Stillwater Snowfall

                                                                                                                                                           Stillwater, February 5th, 2016

I’m having a productive and busy writing day, but I thought I’d entertain you with some photos of our recent snowstorm. We got about 14 inches of powdery, fluffy, beautiful snow.

I know, you Easterners got much more! But if you’re thinking we’ve got it easy, I’ll bet  you don’t have to plow your own roads, like we do. My husband’s been out day after day, opening up the roads around “The Loop” so our neighbors can get out.

Of course, there’s not much point in getting out, since you can’t go anywhere. The road to Wyoming, which is plowed by the county, is impassable for the most part, unless you’re a little crazy and love driving in snow. The road to Colorado is somewhat better, but has sharp switchbacks that make me uneasy in slippery winter conditions. So unless the neighbors want to drive around and around our dirt-road Loop, I highly recommend staying home and reading–or writing–a good book by the fire, with snuggly assistance from the cat, or maybe a dog or two.

Jesse the mastiff mix and Chloe the Jack Russell terrier, heading toward the corner. I'm behind them, learning to use my new snowshoes!
Jesse the mastiff mix and Chloe the Jack Russell terrier, heading toward the corner. I love the friendship that developed between these two very different dogs. They’re such good buddies, and love to run and play together.

 

Jesse stops to admire the snow-covered trees as he heads home.
Jesse stops to admire the snow-covered trees as he heads home.

 

Chloe finally manages to escape the deep snow! It's deeper than she is tall, so she has to "swim" to get around.
Chloe escaping the deep snow! It’s deeper than she is tall, so she has to “swim” to get around. She mostly sticks to the road, but once in a while she can’t resist running after a rabbit, or chasing Jesse!

 

Chloe, admiring Scrape's terrific plowing job, and thinking what an appropriate nickname he has.
Chloe, admiring Scrape’s terrific plowing job, and thinking what an appropriate nickname he has.

 

Jesse, who loves the snow. Since it's too deep for little Chloe, he wins all the games.
Jesse, who loves the snow. Since it’s too deep for little Chloe, he wins all the games these days, which is not the way it usually goes. He’s faster because he’s bigger, but Chloe always wins in the end due to her oversized enthusiasm. Here, he’s been the first to catch the tennis ball, and is quite pleased with himself.

 

Chloe, wearing her new green canvas coat from Ruffwear. This seemed like a great choice, since it protects her belly from barbed wire. Unfortunately, it also fills up with snow when she tries to run, and slows her down even more. But nothing can stop her from being cute!
Chloe, wearing her new green canvas coat from Ruffwear. This seemed like a great choice, since it protects her belly from barbed wire. Unfortunately, it also fills up with snow when she tries to run. But nothing can stop her from being cute!

 

Pine cones in the snow. Maybe this should be next year's Christmas card...
Pine cones in the snow.
Maybe this should be next year’s Christmas card… what do you think?

That’s it for today, folks – I hope that wherever you are, you’re staying warm and cozy with the ones you love!