Febrrrrruary 4, 2007: "Who's that girl? She must be nearly freezing. Who's that girl out there? All that snow makes it hard to see her.

Record low temperatures here this weekend. I feel like I'm back in Wyoming and of course I'm lovin' it! Today with the wind, the temperature outside was -14. I was going to hook the gang up and go for a run, but went out to find someone (Mandy) had chewed through my gangline out of boredom. So after a cold trek up to Home Depot for some new poly, we ended up lounging on the couch.

I love it when the snow drifts over the road in wispy curls. It looks like dry ice, and creates this ethereal almost loneliness to the scenery. I love it when the sky is bright blue and the snow crunches under foot. I went outside the other night during full moon. It glistened in the crystaline snow with a thousand points of light, creating stars above and stars below my feet. Such breathtaking beauty sometimes I don't think I deserve to witness.

Saturday, February 3, 2007: sweet girl

Foxy, our oldest Alaskan Husky, has been having some real pain in her right hip since the weather has been so cold. I think it's time to hang up her harness. But that doesn't mean she'll be without a job or purpose or exercise: try outs for Pet Partners hospital program for rehabilitation/visitation dogs are March 12 and 14th. Guess who's trying out? My sweet girl, Foxy dawg.

She goes with me every where I'm allowed to take her. Today she and I ran Sophie up to cheerleading, and then took a very brisk 5 degree jaunt through the woods. Then she rode with me up to the car wash and bank. I've been taking her into pet stores that allow dogs inside to acclimate her to being inside with commotion, and we've got "sit", "stay", "come" and "leave it" down pat. Now we're working hard on "down." She's having a harder time with that one.

She is such a good girl. She loves me and our family so much. She's always right by my side. And I love her so much. I never thought I could become so attached to an "adopted" dog so quickly. It's really as if she's filled the part of my heart that was grieving Kahlua's death. She's a lot like Kahlua: very loyal, always by my side, very calm and gentle. She would be a great therapy dog because she loves simply being with people.

Sunday, January 28, 2007: sledding and snowmen

I took the weekend off from grooming to catch up on some quality time with my kids: the two legged and four legged variety. We built an awesome snowman in our front yard Saturday night. And Sunday, we dragged Chris to Goodyear hill where we went sledding for the first time this year.

FINALLY SNOW has COME! Foxy, Mandy and I rested at the top of the hill for a minute while Chris, Sophie and Elise went down the hill, and it was truly a beautiful scene. Snow was falling in incredible giant snowflakes, and a soft blanket of it fell silently on Foxy and Mandy's downy fur, but they were warm and dry underneath all that fur. A boy on the hill said he didn't like "wolves"

Karma, Marley, Jack, Mandy and Foxy enjoyed lots of fresh homemade doggy treats tonight. After a long day's run, they were happy to eat some cookies and conk out on the couch.