Ohboyohboyohboyohboy, SNOW! (in March???)

So we woke up to 5" or 6" of snow this morning. We're in a lull from the storm right now, then we're expected to get a few inches more.

It's our worst snowstorm of the '08 - '09 season, and it would've been a boatload of fun for this region a month or two ago. But after tasting 60-degree weather last week (I just knew it was a tease), many folks around here are feeling like nature is playing a cruel trick.

Not me. :o) I LIKE snow.

And so does the canine crew! :o)

Here they are at 6:10 a.m. this morning while DH and I are shoveling the drive and clearing off the cars (no we don't have a garage, and yes the snowblower is broken).

Left to right, this is Kenya, Rudy, Pinot, and Tuc keeping an eye (or eight eyes) on us through the gate:


Here's Rudy watching some more from the deck:


And the Pinot girl watching through the fence:



First the kids watched us forlornly (youmeanyourenotjustgonnajumpinandrompwithus?). They didn't understand that DH still had to drive in to work today. We had to get the driveway and cars done first.

Here's DH finishing up the drive (he's toward the bottom on left):


Then the gang realized Momma Joan (aka me) was about to throw the Kong for them (ohboyohboyohboyohboy!). I took these shots as I stepped through the gate:


The canine kids knew what was coming!

The rest of the shots are of the gang tracking down and retrieving the Kong I threw for them until my arm gave out (after shoveling, my shoulder wasn't very happy).

Oh, and my apologies about the lighting... it was still half-dark outside early this morning. As time went on, it did brighten up some. The lighting, however, is still pretty dark.

So here they are:




Notice Elsie shaking the snow off her head:


And Rudy grooming the snow off Ridge's face (had to include this one, even though it's blurred):

Notice Tuc's face-full of snow:


And Tuc teasing Pinot and the little squirt (Rudy):


But Pinot and Rudy caught up!


Then Rudy decided he'd wait and let the rest retrieve the Kong and bring it back up the hill (that's the back of his head at the bottom of the pic -- he's sitting about ten feet in front of me):


Then he'd pounce on whoever brought it back:


Here he is trying the wait-and-pounce trick again with Tuc (on left, who has the snow-covered black Kong in his mouth as well as a snoot-full of snow) and Pinot, in the center (she has a snoot-full of snow, too):


Here are the happy kids, Tuc (l) and Pinot (r):


And more happy kids (l to r) Elsie, Pinot, and Tuc (dontcha just love Tuc's face???):


And Tuc dashing away first:



Not bad for an AZ boy! -- NOTE to Momma Teese: I think Tuc likes snow (hehe, we've turned him to the dark side!) -- at least it's better than that awful 85-degree stuff you guys have going out there near Tucson right now (seems like a lotta hot a little early)!

Here Tuc goes, teasing the gang trailing behind him (that's a snow-covered black Kong in his mouth again):


And Tuc teasing Kenya:


This wintry white stuff is great fun as far as our crew is concerned. The whole gang loves it!


In the time since I started this blog entry (picture loads were really slow today -- maybe storm related) it's started snowing again. Only now we have really HIGH winds up here on the ridge where we live (feels like a blizzard -- I think it's supposed to be a nor'easter). These kind of wind gusts make it way too cold to play outside for very long (bummers). I'll get the kiddos out again a couple more times today, but it will have to be for short stretches. I don't need frostbite, and neither do they.

At least we got a good 75 minutes in early this morning. And now they're all crashed or snoozing away.

First the girls claimed their spot in front of the fire (woodstove):


While Tuc claimed the couch (yup, this is he this morning seconds after we came in from outside -- this pic reminds me of how much he's still a pup!):


Then everybody seemed to want to be next to the wood-stove:


Except Ridge, who crashed on the family room floor to dry himself off:



And the little Rudy squirt, who trotted in and out, often curling up in any of the other kids' crates out in the heated-floor kennel room to enjoy a Kong without one of the bigger kids taking it from him (isn't he handsome in his new red collar!):


I'm thankful for the snow and for the opportunity for fun. I suppose I could whine with the rest of the folks here in the mid-Atlantic region. But then I'd sound like a grown-up (me?) and I'd rather enjoy our March blizzard while it's here.

Besides, I'd rather giggle than whine any day of the week. And I'd rather romp with my doggies in snow all day than even ten minutes in the mud. :o)

'Til next time,
Joan