Sunday, March 9, 2008


Yeti has been fully accepted by our alpha female pack leader, Foxy.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

"You ain't a'goin' nowhere" - Bob Dylan


Holy crap! Road closures, stuck cars, no mail -- all because of piles and piles of snow. I haven't seen snow like this since I lived in Wyoming. Elise and I played in the fluffy white stuff for hours today. We've had eighteen inches since Friday, and more is expected.

Chris was in San Antonio, but hopped a stand by flight to Dallas, then another to Detroit because his was canceled. Somehow he is determined to get home. It's like a scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Friday, March 7, 2008

a day in the life of yeti


Yeti, looking sweet




Karma and Yeti "mouth sparring"




Yeti is, clearly, acclimating quite well to life at the Lazy Husky Ranch. He and Karma are like best friends, and Jack has become his big brother.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Impressed by water, weather



I am continually impressed by water. It is flexible, powerful, infinite. It forms entire masses over the earth in the form of glaciers. It carves out crevasses and mountains, moves over land, and yesterday here in NE Ohio, it sculpted itself into various impressive forms over everything external: trees, road signs, cars, encasing everything exposed in a thin sheet of sparkling ice.

Sophie shares my awe with weather: today as we were leaving for school, she plucked a piece of grass totally encased in ice from the yard, marveling at the way it shimmered.

Many people hate this weather. And there are times when I come in from doing some chore outside shivering too. But if looked at objectively, these weather patterns are quite impressive and beautiful.

There is beauty in winter, just as many find beauty in other seasons. For me, winter is wonderful because things are so quiet. I can take my pack of dogs to the woods and let them run free because there is rarely anyone out on the trails in winter.

Winter is a time of intense but quiet and subtle beauty. Winter mimics what I love about backpacking: the feeling of absolute solitude brings me closer to feeling a oneness with nature, and therefore, God.

Look closely. There's a whole world out there.