More Snow!

The forecast said something about maybe a little snow I think, but I'll be honest, I haven't been paying much attention to the weather. Hard to get worked up about an inch and a half of snow so soon after the Storm Of The Century or whatever they're calling it.

But Winnie was still very excited to see the lawn covered again! At one point I was on the phone and forgot I had let her out. She was just sitting in the snow in the middle of the yard by herself, watching the door. So I joined her and we went for a long walk. On our way back I had to smile at the tracks we left.

Down by the River

I made my way down to the river for the first time since the Big Snow. We got a TON of rain and temps in the 40s, making for a huge snow melt. The river is very high as a result, and it may still be rising.

Here's Winnie looking rugged.

Those small trees above Winnie's head are usually on dry ground.

Rabbit, I presume. Lots of deer tracks down there too.

Things sure do look different down there with some snow cover. It looks bigger and more open.

Bonfire

I wish I could say this evening went as planned - a roaring fire in the snow, man and dog warmed by the fire, watching the stars of the winter sky while enjoying an adult beverage.

But I suck at making fire.

So once the diesel fuel and cardboard box I stuffed into the burn pile burned off, it fizzled pretty quickly. And as I sat on an overturned five gallon bucket that used to hold a few Winter Lagers, I noticed that Winnie - normally content to be wherever I am - was starting to give me the, "Hey, nice try, what do you say we head inside where it's warm? I smell meatloaf!" look.

So warm, indoor meatloaf it was. The fire will wait for another day. At least I got a cool photo out of the ordeal.

Just like Daddy!

For Christmas, Sandy bought Winnie her own personal couch because she wanted her to be comfortable. And by "wanted her to be comfortable," I mean, "wanted her off the people couch."

But it's really quite a nice gift and a cool dog couch! She got it here and already Winnie seems to like it!

Quality Time

After about eight hours on the tractor yesterday clearing our road, I decided to make the most of the last hour of daylight. I put the equipment away, and took a couple Sam Adams Winter Lagers and my dog for a walk in the snow.

I think everybody feels this way about their dog, but I've never known - let alone had the privilege to own - a dog that is so easy to spend time around. She SO wants to come with me whenever I leave the house, just waiting for the nod in her direction or the lingering open door or gate to get the signal that she's going with. But then once we're out, she's equally content going for a walk, riding quietly in the car for hours or sitting in a deer stand in the snow sharing a beer after a long day.



I finally found some time to put a little video together of some of the blizzard footage. Enjoy!

Blizzard Aftermath

I don't know what the official total is for this area, but after a few hours of melting in the sun and settling overnight under its own weight, I would think it's safe to say we got over 20 inches of snow here.

Winnie leads the Still Excited About The Snow category, followed closely by me - despite wrestling with cars and tractors and plow blades and snow shovels all day. Gromit wants the snow to go away right now, and Sandy wants winter to be over with before it officially begins today.

I've got some video footage too, but I am going to add to that before I post it here. Meanwhile, some more photos from the day after...

A Long Day Comes to an End

This is one tired dog.

The Blizzard of '09, as it will certainly be remembered, is pushing its way northeast. The last of the snow stopped falling in the past hour, and we're finally in for the night. Some of us napping by the fire, some of us sipping bourbon and watching football. More fun and work digging out tomorrow, along with more pictures too!

Well, I said I wanted a big snow!

This falls firmly in the Be Careful What You Wish For category. Before wishing for such a thing, I should have remembered that our driveway now is about a half mile long and I'm the one that has to clear it. I think we have at least 16" right now, and it's not close to over yet.

So here's a little photo essay of the day. Winnie really does still love it, I thought once it reached a foot deep or so she'd change her mind, but she's like a little kid who just got out of school for the day! (Come to think of it, so am I.)

I'll add to these tonight and tomorrow...

Emmett Update

Well it didn't take Emmett long to figure out the proper bird dog pose, did it?? Thanks to Jena for sending this great photo, it's gonna be fun to watch this little guy grow up!

Let it Snow!

What a nice snow we got today! Winnie just can't WAIT to get out in it. She absolutely loves the snow.

As much as she HATES the heat of summer, it's no surprise that she is comfortable and at home in the snow.

At one point she decided to just lay down in the snow and chew a toy like she was lying on the grass on a warm, sunny day.

I don't know how long this will last, but even if it melts tomorrow it's been a great early December treat!

I got a little video footage too, here is one clip that captures how happy she is when she's running around in the snow!

Birds aren't the only things dogs hunt

ob⋅sess v.: to think about something unceasingly or persistently; dwell obsessively upon something.

Squirrels have discovered our bird feeders. And Gromit has discovered the squirrels.

Fishing with Winnie...

Winnie and I went for a little overnight trip to my friend's farm to do a little fly fishing for trout.

Wednesday evening the weather was beautiful and crisp, and we just walked along the Rose River, spotting trout that I'd try to catch the next morning.

This was a new experience, bringing her along while I waded and fished. In the morning, I put her cowbell on so I could know at all times that she was nearby. But that wasn't an issue - as it turns out, she found fly fishing to be fascinating and watched intently from shore, following the fly's movement with each cast.

In fact, it was so interesting, at the first spot I fished, in about three feet of cold water (the air temperature was probably about 40 degrees first thing in the morning), I was surprised to feel a nose bump into my leg. Winnie was swimming in place alongside me in the current. I led her back to shore and made her stay, and luckily the sun came out and she warmed up quickly.

The fishing was slow, however, and eventually I started getting accusatory looks from Winnie. "Really? A Caddis? In November??"

But she patiently watched and waited and went for a couple more swims. It was good to see her so willing to get in that cold water!

Finally I got into a couple fish, and Winnie found the splashing and jumping of the trout very amusing!

"Making me hang out with a plastic heron for an hour? Is this part of your bird dog training??"

It was a really fun time with Winnie, as always. She's turned into a great little roadtrip partner.

Bad Hair Day

A rainy week here really has Winnie looking her best, don't you think??

Working Dog!

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Emmett and his sister, Evie, and bringing Emmett to my office, where Jena's husband Dan was picking him up. He was not initially pleased to be separated from Evie, but after 15 minutes or so in the car he settled down just fine.

Well I figured the little guy has left the litter now, time to dive into the real world! Since he was at my office, I thought I'd put him to work...

Folding laundry.

Answering phones.

Working on the computer.

Delivering packages.

And the very important aspect of the workplace: taking a break.

YAY! My ride's here!! (Emmett and Dan meeting for the very first time!)