Sledding Adventures

Yesterday morning, the six-inch-deep snow was dry, and when packed down a little, made for great sledding. I dropped a couple of chairs on either side of the fence separating us from the neighbors' pasture where there is the only good hill I know of within walking distance. I hauled each of the kids over the barbed-wire fence, and set off to the hill. Joe and Fin had a good time sledding down the hill, but Z wasn't so anxious to try it. Instead she stood and played with snowballs.

This morning, our neighbors were kind enough to come put a gate in the fence so that we would have easy access to the sledding hill. After lunch, I asked Fin and Joe if they wanted to go sledding again. My plan was to let them go on their own. I opened the gate for them, then watched as they headed over toward the hill. Apparently, the unusual commotion in the pasture caught the attention of Buford, Henry, and Sally (the neighbors' donkeys) and the three steers. The small herd trotted over to see what was going on. The kids made it to the sledding hill, and Finley whinnied and jumped at the animals in an attempt to scare them off, but that didn't work. The kids managed a quick slide, then decided the danger of large animal hooves was too much and started to head back. So I decided to head over to give them some support...

Let me say that sledding in the company of donkeys and steers is quite amusing. Buford is very gentle and friendly, and once we made it back to the hill, I had to shove him off the sledding track so that the kids could go down the hill. I'm guessing the steers thought our yellow sled meant food, because they kept following it up the hill and sniffing at it. Every time we got the sled back to the top of the hill, I would get the kids set up on the sled then have to run off some animal to ensure the kids didn't run into it or get trampled. It was very funny. I just hope that if we go sledding again tomorrow that none of the animals will have left a 'present' for us on the hill.