It's a Cold One!

I don't know what it's like in your part of the world, but here in southeastern Idaho, it's COLD! This is only our second winter here, but apparently last winter was considered mild. My desk is situated in a corner of the living room where I can gaze out the window as I think and write. This is the scene that I am currently viewing; a winter wonderland! Of course, it helps to know I am inside looking out.

I really do love cold weather and snow. It's one of my favorite times of the year. But, my goodness! Last year it never dropped below 15 degrees or so (except one weekend it hit -0-). But this year we've had plenty of single digits, and the first week of December was minus 5 to minus 15 (that's BELOW zero!) every day!

Mind you, the first day of winter is not until December 21! That's not for three more days!

Now, when you have a house dog that be taken outside on a daily basis, you are forced to enter that beautiful winter wonderland and feel it. This means feeling not only the sharp frigid cold that forces you to cover every part of your body including your face. It also means feeling the sensation of trying to walk on a surface that provides no traction; so that in order to avoid slipping you must walk flat-footed like Frankenstein, often prefering to tramp through the snow than risk the slick sidewalk.

I'm proud to say I've only slipped twice on the ice, and once in a snow-covered parking lot. I survived without a bruise (snow is very soft) and no one saw me fall, as far as I could tell. I'm good!

Oh, another great thing is that the little dog that normally drags me around the neighborhood (short legs never walk, only run), now just slips and slides on the ice, putting me in charge! Those doggy legs look like blurry little cartoon legs, and yet he goes nowhere unless I choose to follow. Now he knows who's boss!

So, if you live in a no-snow zone, such as the central California coast where we're from, I hope I have given you just a taste of what you're missing. (You're either saying, "Gee, I sure wish I lived in such a lovely place!" or "You can have all that damn cold snow and ice!")

You can find another snowy winter image and some real Christmasy stuff too on my new blog, Link Letters. You're invited!