February 12, 2012 Snow!

Sunday night a snow storm blew through!  Boy, did it blow and snow.  This was the first serious, heavy snow of the season.  So, Monday morning there was no school and the snow plow operators were out in full force being very busy.  The snow was so heavy it was hard to move.  I was having a hard time to decide how much we actually got because of the drifting.  Even the grader operator had gone a bit off the road a bit Sunday night when he was plowing our county road.  It was a straight stretch and not wooded and it was blowing so darned hard, he couldn't see.  But, when all is said and done, the shoveling done, the thigh high snow drifts cleared......there was definitely over a foot of snow but how much, I don't know for sure.  Just that it was a LOT!  After an unusually long time to feed the critters Monday morning, I took Toby for a walk on the county road.  He had to wallow pretty good to get there.  Thus, when I asked him to come to our wind break, which is also the start of our woods trail walk, later.....he didn't want to go.  That is him sitting in the deep snow where we start.  He posed.  Then, he very happily went back on the deck!  :)
After all the exercise yesterday moving snow, we had both our walks on the county road.  Today, tho, after I had a few things done and the morning walk with Toby was done, I put on the snowshoes and off I went.  I told Toby what I was up to and he went and laid down in the other room again, just like he understood every word.  Boy, did I get my exercise.  Except for an open area on a ridge, I was knee deep on snowshoes most of the way.  In a couple of the worst places, I made several trips back and forth to fix it.  Several times, I almost turned around and went back the way I had come....thinking; well, then that part will be all done well.  However, then I still would have had to get there tomorrow to finish.  I went all the way around and the ski trail is open.  Tomorrow, I will go around again to finish packing.  Possibly, by the next day, Toby can go again.  But.....it might take one more to do it. 
Of course, it was such a beautiful sunny morning, I had planned on taking the camera along.  By the time I left, it had really clouded up.  I have been out enough in that kind of heavy grey to know the pictures are for crap and opted to leave the camera home.  About a mile out, the sun came out so nice again.  Also, I came around a corner and there was a ruffed grouse head sticking out of the snow.  The sun shined on its beady little eye so nice.  There I stood, 3' away, looking at it looking at me.  Finally, it exploded out of the snow like they usually do.  I have had that happen so many times over the years.....never, ever, did I get to see it first.  And.....no camera!  Drat....drat.....drat!
Anyway.....when I did get home, 2 and 1/2 hours later, Toby was now ready to go.  So, snowshoes off, off we went for Toby's walk on the road again...and he was a happy dog.  When Toby doesn't want to go out in the woods with me, you know we have snow.  And, he isn't a spring chicken any more so I don't make him go in that.
I will leave you with a recent sunset.  It was a gorgeous one Monday night.  I was out putting out the fox treats when it finally colored and I missed the best part.  I ran for the camera and here's what I got.  Looks like the woods is on fire!