Snow! Snow!

How do we celebrate the first snowfall? We take snow baths! 

Sunshine sports her snow bath look.

But everyone enjoyed breakfast. Until they moved off to the forest to get out of the wind. [No animal was cold. I stick my fingers under the coating of snow, ice, and mud. Their beautiful thick winter coats are dry next to their skin.]

Charlie and I headed to the ridge to pick up yesterday's mail and see if the plows had come through. 

The plow had gone through and skiffed the snow off the road but underneath that pack was a nice layer of ice. Below, Charlie insists that we hike east on the road. I head down into the forest where we have some protection from the blowing snow/sleet.

This dog loves snow! But then we all act like kids during or right after the first snowfall.

After breakfast he ran to the door as soon as I reached for my boots. 

I was NOT going anywhere without him.

For a pint sized dog, he can be very insistent. 

Below, random shots from our first snow hike of the season. 

The Polar Bears were so excited!

In the creek, looking down to see up.

Y's of weeds. Gooseberry bushes.

The icing on the trees was incredible as was the light filtering through the forest to the creek.

I was like a child seeing a Christmas tree or wonderous decorations for the very first time. 

I oohhhed and ahhhhed. And just stood there looking at the snow and the sparkling trees above me.

I really dragged out the walk back home. I just didn't want to leave the magical woods behind.

I'm glad I did too. When I reached the summer pasture I was stunned by the amount of ice on the locust trees.

Some folks don't like winter. I do. 

I'm happy that my little dog does too.

He is a great photography assistant!

Bear and I

The Pandemic and Isolation have made it hard to connect with friends especially now when it is cold outdoors.

I mean, sometimes I just feel lonely.

Sure there are phones, zoom, live chats, and all that. But nothing really takes place of a real hug, or sitting down with a pal and having coffee at a tiny coffee shop.

Bear decided we'd do Friend things together. 

Bear thought reading together was nice.

But I prefer Winnie the Pooh not fancy poetry.

Bear it isn't fancy poetry, it is Mary Oliver poetry.

Bear shrugged. 

I still like Winnie the Pooh. They had adventures.

Okay Bear, let's have adventures.

Making snow angels is fun. Thank you.

You are welcome.

I really like the mittens! They keep my paws warm!

I agree Bear. Mittens are pretty popular right now. 

~~~~~~~~

This is much better.

I knew when I met you

adventure was going

to happen...

Winnie the Pooh

Snow Day!

Just last week I went and had new bindings put on the pair of non waxed cross country skis that Dad gifted to me years ago. I've hung on to them all this time because ... well, they were Dad's.
And today I had a chance to try them out thanks to Mother Nature dropping about 4 inches or so on the ground overnight.

It was like having Dad skiing with me in a way. I literally flew through the meadow with Charlie and Sven chasing me towards the woods. I'd purchased some 'back' country skis a couple of years ago for 'breaking' trials. They are wonderful, but lack the slide and glide speed of long skis.

It isn't exactly Goat Yoga, but Sven sure enjoyed the romp. Charlie chased along with his tiny legs. Sven got distracted a few times by some greenery, but always came along after I whistled for him.
Note the bright orange scarf. He is colored too much like a deer to go out during gun season of course. But I thought a sporty scarf on both Charlie and Sven would be fun.

I did a morning hike after chores and will look at some of those photos later. But this was the fun part. Walking the dog and the goat in the snow while on skis.

I walked with Sven and Charlie to check the mail and see if they had plowed the road on the ridge. They did. I checked the mail and didn't see anything. As I turned and started downhill I hear the mailperson come. They have a large Jeep Rubicon. I thought I'd stand and wait for the mail.

I have no idea what the issue was, but since there was unplowed snow by the boxes? The mailperson just made a turn around and left.

I was certainly perplexed.
The new hires for the rural mail carriers sure are picky.
I could have driven through the unplowed snow area easily with my Subaru, heck a regular car would not have had trouble.
Remember, this is the mail carrier that didn't think two fire numbers meant two houses.
These are the people that I had to draw a map for.
How odd.
Well, I've decided to put up a trail cam on that area for future reference.

I generally do anyway at different times of the year. I do have a good spot to put the camera that takes shots of the plates and vehicle as they come down the hill.

Sigh...
Anyway, the skiing even though it was not superb, was a lot of fun.

Keep up two legged person! ~by Charlie

She was pretty sure that I wouldn't like the new fresh cold stuff she calls SNOW on the ground when we went to do chores this morning.

OH! How much fun is this? Run through the cold stuff and have it brush my tummy! Run run run! Spin and run! Stick my nose in it and run!
It made her laugh and laugh.

When She put on coveralls and boots after chores and asked if I wanted to go for a walk I was right there at the door waiting.
She said 'Walkies!' and I was ready!

And we headed out through the meadow and down to the creek. I kept running ahead and then checking to see if she was coming. Sometimes SHE can be so slow!

She called me a few times to wait up and I did. But the snow covered so many good smells and I had to keep putting my nose into it.

The creek was 'up' from the recent heavy rains last weekend and so I found a rock to stand on so I could look around.

How come human people are so slow?
I watched her walk towards me and then it dawned on me. It must be tough to be a human and only have two legs. Four legs are better, more to balance with, better to jump distances with...oh the advantages.

Maybe I can train her how to do that. I mean, I sure can try.

She kept having trouble on all the slippery snow covered rocks. More than once she had to call out to me to stop again and wait.
How embarrassing.

She is so Slow. Perhaps if she would use her hands and her feet, she could climb and jump better.
Yet She insists on walking on those two long legs. Pity. Short legs are so much better suited to slippery stuff.

I thought She was going to fall and crash when I heard her yelp. She has good balance considering. She hopped and steadied herself and then told me to "Wait up!"

Oh slow poke! I have so many smells to take care of, don't you understand?

She finally stopped by a little waterfall and decided to head up and over the bank towards home. She whistled and I came running past her.

Maybe it doesn't look like it here, but I am running up a deer trail with my ears flapping magnificently while flying across the snow covered ground.

I think I like the cold much better than the hot heat. It feels better and my thick coat keeps me toasty warm.

When we got home, She toweled me off.
She handed me a chew bone and I immediately got down to business.

However, I can't wait to go out again.

Perhaps we can take Dixie too. Then I'll have someone who can keep up.

Snow Day

Storm Warning!
5 to 10 inches of heavy wet snow!

Well that is what the weather service said. I awakened to a heavy snow falling outside when I let Morris out pre dawn. It was coming down and it was heavy and it was wet as predicted.

Snow slid off the metal porch roof in clumps making 'whoomph' noises in the dark.
I stepped outside for a bit and thought I heard some Thunder. It was predicted that we'd have a Thunder Snow.

I grabbed some coffee and watched out the window until daylight. The mules and the horses moved around eating and drinking. Everything was pretty peaceful.

Some of the animals took snow baths, rolling in the fresh snow and then leaping up and shaking. The younger animals took to running and chasing each other, much like children will do when playing.

I don't mind snow storms, that is, as long as I am not stuck driving somewhere in one. I like it best when I can enjoy it with snow shoes or skis.

I actually had promised to do some domestic things around the house and one of those things was make chocolate chip cookies.
Ugh.
I wanted to go out in the snow storm and explore...however domestic duties called.

I don't like baking. However...sometimes we have to appease our spouses. Baking cookies appeals to his sense of well being and his sweet tooth.
Plus it makes him feel special.

And when he feels special, he is can be very sweet. And I can usually get 'what' I want.
However there was no second agenda and I just actually felt like doing some baking while I cleaned house and arranged things for the company we were to have this weekend.

Of course I made an afternoon trip with the camera when I took the egg shells to the compost pile. Well I managed a small detour. I walked out into the Merry Meadow and enjoyed the views.

When I got back towards the house, I saw my 'upstairs' neighbor out and about with her kids.
She was practicing with her cross country skis.

I put my bucket inside the house and Morris could hear the neighbor kids playing.
He kept going in circles and whining.

Finally I took him out and up to the neighbor's field. Morris is always a hit with the kids.

Run run chase run is the best game they can play.
Except when Allie chooses to play Tug of War with her gloves....

And...
Morris is happy to oblige. Which causes hysterical laughter even when I try to stop him from doing so.

The day ended quietly as it was ushered in. The snow kept coming down.

Grumpy Husband plowed the driveway. I really know that he wasn't grumpy over that aspect. He loves his newer skid steer. I'm sure he'd rather be driving that than doing most anything else.

When the neighbor's husband got home he plowed also with his tractor. Men, snow, and machines. They say they don't like it. But secretly they do.

Women, snow...and cross county skis.
Yes, we met up at the mailbox on the ridge late, donned our headlamps, and enjoyed the beautiful new snow.  We managed to make one pass to break a nice trail and then fly around the ridge a second time.

We have company coming today with their dog Scout. Morris and Scout like each other well enough outside but inside Morris tends to be a bit cranky.
There are day hikes and night hikes planned as well as visiting.

I'm so glad it snowed again and took the dull browns of mud and changed it to a beautiful white.

Last Hike for 2016

Morris stared at me intently. He was not going to let me gather any photo 'stuff' together without his keen interest.

I took out the sling bag and put a few items in it. Morris sat on the strap and stared at me as if to say, "It won't move without me."

So I got ready with the whirling dervish dog swirling about my feet. He whined, he jumped, he spun, and then he sat on my gloves.
"Okay, okay! You are going with!"

Off we went. I considered snowshoes, but where the sun was shining, the snow was soft and mushy. Where there was shade it was hard and crunchy. I figured that the teeth under the shoes would get clogged with soft snow and pack up.

I followed the snowshoe trail from the previous hikes and made it to the creek without much fuss. I had to keep calling to Morris to hurry up and follow. He was busy checking out every scent along the way.

We got near the sandstone wall and I was mildly surprised to find that the ice formations had grown quite a bit since our night excursion.
Days with a slow melt and nights with a hard freeze contributed to the ice.
If it kept up, the ice would begin to layer itself.

At this point Morris usually ignores me. He spends his time finding 'items' of interest to smell, pee on, or deer droppings to eat. I've tried to keep him from doing it over the years but I know now after 12 years of hiking with him that it is hopeless.
Occasionally he will drop something if I holler, "ICKY Icky!" However, lately it doesn't really faze him. In fact it seems to encourage him to try and take the nasty treat and eat it faster.

When we get on the multi use trail of coyote, deer, raccoon, 'possum, and who knows what else, he usually sticks a bit closer to me.
When we got to the open part of the valley he followed in my tracks, leaping from one footprint to another.

Just past the tree that bends over into the creek is a rock formation that seems to be a den for animals. One year it was coyotes. Another year it was a hidey hole for raccoon.
This winter it seems to be empty. No carcasses or bones are laying around. No tracks leading in and out of the little cave.

Morris didn't seem to be bothered much either. He trotted along the rocks and sand. At one point I had to jump the creek. Morris stood on the other side and stared at me. Then he lifted one paw and another. I jumped back and gave him a lift.
We have been hiking that long together. I know exactly what he wants.

The sun lit up portions of the creek and there were no ice formations. But in the areas of shade, the formations on roots and grasses were fantastic.

We found the 'mother lode' near the snowmobile culvert.

We walked further down the valley and I checked the time. I needed ... we needed to get back and if we continued we'd get into more shaded areas which meant deeper snow.

I turned around and Morris the Wonder Dog led the way. He jumped and bounced from one foot print to another until he hit the deer trail. He was on a mission to go home.

He knows all of the trails and the shortcuts to home. I guess that is what is so fun having him as a hiking partner.

We sped passed the culvert bridge and as we got to where the creek made a large S curve, Morris chose the steep hill. I admit, it is the shortest way home, but for a human it is also the hardest way.

I refer to it as going up the down trail. This was the trail that Lauren and I took down into the valley the other night. It was steep and slippery. Well, at least for me.
Some little dog had no problem.

When we got to the Meadow, I had some more hard work. I had to break a trail across the meadow towards home.

We arrived home just as my husband got home with a load hay.

I put my camera in a plastic bag and zipped it up inside its case. I let Morris in the house and set the camera bag inside.

My excursions for 2016 in the woods were done.

I had plans for the first day of the New Year.
The Back Valley.

A perfect day.

It started with a snow shoe trek with my Grand daughter and Morris.

She built a little snow house made of sticks, rocks, leaves and snow in the creek for Doe, Fawn, and Deer.

Morris kept watch over her.

The wind howled above us.

My neighbor who lives at the top of the driveway, in what we fondly now call 'upstairs' and I got together for her first experience with snowshoes.

We find that arranging an adventure at night is convenient as her kids are tucked safely into bed and hubby can keep an eye on things. It actually works out well.
My hubby is ready for bed by the time we go on a night jaunt in the snow and the wilds.

So last night I introduced her to snowshoeing. We walked across the Merry Meadow and I pointed to a dark space in the woods and mentioned that there was this deer trail that went off a point and dropped steeply into the creek.
She was all over that.
"Let's go check it out"!

The winds were gusting up to 20 miles an hour, we both had headlamps, so I thought why not? And then I thought, this is insane? And then I thought this will be fun!
It turned out to be a great decision as it got us out of the winds.
I was sure that the trail would be impossible to find but was amazed at how easy it actually was.
After all, I've been hiking this trail for 20 years and I watched for my machete marks on the trees that marked the trail.
I may add that the deer and all other wood creatures used this same path as the steep hillside is choked with underbrush, except on this trail.

I felt pretty pleased to seemingly navigate myself and Lauren through the maze in the dark. She seemed pretty impressed also. However I had to tell her that it hadn't been really that hard. I pointed out the markings on some of the trees.

We climbed over logs, ducked under branches and dropped down into the valley. When we came around the willow trees I pointed my light down. We were at the creek.

There it was softly making beautiful creek noises as it the water tumbled over the rocks.
We turned out lights out and looked up at the stars. Wisps of clouds scurried over the night sky. The sky display was amazing.

So was the peaceful quiet. We both just stood quietly for a bit and drank in the night sky above us.

Then it was time to show Lauren how to 'Creek Leap' with snow shoes on. We had a narrow stream that was not too deep to cross. Creek Leaping is an art I've perfected over the past 20 years of hiking this valley.

This is a shot of one of the crossings we did in the dark. It is an archived photo of course.

We headed upstream towards our property and I stopped to show her an ice formation that was starting along the sandstone wall.

Lauren was able to get this shot with her cell phone camera.

And then she took this of my backside.

In years past this little ice formation becomes incredible. It of course depends on the weather.
But here is a sample.

I've often wondered what hiking through the valley would be like at night.
Now I have an adventerous person to do that with.

However I'm sure our husbands are nodding and scratching their heads...positive that they will have to commit their wives for being so eager to cross country ski and snowshoe at Night in the Wild Woods in the Winter.

I disagree. If you haven't done winter sports at night, you are missing out on some incredible views and fun.

We returned from our first big adventure in the woods on snowshoes and I think both Lauren and I were determined to do it again soon.

What a great end to a nearly perfect day.