The Saint Paul Winter Carnival is in full swing this weekend.  This is the time when we celebrate (and embrace) the cold weather.  There are events ranging from parades to ice carving to snow sculpting to hockey games to outdoor beer gardens to Red Bull Crashed Ice and a sleigh and cutter rally too.  Although we’ve had some serious cold weather this past week our snowfall has been minimal.  But there was enough for the sleighs and horses to be out today.  With temperatures right around freezing and a light snow coming down it seemed like I had been transported to a different era.  Many of the drivers were dressed in period clothing to match their sleighs or wagons, and the horses seemed to enjoy the open space and the snow as they trotted along.  There were one and two-horse sleighs, and a few sleighs pulled by ponies whose feet had to work overtime to cover the same distance as the horses.  This driver and his matched team seemed to be reveling in the event and the weather.  The image made me think that they had been out for a drive and were now headed back to the comfort and warmth of their respective home and barn.