Winter at Home + Snow Dog Bliss

I feel like I blinked and suddenly we went from December to halfway through February! I know winter seems to drag on and on for most folks, and it used to for me, too. But in an effort to make the most of winter and have a reason to enjoy it, I joined ski patrol 7 years ago. Winter has flown by for me ever since!

I feel like when I left off posting photos of Taiga, she was about this big

This year's winter has been the most winter-y we've had in the past 7 years. The temperatures were finally seasonal, even if the snowfall was sub-par. The snow we received from December to the present would last and remain and build up for weeks before a warm spell would melt it all.

Snow dog in a snow storm

Taiga has been LOVING it. It's been so fun watching her grow up in a real winter wonderland the majority of the time.

"Mouse?!" Taiga, probably

It seems we're back to unseasonably warm weather for the foreseeable future though. Our mountain top has no snow on it for the first time in months!

Nice shot for size comparison back in December at the vet's. Kenai was cocking his head because there
was a pig out of his line of sight

Taiga is adjusting just fine to this though, fully accepting her new role of digging-dog instead of snow-playing dog.

The flat ridge along the right fading to center of the photo is where I live! My house is out of view though.

All the same, I thought it would be fun to share a huge dump of winter photos of Taiga, Kenai, and our winter wonderland. I've been wanting to share some of these for ages, but - beyond Instagram - I've been pretty lazy with all things social media. #sorrynotsorry

Bold as brass on the ski lift...back before we had snow lol

Enjoy a peak into our little slice of paradise.

Getting some spring water as we climb 3-mile to Bald Knob

Water?

Smiles for days with this guy <3

Dave shredding it up coming down Weiss Knob

As Jan's husband noted, it looks like someone erased half of my dog

The detail a cell phone camera can capture these days amazes me

NYE with these ladies! Lyra and her mini me. Austen and I pre-margaritas, post-egg nog

Kenai and Lyra do not want to be associate with us. Taiga is too young to know better...

But the older dogs are much happier when the young one is being embarrassed!

Lyra would. not. look. at. me. Cheeky bitch.

But like. Seriously. This. This is my backyard.

Weeee!

It was SO cold the morning we went to take these. I think it was -8°F before windchill...
and that was warm!

The happiest guy <3

So casual

Queen of her kingdom - her breeder LOVED this photo

Wandering back to the house because we couldn't feel our fingers any more

This is what it looks like after your brother mauls you into a snow bank

Yeehaw!

Temperature? -3°F Windchill? -29°F Balmy!

Hikes up the mountain

He was posed so perfectly FACING me between these birches, but no, couldn't hold that pose

Dave sent me this one morning <3

Mount Porte Crayon vista from our ridgetop

My redbud tree in her winter best

Rime ice is my favorite <3

The side eye is strong with this one

So demure

Kenai surveying his kingdom (and Taiga, he doesn't have two tails lol)

The number of photos I'll have of this field by the time I die will be infinite. I just love it.

Playing. Forever playing.

She is beauty!

She is grace?

This sunset was freaking phenomenal.

Training weekend #1

A coworker's shot of the training - I'm the one with the blue hood turned facing the camera.

My endurance mentor's friends came to ski for a weekend, so I showed them around all day on their second day of skiing

Taiga helping me close the mountain one evening

"Can we run more now?"

Kenai had a lot of fungal baths during the month of January to help us try to
figure out what is going on with his hair. Taiga stood by as moral support.

Still the most handsome

And he knows it

Blep.

Bounding after big brother

Like so.

On a mission.

A serious mission

I love these big maple trees <3

The wreath I made at the end of November is hanging in there!

"Woman, let me in." Kenai, definitely.

A Taiga Loaf!

Her favorite thing to do at the barn is root around in the mud.

Training weekend #2 with my favorite patrol mentor. He's in front in these shots and I'm behind.

We had so much fun

Look at those smiles. Even if I couldn't see a damn thing (fogged up goggles on my forehead and eyes closed in this shot)

Tongue out happiness

In her kingdom

More rime ice

One of the hawthorne groves

In amongst the hawthornes

Spy Taiga?

My favorite shot of them this winter <3

Pastels thrown by the light of the setting sun

Purple mountain's majesty.

Home <3 If you look closely you can see big snowflakes in the winter my mom made us a couple years ago!

The field. And rime ice trees. Again.

Back porch view

Beautiful golden hour lighting. Everything turns a beautiful peachy shade.