Tuesday, February 13, 2018

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!

2017 Nov and Dec Taiga_82
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.

2017 Nov and Dec Taiga_91
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.

20171216_152404
"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!

20171221_164701
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.

IMG_20171224_140338_153
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

IMG_20171227_142738_389
Bold as brass on the ski lift...back before we had snow lol

Enjoy a peak into our little slice of paradise.

20171230_150909
Getting some spring water as we climb 3-mile to Bald Knob
20171230_150917(0)
Water?
20171230_152929
Smiles for days with this guy <3
IMG_20171230_165212_319
Dave shredding it up coming down Weiss Knob
20171230_162622
As Jan's husband noted, it looks like someone erased half of my dog
IMG_20180101_151604_712
The detail a cell phone camera can capture these days amazes me
20171231_193746
NYE with these ladies! Lyra and her mini me. Austen and I pre-margaritas, post-egg nog
20171231_193817
Kenai and Lyra do not want to be associate with us. Taiga is too young to know better...
20171231_193826
But the older dogs are much happier when the young one is being embarrassed!
20180101_170541
Lyra would. not. look. at. me. Cheeky bitch.
20180102 Snowdogs_251
But like. Seriously. This. This is my backyard.
20180102 Snowdogs_252
Weeee!
20180102 Snowdogs_254
It was SO cold the morning we went to take these. I think it was -8°F before windchill...
and that was warm!
20180102 Snowdogs_253
The happiest guy <3
20180102 Snowdogs_198
So casual
20180102 Snowdogs_234
Queen of her kingdom - her breeder LOVED this photo
20180102 Snowdogs_240
Wandering back to the house because we couldn't feel our fingers any more
20180102 Snowdogs_249
This is what it looks like after your brother mauls you into a snow bank
_DSC9238
Yeehaw!
20180104_203735
Temperature? -3°F Windchill? -29°F Balmy!
20180114_160550
Hikes up the mountain
20180114_161915
He was posed so perfectly FACING me between these birches, but no, couldn't hold that pose
20180115_134946_1516042226933_001
Dave sent me this one morning <3
IMG_20180115_203751_611
Mount Porte Crayon vista from our ridgetop
20180117 Snow Dogs_155
My redbud tree in her winter best
20180117 Snow Dogs_25
Rime ice is my favorite <3
20180117 Snow Dogs_177
The side eye is strong with this one
20180117 Snow Dogs_160
So demure
20180117 Snow Dogs_172
Kenai surveying his kingdom (and Taiga, he doesn't have two tails lol)
20180117 Snow Dogs_158
The number of photos I'll have of this field by the time I die will be infinite. I just love it.
20180117 Snow Dogs_112
Playing. Forever playing.
20180117 Snow Dogs_76
She is beauty!
20180117 Snow Dogs_78
She is grace?
IMG_20180120_213839_730
This sunset was freaking phenomenal.
AdobeLightroom
Training weekend #1
20180120_102628
A coworker's shot of the training - I'm the one with the blue hood turned facing the camera.
20180121_162354
My endurance mentor's friends came to ski for a weekend, so I showed them around all day on their second day of skiing
20180121_165054
Taiga helping me close the mountain one evening
20180121_165112(2)
"Can we run more now?"
20180121_182402
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.
20180124 Dogs Playing_43
Still the most handsome
20180124 Dogs Playing_42
And he knows it
20180124 Dogs Playing_39
Blep.
20180124 Dogs Playing_13
Bounding after big brother
20180124 Dogs Playing_2
Like so.
20180124 Dogs Playing_29
On a mission.
20180124 Dogs Playing_24
A serious mission
20180124 Dogs Playing_26
I love these big maple trees <3
IMG_20180125_132058_833
The wreath I made at the end of November is hanging in there!
20180128_092044
"Woman, let me in." Kenai, definitely.
20180128_093405
A Taiga Loaf!
20180131_174612
Her favorite thing to do at the barn is root around in the mud.
received_1872500946136215
Training weekend #2 with my favorite patrol mentor. He's in front in these shots and I'm behind.
received_1872500439469599
We had so much fun
received_1872492356137074
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)
IMG_20180207_154719_726
Tongue out happiness
IMG_20180208_095545_974
In her kingdom
IMG_20180205_190443_903
More rime ice
20180205 Dogs in snow_3
One of the hawthorne groves
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_13
In amongst the hawthornes
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_18
Spy Taiga?
IMG_20180209_142240_217
My favorite shot of them this winter <3
IMG_20180209_180021_126
Pastels thrown by the light of the setting sun
IMG_20180210_095336_804
Purple mountain's majesty.
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_23
Home <3 If you look closely you can see big snowflakes in the winter my mom made us a couple years ago!
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_35
The field. And rime ice trees. Again.
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_34
Back porch view
20180208 Winter scenes and dogs_37
Beautiful golden hour lighting. Everything turns a beautiful peachy shade.

32 comments:

  1. Just... damn. Wow.
    Your photos, your dogs, all of it. Love.

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG so beautiful. I love dog media dumps and is there anything more majestic than a husky in wintertime?? Thanks for sharing! There were lots I hadn't seen on Instagram!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't want to overwhelm instagram haha

      There are so many more that I didn't even share here!

      Delete
  3. Taiga <3! She's getting so big...so much fun to see her grow up and mature. It looks like she's getting darker as she gets older?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Guard hairs are certainly darker than they were! Huskies can vary slightly in coloring from winter to summer, so I'm interested to see what she'll be. She was born black and white then faded to a dove grey, but we knew her adult coat would be different...somehow. She seems to have settled on grey and white and thus has been registered as such! Can't wait to see how she evolves.

      Delete
  4. 😍😍😍😍 I just. Wow. I could maybe be persuaded to like winter if I lived where you are haha. Although my dachshunds would never enjoy it like Kenai and Taiga 😉

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My neighbor's dachshunds burrow! It's hilarious.

      Delete
    2. When they were younger they had more fun in the snow. Now they're mostly grumpy old guys and you have to kind of push them out the door to go potty in inclement weather 😂

      Delete
  5. Taiga looks more and more like Lyra every day, and I love it! Can't wait to get those two queens together again (well, and to see you as well of course 😉)!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Psh, I know how it is, HI KENAI! HI TAIGA! HI GRIFFIN! HI Q! HI STAN! Oh, Hi Liz. lmao And I don't expect any less!

      Delete
  6. I could've scrolled through those all day. Gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gorgeous. When we moved to WI we embraced it and learned to snow shoe (not hard to learn) so we could not be miserable. Winter has so much beauty to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really, really does. The limited color scheme dominated by white is just so striking.

      I've been snowshoeing for the first time ever this winter. It's so fun!!

      Delete
  8. I do not like cold nor ice nor snow but I do love all your photos and the happiness that pours out of them!! :) Your dogs are so photogenic!! Great photos. thank you for sharing!! it made my day on a shitty work day where people be batshit crazy :) HA!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no! Tell those people to go home until they can be normal! Boo on them.

      Delete
  9. You live in the most beautiful place in the world!! Love these photo posts <3

    ReplyDelete
  10. soooo much puppy fun!!!!!! and snowwww!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So much snow! Well, until it rained inches and inches.

      Delete
  11. I think that was the longest photo post ever and I LOVED every one of them! You do such a great job, maybe without even realizing it, showing people the beauty that is WEST VIRGINIA! Way I'm so happy the world is working in your favor these days. Seeing my friends happy brings me great joy as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hard not to want to show off this state when I live where I do!

      Delete
  12. Thank you for sharing the beauty that surrounds you! I can never get enough of these photos.

    ReplyDelete