Snow, snow, snow!

It was snowing hard at daybreak. This was the sight outside the bedroom window. The snow was already piling up on the deck and still hurtling out of the sky.

I was a little slow getting myself out the door because the weather looked so harsh. Indeed, when Shyla and I headed out, it was almost a white-out (and it's still snowing hard now).

But, that didn't stop us. Since there was only about 6" of snow accumulated, the Fatback could handle it even though no one had packed down the trails.

Shyla was overjoyed with the snow, flitting all around me, galloping like a happy puppy. It's such fun having a buddy who isn't put off by cold and snow!

As the ride went on, the snow got deeper and deeper. By the time I finished, it seemed like there was at least a foot of fresh snow. Here was Shyla at the end of the ride.

I'd asked her to do a sit-stay in the photo above, which she was doing beautifully. Then, I must have telegraphed with my body language that I was planning to call her. She leaned her head closer to me, looking at me intently, willing me to say the magic words "Shyla Come!".

Shyla has changed so much, from a dog who seemed almost apathetic about life when I first met her to a dog who looks at me with that level of intensity despite an aerial bombardment of snow. I love it.

Soon, we're heading out on snowshoes to start the long process of packing down the trails to make walking and snowbiking easier. I bet it's going to be a gorgeous winter wonderland.