & behold, in come three, naked hounds. Naked? Yep, all three had gotten their blankets off and were very happily running around the back yard in low 20 degree temps. So much for trying to keep them toasty warm. So much for them being poor choices for a cold weather climate. Go figure... One would think the way these guys were acting that they were borzoi! I'm just wondering how long these guys were out in the back yard naked?