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Tag Archives: winter

Some People’s Trucks

Some people’s trucks live outside. Probably most of them. Hi ho Silver, my car, is spoiled, living in a garage. Looking at other people’s cars and trucks, it’s obvious that they are out there, in the elements, all the time. Silver, comes and goes, into the warm, well not really warm by my standard, but certainly warmer than outside, while other cars and trucks sit outside, day and night, through sub zero temperatures, big snow falls and occasional ice storms, thawing and freezing, and the occasional leaf fall.

 

 

 

Classic Skiing in New Powder

This week, Mother Nature has brought our valley some wonderful airy powder snow! What a delight. So light, easy to shovel. One lady said she used her leaf blower to get it off her porch.

Neighbor Shelley asked me this afternoon if it was alright if she started some classic ski tracks across our hillside. Oh Yeah. She and her dogs were soon scooting through the spindrift snow as more was coming down. A little while later I moved myself away from the computer and went in search of the old fish scale classic skis and the glide wax and then had to look  for the poles before finding them out in the shop with a hoard of other ski poles. We could outfit a few skiers with our outdated equipment.

And the dogs wanted to go along. They already had a morning walk. And Luna and I had done some skate skiing in the soft snow at Big Valley this morning too. That was a real effort. So off we went, up our trail and then along the road to a vacation house where we found Shelley’s tracks coming from the other side of the hill. It was a bit much for Sam, the brown dog, so I thought maybe a shortcut back home would be a good idea. It was quite a pull up a steep hillside but eventually the old dogs made it up and then we were on our regular trail heading downhill towards home. The dogs will sleep well tonight.

 

Gliding through the powder!

 

 

 

Kelly can barely see or hear. She’s a real trooper. And nearly 14! Her birthday is Valentines Day.

 

Sam wants to go. She will will herself to go despite old age and arthritis

 

And Luna. Can you see me?

 

Our little camper is in that barn with the plastic doors. Waiting for summer.

 

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

 

Kelly is thinking. Home is right over there. Put the camera away and let’s get going. It’s nearly dinner time and I need to lay down for a while.

 

Home

 

 

 

 

 

Just Walkin My Dogs

Even in the coldest and snowiest weather, the dogs want to go for a walk every morning. And sometimes in the afternoon too. That morning walk sometime after breakfast seems to get them settled for the rest of the day with a series of naps and occasional forays out into the cold, or sometimes even a major outing involving a ride in the car. Today they seemed slower about telling me it was time for the walk – maybe the snow falling slows everyone down. They were happy to get out and look for sticks and smells and try to find out which deer and coyotes and other wildlife had walked on our trail. Looking out the window, I am guessing that by afternoon, all traces of our walk will have disapeared in a soft blanket of new snow.

Kelly says, nope, I don’t like having my picture made

Well, maybe for a cookie, you can make my picture, but you’d better be quick

Luna and Sam will hold still for a cookie anytime

I’ll have that cookie now please

Sam is ready to go home

Snowflakes in my Eyes

Skate skiing is meant to be done on groomed trails. The MVSTA folks do a good job – grooming many if not all of the 200k of trails every night. That’s great after a fresh snow fall. Today I made the mistake of going skiing right when the heaviest snow came down, at least on the lower part of the Community Trail. It must have snowed a couple inches in the hour or so I was out there. And I don’t have any glasses or goggles for this type of weather so there I went with my head facing down to keep the snow out of my eyes! It wasn’t too cold and the snow was light and powdery and my skis glided through it pretty easily but still, it wasn’t as much fun as other days out there. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for any snow that falls this winter. My timing was just bad for skiing today. The skies are clearing now.

 

 

Only 25k to Mazama

 

5k back to town!

 

 

Above the Fog with the Dogs

Some winter days a thick layer of fog follows the river up to the mountains. It usually evaporates to reveal snow capped peaks and bluebird skies. Tuesday was like that. The dogs and I enjoyed our icy walk in the sun while trees emerged from the fog and slowly Goat Peak was revealed.

 

Sam and Kelly, the old dogs, trundling along

 

Luna is up to something

 

Flying?