How to stay warm and dry

Jim asked me to feed his 12 horses and just as many dogs this weekend so he could attend his nephew's wedding in White Plains, NY. I quickly agreed because I know firsthand how difficult it is to leave when there are animals to be fed twice a day. Also, I love to feed horses. It's so satisfying, even when the weather is as crappy as ours today. When I was feeding this morning, a cold rain was pouring down. The temp was 36 degrees (2.2 C) and the mud, in places, was up to my midcalf.

And that's when I give thanks for the right gear. This is the stuff that I wear most every day and am ever so grateful to own.

1. LL Bean Muck Boots. Ten years ago I bought the men's pull on boots that come up mid calf. Warm, absolutely waterproof, and comfortable with a pair of wool socks. Cannot live without them as horses plus rain equals mud. Vast mud fields and I have to walk through two paddocks full of mud to feed Prince, Finn S, Magnum, Raffles, Peanut and Danny.
2. Wool socks. Warm in winter, cool in summer, and if my feet sweat, they don't get clammy. I probably own 6 pairs.
3. LL Bean flannel jeans. Warm jeans that are tough wearing, hold up to mud, and are reasonably priced.
4. Running hoodie. Bought last year from Sierra Trading Post for half price. It's long sleeve and the neck zips up to almost a turtleneck, or unzips quite a ways to let in air flow if I get too hot. No chance of getting too hot today.
4. Over it, another long sleeve, technical top that I bought at Mountain Equipment Coop at least ten years ago. MEC is the Canadian equivalent of REI and I love both of them. I visit MEC more often than I do REI because I get to Ottawa more frequently than I do Atlanta.
5. Buff worn around my neck to keep it warm.
6. Jacket from Duluth Trading Company that is waterproof, windproof, and has six pockets: two outside hand pockets, two inside pockets without zippers, one inside pocket with a zipper, and one, zippered pouch over my left boob. I can carry my work blackberry, iPod, my cellphone and my camera all at once. It also has a great hood and gaskets in the sleeves at the wrist that keep wind and water out. Best of all, I got this jacket for half price last year when DTC had it on sale. I wish that I'd bought a second, but this one shows no sign of wearing out despite being worn daily when it gets cold.
7. Long, waterproof, waxed cotton duster without hood that's made for riding. I bought it in New Zealand when I was there in 1994 for Interhash. Purely an impulse buy that's been so worth every penny.
8. Hand knit mittens from South America bought in the late 1990s when I was recruiting at Washington & Lee University and they were on sale at the student union. I have to pull one off to buckle blankets and unsnap gate latches, but my fingers stay warmer in a mitten than a glove.
And finally, the last thing I can't do without?
9. Handmade with love by a friend's mom, a knit cap. It comes down over my ears and almost in my eyes, but doesn't. It's snuggly warm and I wear it everyday the temp is 45 or lower and I will cry should it ever go missing.

It's still raining out there. It's now 37 degrees Fahrenheit (still 2 Celsius) and with the windchill, that's 30 (-1.1C). It should be a miserable day to be outside, but I really wasn't because I was dressed for it. It is nice to be inside and I'm wearing my shearling slippers and my jeans are in the dryer as I decided to wash them to get all the mud off. Silly because they're going to get muddy again for this afternoon's feeding. I'll leave here in about 2 and half hours to drive back to Jim's and do it all again. I'll feed Sunday morning and he'll be home early afternoon and then I'll go back to feeding my three horses and four dogs. What's odd is that it takes me 25 minutes to feed mine, but only 45 minutes to feed Jim's horses. If it were just multiplying the number of horses, it should take me an hour and half. Go figure.

Asia, Ralph and Babe are warm in their turnout blankets. I'm about to go toss them some more hay and I'd love to take a nap.