We walk at home just about everyday. Even if we have a bigger outing, we will often do a quick loop just so the dogs can get their yaw yaws out and I can stretch my legs. And on a sunny day like this one – we go for longer walks.
Most years, it is a long slog to get up to the Pipestone Rim Trail in January. You’d have to park at the bottom of Lester Road and walk, snowshoe or ski up to it and then you’d be tired before you even got to the trail. This year, we can drive to the trailhead. With just a bit of snow it is getting lots of use from hikers, dog walkers and fat bikes. Three women and five dogs enjoyed it yesterday. Snow was in the forecast but the few flakes that fell didn’t amount to anything and at one point the sun was shining. More snowflakes in today’s forecast.
Even without much snow, there is still winter fun to be had. I took the girls/dogs to frozen Patterson Lake a couple days ago along with my skate skis. The small amount of snow on the ice surface is sort of chopped up now but I was still able to skate ski on it. Not very gracefully though. Since this is Sky’s first winter, she is learning about skis and skiing and staying away from the potentially dangerous (to her) sticks on my feet. And to her they are sticks and she just loves sticks. I haven’t even tried using poles around her yet. This was our second ski outing and she did better. A few other folks were out enjoying the ice and bluebird skies too. They were ice fishing, ice skating, classic skiing and playing with dogs. I saw one Great Blue Heron perched high in a snag. I wonder if the bird has learned to steal fish from the ice anglers? Most of them hope to catch perch but trout and kokanee salmon seem to be easier to catch.
Four women and six dogs got together for a walk in the hills above the valley yesterday. We had a feeble hope that we might get up above the clouds and into the sun but that was not to be. There was an occasional ‘sucker hole’ that almost drew us up even higher but in the end we slipped and slid our way back down to the trail. The low snow accumulation is sad and we will surely hear about it more than we want come next summer if this weather pattern continues. Our region is dependent on winter snowfall for adequate water supplies in the summer.
The calendar says today is the first day of Spring. Yesterday I saw my first yellowbell, a delicate tiny wildflower. This morning we awoke to three inches of new snow and it only just quit snowing an hour or so ago. Despite the conditions, Luna and I had our regular morning walk. Even she seemed less than enthused about the weather. Today’s snow was not unexpected. Now the sun is shining and soon this snow will be gone and the wildflowers can reappear.
I should advertise for Bogs boots.
It’s been a while since Luna has been featured.
Visibility was poor due to heavy snowfall
Aspens were sheltering Mourning Doves
A mouse or a vole hole in the snow
She’s got the cute thing going
Some springs, that depression in front of the aspens holds water
These deer were none too happy about the snow
I expect these daffodils will still bloom
My Everyday Photos 