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Winter...finally
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Winter...finally Winter arrived Tuesday. A cold front blew in, and the temperature dropped to fourteen degrees. We got six to eight inches of snow in the yard, and Gracie and I headed for the woods. PD was reading, and wanted to sit by the stove relax. It was snowing hard- not a blizzard, but we’ll take it. Al Sabo is busier than it used to be, so there were a few cars in the parking lot. A few years ago we’d have been the only die hards out there, but people are starting to take more advantage of the place. We can find solitude still- but we’ve got to walk further to get there. I love the forest when it’s like this- cold, blowing snow and a fresh blanket of snow on the trails. It’s cold at first, but it doesn’t take long to work up some heat hiking. When the cold first hits you in the winter, it takes some adjustment. You have to get used to it, and we’ve had a warm winter. I have to wear a heavier<b> sweater </font></b>in November at twenty degrees than I could stand in February. This year we’re behind a bit, but I warmed up pretty quickly that afternoon. When Gracie and I walk alone, she gives me a workout. She minds me well, but I have to pay closer attention. If PD is there, she takes the lead and breaks trail and I can linger and take pictures. When it’s just Gracie and I, I’m more picky about what I think I want a shot of. Of course, it’s cold so I don’t want to take off my gloves to use the camera, and when the snow is coming down everything looks unfocused anyway. Many of my shots look like impressionism- kind of fuzzy in the falling and swirling snow. Visibility is low. This is the second heavy snow we’ve got, but the last was back in November and melted quickly. The forecast said we’d have at least a few days of cold. I figured we’d try the trails Tuesday, and if it kept snowing, we could let the snow settle and snowshoe Wednesday. The trails were pretty well used and the hiking was easy, but the snow was fluffy and not hard going anyway. In the white pine groves we saw maybe six inches, but along the Lookout Trail, in the beeches and oaks it piled up to ten. At times the marsh nearly disappeared in the haze of blowing snow. The forest closes in when that happens, but it’s comforting. I feel sheltered. we know the trails well, and Gracie always knows the way with her nose even when I can’t see. We saw four or five other hikers, a couple of pairs of skiers and one guy on a bike. He was slogging along pretty slowly, that biker, but he was a gamer, and kept plugging away. We hiked three miles more or less, and Gracie ran wild in the big meadow. She knows she’s going to go off the leash there and always celebrates it by going crazy, shooting up rooster tails of snow in her wake. I love watching her run like that, with complete abandon in the pure joy of being quick- quick as in sprightly, saucy- alive! She buries her face in the snow to her shoulders and comes up capped with snow, and shoots off again on a new hunt. If there’s anything better than this, we don’t know what it is.           Become a member now and get a free tote bag. |
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That's just how I feel about it. This has been a drab winter so far- grey and drizzly and drab. The snow and cold are exhilarating. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Thank you Cinn. Gracie does love the snow. She hunts under the snow. I never see her catch anything, but she hunts. That's what the hike is for her- a hunt. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Mid sixties is great hiking weather- I wear out in the heat. Eleven degrees is fine by me- I just don't sit still for very long! I was lucky to see that last shot- blessed, if you will. Of course, everywhere you look is art, but I just happened to look up at the treetops to try to get some shots of the sky peeking through the trees, and I found that. That's a one time thing- I'll never see that again, not quite like that. I never want to miss a day out there. Every snowfall is different. We have a lot of water here, and that's a blessing too. It's a good thing I have the camera- I haven't got words to describe that. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Some nice pictures. I see you have some plantation areas there where the trees where all planted in a line. I've seen some places like that around here when I'm out in the woods. I always have to wonder if they thought about what it would look like when the trees grew up especially if they weren't harvested. Acres of trees planted in rows of straight lines  Vive La Difference
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Some nice pictures. I see you have some plantation areas there where the trees where all planted in a line. I've seen some places like that around here when I'm out in the woods. I always have to wonder if they thought about what it would look like when the trees grew up especially if they weren't harvested. Acres of trees planted in rows of straight lines Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Your stories of winter brought me back.  Back to a completely different environment. Mostly desert heat and hot blacktop. And my dog, Duke.  Oh, and the one I call my crazy ex was there too. Although she wasn't the "crazy ex" back then. .. She was my crazy hot girlfriend. Duke and I had a way of getting around on our own. I was usually on a bicycle, sometimes pulling a trailer. Hot paws on pavement. Duke was (is) the ultimate trooper. (Like me, he ultimately moved to a cooler climate. He didn't go as far.) When that girl was with us, she led the way. I didn't need to peddle the bicycle. (We did know to watch how we started. Duke wouldn't have cared about his paws if he thought he was trying to catch up.) He was still a pup back then. Off his leash he was joyous, but prone to getting injured. He wanted to chase the jack-a-lopes. (rabbits) They could out-wit him. .. We had plans. He had a few buddies, and they could team up and catch them. .. They would have to know the area and work together. .. It was gonna be so much fun. That was when I got called home. I could take the girl, but not the dog.  I left him with a friend who I know would care for him. ... After two or three months at home, girlfriend has my mom use her credit card to bail him out of the pound. (Girlfriend actually paid my mom back for that. .. That is of note for unrelated reasons.) Girlfriend ran away from her shadow, but was reunited with Duke who was with a couple I knew. They were in the high country near Prescott, Arizona. (I posted pics of photos once upon a time. - He was a proud dad.  )Such memories inspired. .. Thank you.
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Great picture of moving Gracie, and of course the last photo is wonderful! It was a beautiful day out there. Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Nottingham hasn't seen any snow yet but I think it's coming soon. A winter without snow isn't a winter for me!
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Great pictures. It must be a fast moving creek to still have open water. When the snow is all stuck to the trees it does look like winter wonderland. Find pleasure in giving pleasure
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Your stories of winter brought me back. Back to a completely different environment. Mostly desert heat and hot blacktop. And my dog, Duke. Oh, and the one I call my crazy ex was there too. Although she wasn't the "crazy ex" back then. .. She was my crazy hot girlfriend. Duke and I had a way of getting around on our own. I was usually on a bicycle, sometimes pulling a trailer. Hot paws on pavement. Duke was (is) the ultimate trooper. (Like me, he ultimately moved to a cooler climate. He didn't go as far.) When that girl was with us, she led the way. I didn't need to peddle the bicycle. (We did know to watch how we started. Duke wouldn't have cared about his paws if he thought he was trying to catch up.) He was still a pup back then. Off his leash he was joyous, but prone to getting injured. He wanted to chase the jack-a-lopes. (rabbits) They could out-wit him. .. We had plans. He had a few buddies, and they could team up and catch them. .. They would have to know the area and work together. .. It was gonna be so much fun. That was when I got called home. I could take the girl, but not the dog. I left him with a friend who I know would care for him. ... After two or three months at home, girlfriend has my mom use her credit card to bail him out of the pound. (Girlfriend actually paid my mom back for that. .. That is of note for unrelated reasons.) Girlfriend ran away from her shadow, but was reunited with Duke who was with a couple I knew. They were in the high country near Prescott, Arizona. (I posted pics of photos once upon a time. - He was a proud dad. )Such memories inspired. .. Thank you. The love you feel for a dog is like no other. They give their all to you. They're social animals just like us and the bond we can have with them is unique- I think it's far less fraught with emotional trauma than friendships between humans. We joke about it, but dogs really are very Winnie the Pooh like: "Today is a very good day!" Zen comes naturally to them. They don't have to practice it. It's really pretty cool that this post jogged that memory in you. When I watch Gracie bounding through the snow, I can see dogs from my past life racing along with her. The look on her face and the easy grace of her celebration is just a joy to see. She keeps running back to me: "Ain't this great! C'mon, let's run!"  I wish to hell I still could!Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Great picture of moving Gracie, and of course the last photo is wonderful! It was a beautiful day out there. Once in a great while I get a decent shot of her in motion, but it doesn't happen often. I'd be a miserable failure as a sports photographer! She never seems to get tired of the snow, but we haven't had a lot so far and she was just beside herself with glee. I took this photo of her yesterday with all four feet in the air- it ain't a great composition but she really was flying! [image] Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Beautiful pictures Kzoo. Gracie and her joy are wonderful sights I am sure. We had a little snow the other night. I shoveled at like 11:30 at night. It was only like two or three inches but I felt like shoveling. It was not too cold. I had my dogs(pomeranians) outside with me. My older one went back up on the porch. The other one, my crazy 2 y/o Frankie was going wacky. I let him run loose. There was no one out and no cars so I felt it was okay. He mostly stuck with me but the little bugger ran across the street into the neighbors yard. I had to go get him. He was having an adventure of sorts that lasted all of two minutes. LOL He came running back to me all smiles. I hope I can do that with him again. I remember going to the park with my bigger dogs years ago, my keeshond and samoyed. It was a great day. The dogs pulled my niece and nephew down a hill of snow. There was lots of laughter. We drove buy a big snow sculpture someone had made that looked like my samoyed so I took a picture of it. I wish i had that picture handy. LOL It was nothing like your photos of art that is for sure, just a novelty. Thanks to you and Furball for bringing memories of dogs and adventures to me tonight. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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You confirmed everything I read about you. There is no possible good reason for you to drag your garbage in here, or anywhere for that matter. Show some dignity if you can manage it and try to behave like a man. Get some professional help- you sorely need it. And please stay away from my blog. This isn't a forum for you to put your delusions on display. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Nottingham hasn't seen any snow yet but I think it's coming soon. A winter without snow isn't a winter for me! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Well you are about to get more. A nor'easter is on the way for the weekend. I am far enough south and near enough to the coast to get all rain. Please keep your snow up there but continue sending the pictures. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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It's Joy, for sure! I kind of think you make Paradise where you can find it. Lots of folks flee the winters here for warmer climates, and that's fine by me- it means it'll be quieter and more peaceful in our woods. I think they're getting a bit noisy and crowded lately. Maybe I should stop telling people about it.  Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Great pictures. It must be a fast moving creek to still have open water. When the snow is all stuck to the trees it does look like winter wonderland. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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All that snow made me want to wrap myself in a blanket, it's been very mild here, 70's tomorrow, 60's all next week. THAT'S my kind of winter. I'm glad there are people that like the snow and cold or it would be pretty crowded down here in Paradise. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Sometimes we just sit still and look and listen- and sniff. I'd like to know what she smells on the wind, times like that. One of the best things about that blanket of snow in the woods is that it really dampens sound. On a still day it's completely silent. You can hear your heart beat. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Thanks! I owe my dog for this- I know myself, and I'd take days off if she didn't poke and pester me to go. And then I'd miss so much. It's fun to stare at the pixels on this screen, but when I get out in the cold, that yanks me back to reality. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Cool pics as always Kzoo. They're cold really, now I gotta put my thermals on.  As a Greek God can't you arrange for snow but with warm temps? When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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Cool pics as always Kzoo. They're cold really, now I gotta put my thermals on. As a Greek God can't you arrange for snow but with warm temps? Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I could handle having two hot women to warm me up when I get home... Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I love seeing the snow drooping under its own weight, and piling up on the least of handholds. The blogger he mentioned had posted about him cyber stalking her, and having a meltdown. The posts have since been deleted. Her profile was gone, too. She titled it "His slide into psychosis". Along with a couple of other members, I said she should at the least report him and leave some kind of record, a paper or a pixel trail of reporting him for abuse. I have no idea who's telling the truth here, but I seriously doubt that it's him because of his response. The woman blogger didn't invade other people's space with her story, she merely posted about it in her own blog. Maybe the real truth is somewhere in between, or it could be off somewhere in the wilderness on a crazy tangent where they're both nuts, but his horseshit doesn't belong in here. I'm sort of inclined to believe her, but like I said I really don't know. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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