Perched at the end of the road near the top of a mountain comes with perks. My humble home and sweet studio are surrounded by sky, blessed with serenity, visited by wild critters, teased with Momma Nature’s fresh aroma and exude a sense of magic.
But it can be a bit western up here. Last week when town got about 4 inches of slippery wet snow, I got over two feet. Slippery. Snotty. Wet. Snow.
Beautiful?
Certainly. Snow comes in more than a dozen varieties (I could ramble about the benefits and pitfalls of each type of snow but will stay focused.) Last week’s storm left the kind of snow that makes tires spin faster than a DJ’s record. I allowed an extra 20 minutes to dig my truck out from beneath the deep stuff, loaded Zaydee into the back seat and within 8 seconds was stuck. Two and a half hours later we were on our way to town.
Luckily my daily commute to work doesn’t require tire chains, shovels or seat heaters. I get to pull on my boots and stroll through the woods.
Snow tells secrets...
Zaydee hasn’t been on every mountain bike ride since some are simply too long, hot and arduous for a dog but for twelve years she has been my enthusiastic faithful companion on most rides. She gets excited when I pull on padded shorts. She flips out at the trailhead when I gear up to go. Together we have covered hundreds of miles of single track. But at something around 14 years old (she is adopted) – she is showing her age. She can’t even keep up with me when I go for a run (and I am hardly a “runner”). We are coming to grips with this transition. I find myself full of gratitude for what we have shared and guilt for leaving her behind.
