Winter Views (with Lakhi Girl)

There was ~beautiful scenery~ all around us today. I could sense the brilliant sunshine outside as I was scurrying through my morning routine.
Eager to feel the sun~~
the dog and I set out!

It is bright and a brisk 31 degrees.
The sun lights up the sky and warms us as we slosh and we slip down the mountain. Well~ I slip. The dog (Lakhi girl) has superb traction and a totally fearless nature. Lakhi is undaunted by any and all harsh conditions the winter has thus far thrown our way.

I tried to take the logging trail across from our drive with the dog (my first impulse here) but got one leg stuck in about 30 inches of snow. It punched through the crusty top layer.

This is the neighbor's home (top photo)~
we visit daily...
around and down the knoll.
It's a picture book perfect home.
Look at the mountain peeking
through from just behind
their roof.

Each day~
the clouds
the mist
the sun
and the color
of the mountain tops
present themselves differently.

Sometimes I go to see them~~
and they're 'not there' at all.

We have found that the snow
covering (and the sparseness
of the winter tree line)
helps us to see each mountain
top's distinctness and full form,
thus helping us to identify them.

(Middle photo)
What's a dog to do?
(She is perched on top
of a 3 foot snowbank
and she is trying
to smell through
to the earthy ground
she knows is below.
She stops often
and smells very carefully.)
:)