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I know it's only August, but nights are getting a wee bit cooler now. I went to feed my donkeys their dinner last night and stroked them both on the head as they jostled me and each other to get a better spot in the feed bin that they share. Swishing their tails to shoo the persisting flies, they stomped one foot and then another, eating happily. I felt them again. "When did this happen?" I said out loud.
Donkeys grow a thick downy coat in the winter. It literally takes them all summer to shed it and for a few months they look like hell -- scraggly, with patches of fur gone and long hair in parts. Early in the summer, when I pet them, handfuls of hair come off, making nice nesting materials for the family of bunnies who live under the barn. By mid to late August, after being brushed and combed and having rolled in their sand pits over and over, their fur is a nice even military length. Gorgeous!
But yesterday, August 26th, I noticed that their fun had begun to grow. Soft and velvety, a light thickening has begun. They know. Their bodies know. Winter is coming.
This occurrence spurred me to check this year's Old Farmer's Almanac to see what winter 2018-19 has in store for us. Well, we are in for some snow, but more rain on balance than usual. El Niño will be here, but weaker than usual. Either way, that means cold temps and snow won't linger too long when they do come. Temperatures are expected to be warmer than usual too. The 2019 edition is just out, so I am going to order it and get back to you with more tidbits. But, one thing is for sure, the donkey's don't lie.
xoxo, farm girl