Dashing through the snow

This year the folks and I split the holidays. They came down here for Thanksgiving (which was graciously hosed by the Cannons) and I traveled up north for Christmas. It was extremely nice to only have to make the trip once. I'm not a distance driver.

There was no Solstice party this year as the temperatures were well below freezing and close to if not below zero thanks to the wind. I guess that means the fire will be extra big next year. In any event the Gods seemed to understand and the days are getting longer despite the lack of bonfire.

The trip home was rather uneventful and the new snow tires performed beautifully over the snow pack. Hwy 62 was amazing. The trees are so large here it is hard to gain perspective in the photo. Perhaps I should have taken the picture facing the car to show that the snow banks on either side of the road were around 5 feet high. But that would have meant actually getting out of the car and that would have been far too cold.

There was quite a bit of snow on the ground at the homestead but it packed down to a reasonable foot or so by the time I left. The noise that accompanied the sheets of snow falling off the roof was impressive and from what dad tells me, it even broke a window in the kitchen after I left.

The dogs enjoyed their Christmas morning swizzels with the required festive hats. Chaucer didn't appreciate the humor for long. We learned that even Wubbas are no match for Mirrhi as she made a big hole in her's in under 10 minutes.

We were also visited by some Oregon Reindeer or Elk just before sunrise. It was lovely but I had a very hard time getting the photo to come out.

The Dude enjoyed the snow, following me around in the single-file dog trails. This made turning around rather difficult. No one likes to break fresh trail if the snow is over your boot-tops. We went on a nice walk down the road and everyone took turns off-lead. It's so nice to finally have a dog that isn't interested in taking off. Stromy still would I think if she was a little less fat and had it been warmer but Chaucer is very good about herding her back to people.

It was a more eventful drive back to MFR as 62 was closed when I got there due to downed trees and heavy snowfall. The drive between Diamond Lake and Roseberg was terrible. Somehow the road stayed almost completely in the transitional zone for the first hour leaving the roads rutted with ice and snow but still warm enough to be raining buckets. Again thankful for the snow tires. All in all the trip back took about 9 hours thanks to the weather but once 138 West met the Umpqua River the view was fantastic. Thanks to the storm, twilight came around 2:30 pm so the photos were all very dark but I managed a shot or two when I stopped to stretch.

I hope the holiday season finds you all well. Happy Solstice and ChristmaHanuaKwanzaka!

Home...

The dogs and I went on a little road trip last weekend. We visited my friend Michael and cousin/aunt Flirt in Vancouver the first day. Flirt has her own MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/flirtykins, and Michael is in the process of building her a lovely new fence. This way, next time we visit the humans don't have to stand around and supervise outdoor activities.

We stopped at Multnomah Falls on the way through the Gorge. The rain clouds of the previous night burned off early and made for quite a lovely day. The hike to the top was about what I expected *gasp* but worth it by far. I was glad Michael joined us for this portion of the trip. Rule #1, when planning to give yourself a heart attack, bring a buddy...someone has to make sure the dogs get back down okay.

Fall is beautiful and there's nothing like the golden fields and amber oaks of the old homestead. I'm sure Maine is lovely but it's not my home. The breeze was cool with just a hint of rain, the trees somehow seemed to give off warmth, and the grass had a hearty, earthy sent that was simply fantastic. Of course when the wind is just right that smell is also spiced with O'de Sheep Poop but that's all part of the charm.

Mom and I went on a nice morning walk and gave the dogs a chance to take in all the smells of the neighbor's cows and the coyote trail. It was a pensive time for all and apparently very interesting just to the left.

For Starters

I began this blog on a lazy Sunday. Once again indoors on a fantastic autumn day so I will try to make this short. This is my favorite time of year and for many reasons signals the beginning of new things for me. Of course there's the obvious...my birthday is in September so I, personally, am starting a new year which is always poignant. But there are also other signs like the bright yellow school buses laboring down my street again and the sudden morning chill that signals change is coming. So I'll join the blogging band waggon this year and see where it leads.

The title of this blog may sound familiar for some. No, not the French exclamation "sucrebleu", but as a nickname for my dear friend Stormy (C-Myste Nightingale). We often call her "Sugar" and...well...she's blue so that seems fairly self explanatory. Yes it will be a relatively dog themed blog but I will try not to sound like a crazy old shut-in. You can visit the whole family at www.wolfruncardis.com but you won't find Stormy there as her major exploits are in couch.po.ta.tology (my word, use it three times and it can be yours too) and far too complex for the general public.

The sun is calling me outside so I thank you in advance for your patience with this newbie blogger.