Not a good sign. I noticed yesterday when I was helping Don the hoofman trim Laci’s feet, that her winter coat is growing out already. The day before it was 87 and its early Sept! I said to Don, “oh my gosh, she has her winter coat already”! He stood there, hand on his chin, staring at my soon to be 3 foot tall wooly mammonth, and answered, “yup, its going to be an early and tough winter this year with these animals having their winter coats this soon”! I looked over at Dunkay (who had his nose buried in hoofman pocket looking for treats), ran my fingers through the fur on his back and noticed that it too was thick and long. So I ran to Dillon our goat, dragged him out of his house where he was peacefully napping, turned him around like a spinning top, checked his belly, his legs, and his head as he Baaaaaaa’d at me to stop manhandling him. I cupped his furry little face in my hands, looked straight into his yellow, beady slit eyes, and whinned, “oh Dillon, tell me it ain’t so, not your winter coat already”!! He narrowed his eyes, pulled his head put of my clutches, let out a growling baaaaaaaaaaaa, and went back into his house with his tail flipping…just like a cat when their annoyed.

Its going to be an early winter folks. My animals have their winter coats growing out in the first week of September! I’m not ready.