Making Peace with Winter

Monday morning I was rather displeased with winter. I had 5 drifts covering the lower section of the driveway. The drifts were like concrete and two of them rather deep.
The temperatures were hovering at 3 degrees, my Subaru was parked where the water flowed before the freeze up. The driveway near the house was one huge mix of ice ruts and I couldn't see the roof vent for the toilet.

I was so frustrated I took my little shovel and walked towards the biggest drift. I heard the town truck go by up on the ridge and sighed. I considered running up there and asking for help but decided that IF necessary, I would warm up the skidsteer or plea with my neighbor to help.
Soon the plow made its turn around and he backed down our driveway sanding the hill.
He stopped and got out to look at the drifts.
We talked for a few minutes and he was kind enough not to laugh at my little puny shovel.

He drove back up the hill and came down and plowed the drifts with a vengeance. Snow flew high and into the yard. He'd asked if I cared about my yard ... I said Absolutely NOT! Dump the snow in it, mess it up, I do not care at all. Yards can be fixed.

By the time he left my mood had brightened. I returned to scrapping snow off the roof so it would slide down. I made lunch for Rich and announced that I needed to go for a hike. The snow was crusted enough for Charlie to walk on top and perfect for snowshoe hiking.

Mister Charlie. He is wearing his beeper collar. He gets distracted by his nose and sometimes doesn't want to come. It is a good way to break his concentration. Plus the rattle of the treat bag helps.

My cousin has a Dachshund and she calls them low riders. Most Dachshunds are known for a bit of a stubborn streak. She also said that cold was tough on little Low Riders. Indeed. Charlie seems to be okay so far and I don't take him out in subzero weather no matter how much he asks. And he is getting a coat, it just has not arrived.

Charlie got stuck in a trail and didn't want to forge through the soft snow in the creek bottom here. He waited for me to break a trail for him.
Smart little dog.

We did walk down along the creek edge. Saturday everything was melting. Monday though, it was as if a flash freeze had occurred.

Walking on the edge of the creek wasn't too bad. I carried my snow shoes which was awkward.
We didn't go far and Charlie kept running ahead 'rock leaping' across the water and leading the way. He seemed quite confident in knowing the way to go.

I wanted to get into the other half of the creek to take some more shots but having Charlie to watch over and getting distracted by the scenery was something I decided not to do. I'd come back and do that part solo.

I put my snow shoes on and literally climbed like a rock climber up an old deer trail, knee deep in snow and sliding backwards with each step. Charlie followed me.

We made it home following the trail I'd broken on Saturday, the surface and the edges were very crunchy, the result of the heavy rains and then the quick freeze.

So I looked down as we left the valley and decided that perhaps winter wasn't such a horrid thing after all.

Charlie bounded ahead on the trail. He knows the paths now and seems to be a bit more adventurous. He came back and asked to be picked up when we got to the meadow. Over the years I've known that the woods to the east have had coyote dens in them. I picked him up and we forged our way home.

Both of us pleased and refreshed.