Dashing thru the snow...

After shoveling snow in the wee hours of the morning...all I could think all day is how much fun it would be to be out in it...so we were.

It was a full blown winter wonderland we walked into.

The snow sculpting everything into new and wondrous things.

And I was reminded of how difficult it is to keep a camera dry in the snow!

And how you have to be careful how you breathe so it won't fog up.

The woods were filled with tracks of every kind and the dogs were soon off racing through the underbrush in total amazement at the transformation the forest had undergone overnight.

And everywhere there were scenes too magical to even attempt to capture on film.

Our footprints followed the footprints of many forest creatures and overhead the sky was filled with the blur of geese passing by, their honks raining down on us as we walked.

I cannot say whether it was temperate or not because I was caught up in the same mood as the dogs tumbling through the snow drifts.

The lake was breathtaking and it came to mind how rare those days are when the wind is absent long enough to leave everything dusted with snow.

I am always reminded at the beginning of each season how stunning each season begins.

The edges of the lake were covered in rabbit and deer tracks as the forest animals take advantage of the water which will soon begin to disappear under ice.

The ripples on the lake seem almost frozen and I watched a moment to make sure they moved...a moment of surrealism.

Charm and Domino growled and wrestled all along the trail, black and white now hard to see against the stark trees and snow.

The only sign of them through the woods was wagging tails.

They were climbing up above by the time I began my climb, moving slowly to avoid stepping on slippery rocks buried beneath the snow.

Up above, the only touch of color is the old willow who is always the last one to shed its leaves completely. In the distance the town begins to come into view as the trees become more bare.

In the winter it all closes in and everything appears closer. And thus it will remain until late spring.

The climb was not so bad and I am hoping we can continue to climb throughout the winter, it's something we did not do in previous years.

I keep thinking the pits need coats to enjoy the snow...but they have both proven to be quite happy and comfortable rampaging through the woods naked.

Domino zooms back and forth, sometimes with his ears flying in the wind.

And Charm checks for crevices along the cliff's edge, careful with her footing.

We trek back, me being careful that no dogs are flying down the trail behind me on the more tricky spots. Another load of firewood dusted off and stacked and happy hungry dogs who immediately eat everything in sight upon returning home. Darkness hits with perfect timing.