A week of Southern Michigan weather

See these 3 innocent looking angels? Hah! Yesterday, after they had their nice little spot of tea, (actually hot water) which we like to give when the temperatures are as brutal as they were yesterday, they mosyed out to their field and headed to the highest spot to nibble on a little grass that was poking up. The only problem with their plan was that there was a ring of ice all the way around this preferred spot of nibbling. So when Jeni went down to tuck them in for the night, they were stuck and refused to come in. Jeni, Kyle and Rose spent about an hour trying to coax them across the ice. No way. They weren't coming. So, they left the hay on the island with our babies and came home defeated. I spent all night stratagizing in my sleep about how to get them off the island. This morning the neighbor lady and I chipped and shoveled ice to make them a path. Eventually, Sweetie, the one in the front crossed over to follow me back to the barn where I was headed to get grain to make a trail for them to give them courage. As soon as the first mare came over, Ellie Mae, the blond came skittering across and ready to follow. Now George, who should be named Scooby Doo, did not want to be left alone in his prison so he came flying across the longest stretch of ice but most direct route to "Mommy"- me. So problem solved.
They are very sure footed being Haflinger ponies, so they were completely nonchalant about crossing the ice to get on the island. However, wind chills were brutal yesterday and I think in the hour or so they were there the ice changed texture and became very slippery.
So how did our relatively flat terrain in the thumb of Michigan end up like this? Well, we gotten an inch or two of snow at a time over several days with normal winter temps. Then on Monday and Tuesday the temperatures were in the high 40s and we got rain. Since the ground was frozen, the water just ran to wherever it was low. Then Tuesday after midnight, the windchills dipped to below 0* and froze all this running water solid. Very Solid. Usually just a crust forms and the water continues to run, BUT since it was so brutally cold everything froze solid. today temps warmed up nicely and melted a lot of that rotten ice.
Now tonight we are in a storm warning with expectations of a foot of snow. Well, at least it is a balmy 25* tonight and will be in the 30's tomorrow.
Michigan-yeesh!!