Dinah Goes For A Walk

Dinah is one of our mules.  She is black with a cute brown muzzle.  She has suffered no loss of weight this winter, standing around, eating good hay, and becoming bored.  

So, two nights ago, Dinah went for a walk.  The elk track coming to the field feeding area piqued her mule-bored brain and she commenced to walk to the southwest across the field.  She probably tried to turn around and quickly learned that the snow was really deep and her fat mule body and short legs with little hoof feet quickly punched through.  So, Dinah kept walking down the elk trail.

I noticed this event about the time she got to the fence a good quarter mile from the house.  With 40" of snow out there in the field, the top wire of the fence is all that is visible.  Fortunately, it is not a barbed wire fence.

Mike and I went into action quickly.  He grabbed a snowmobile (loaded and ready for the next day's snowmobile trip) and I grabbed my winter ranch coat, some gloves and a rabbit fur hat.  

After much to-do, we got Dinah out of her mired-in-too-deep snow state and she uprighted where she could stand and I could hold on to her (happily, Mike had brought a halter and lead rope).  Her black coat glistened with sweat and steam rolled off her; nostrils flared and breathing heavily.  It was 8:04pm. 

 There were some options.  Lead her back down the elk track.  Not an easy task and there was that fence crossing.  Blow out the lane and walk her back to the corrals was the decision made and Mike zipped back on the snowmobile to the shop to get the tractor out. 

I would have taken a picture but it was dark (no moon night) and 18 degrees.  I did not want to take my gloves off.  

So, there we stood.  Watching the tractor in the far distance.  The snow so deep, Mike had to take blow chunks away, pull forward and take more down.  It was an arduous and not-so-fast procedure.  

Dinah doesn't really like people.  I'd try to snuggle into her chest to profit from her heat and she would step away.  She shivered.  I shivered.  I talked to Dinah.  She did not engage in coversation. 

By 9:45 Mike was getting closer but I was getting really really cold.  When my legs started doing funny things, I called him and let him know.  I was begining to worry about hypothermia.

At last, he made it.  Dinah was none to excited about the spinning, loud snowblower getting close, but the path was complete.  Mike grabbed the mule and I shuffeled into the warm warm warm tractor cab.  He walked her home and I drove the tractor back down the path. 

Inside, two hot cups of water and then a soak in the hot tub!  

Happily, Dinah did not suffer any injuries and despite the fact that we saved her life and I kept her from doing anything stupid for two hours on a dark winter night, she still does not like us.  

Dinah went for a walk.