The Snow Keeps Coming

The calm winter sunset before today's storm. The photo doesn't really do the sunset justice. It was spectacular. Today on the other hand is a different story. The snow began falling around 6 a.m. and kept on until a bit after noon. I think I have an extra 8 inches, to add to the nearly 20 inches from the other day. I got out of work at noon, and came home to run my little snowblower. I do enjoy clearing the snow. I wish I had a big Kabota tractor with one of those huge blower attachments. Pretty cool. By the way, I'm not a redneck just because I like tractors.
I haven't had much work these days, so I've had ample time to snowshoe every day. I've been out the last four days in a row, and my knees remind me every morning. As long as they don't seize up, or give away, I'm all set. Not many other people have ventured out into the deep snow, so I have broken many trails myself. Miles worth. Occasionally I get a respite when I come across a snowmobile trail. At that point, I feel so unencumbered I could run....but I don't.

Evvy and I both struggled through the deep snow each day. I worked up a sweat shortly into each hike. Evvy got covered with ice balls that clung to her fur. She would stop suddenly to chew some of the icicles off the irratated spots. I looked and looked for sheds, but so far, none to be found. I was hoping Evvy might find one, because she is forever finding bones. I did see plenty of game trails despite the deep snow. The deer ARE moving. I have found where they bed down. Then I find they move together along the well worn paths. Occasionally, coyote tracks intermingle. Speaking of coyotes. My neighbor has a 13 yr. old Husky mix. He is all "off-white" and quite plush. Anyway, my neighbor keeps two of these dogs tied out, night

and day, which angers me. So I read an ad in the "lost" section of the local paper. This family lost one of those fluffy dogs. The 13 yr old went missing the evening of January 7th this year.

The poor dog couldn't hear, and I'm not even sure he could see all that well. I fear that a coyote(s) came into the yard and took the dog. This past Monday, I was coming home from a pizza run. A large canid ran out in front of me. Nope, not "little Bear", the husky, it was a coyote. That coyote was just leaving my neighbor's yard! My neighbors weren't home. I checked to see if the other fluffy dog was still there. It was, he was all curled up in the snow near the garage. Perhaps he went undetected by the coyote, but I doubt it. Hopefully I scared the coyote away.

It frustrates me how people can leave their animals out, tethered with no way to escape. How people can allow their cats out around here, is beyond me too. It kills me when I see printed posters with lost cats on them, stuck to telephone poles. I mean really? A cat doesn't stand a very good chance of survival in the woods of Walpole, or anywhere really. Fisher, Fox, and Coyotes will eat cats with ease. Do the owners who post really think they will see their cats again? Seems like they may be in denial. I'm sure there are those exceptions, but few.

I keep my girl, Evvy inside. If I lost her to a coyote or anything else, I'd be devestated. She has been the very best friend I have. Even when she is at her worst, her love is the unconditional kind. I wouldn't trade her for the world.