Winter doldrums

News casts and newspapers  were quite excited about a first winter snowfall this weekend, but all that's happening is rain and dark skies. There's only one thing to do.

We're being threatened with grooming, so we plan to stay as inert as possible.

Mom opened the door to the chicken pen but the chickens wouldn't go out to the yard because even the bugs will be napping. The girls stayed inside the hutch that they use as a day lounge. (They lack artistic sensibilities.)

Maewest stayed in the mini-barn.

Nobody wants to go outside today.

So what happened less than an hour later?

That's not snow so much as freezing rain and hail, so slick that a neighbor could barely get up the slight incline from our road to the main road.

We'll see if the slop turns into something dogs can play in.

Trying to take the holiday photo of dogs

 In the old days when I wanted to take a photo of Darwin and Keeper together, I could dress them in silly clothes, haul out the camera, tell them to sit several feet away from me, and they sat and waited for the photo followed by a treat. Not Alanis and Miro. I didn't even attempt a scarf or tee shirt, knowing Miro would immediately gnaw on whatever Alanis wore. This year I had an ambition to try something candid because Miro and Alanis will only sit together right in front of me. Alanis knew how to stand for exam in the show ring but did not know "sit for a treat" until I corrupted her two years ago.

We went outside and the first thing they did was --



chase behind a tree, growling and playing bitey-face.



Then Alanis had better things to look at than the camera.

And they both decided something needed immediate investigation.

I think we will go back to the sit-for-a-treat idea.