An Ohio Winter

Rain washed away the last bits of the early January snows today. We've been above freezing for a week now. The ground is swollen, saturated, muddy. We take no joy in this winter warm-up. The dogs are muddy. The horse, confined to the excercise paddock, is bored. The sheep and chickens, and the humans, are tired of slogging through mud. The freeze comes tomorrow. Days of subfreezing temperatures will harden the mud, and hopefully lay the foundation for another round of snow.