Staying Amused

When the temperatures hover around zero, the snow takes on a glistening, sparkling quality that always makes me think the ground is covered in snowy white diamonds. From inside the house (which explains the window glare in the first photo) I try to capture the freshness of the scene just as the sun is coming up over the hills to the east, bathing my yard and house in its glow:

Frosted yard fence in first morning light.

Long-dead field grass looking lovely covered in frost, illuminated by early sun.

 

Some small critter leaving what look like backcountry skier tracks across the yard.

After Finn and I take our stroll down the lane, the sun is as high in the southern sky as it's going to get. It provides enough warmth to make it comfortable for me to hang out in the yard with the dogs.

Finn has brought out every toy to try to get a reaction out of Meadow. No luck.

Meadow starts moving around as if she's discovered something...interesting...

Finn wonders whether Meadow might be onto something...

Hmm. Wonder what's under the deck...?

Meadow - my prankster dog - knows she can get a rise out of Finn by pretending to have discovered something special in some hiding place. The two of them always steal each others toys, like two siblings constantly egging each other on. Finn is easily manipulated by Meadow. I confess, when Meadow first came to me as a puppy, I wondered if she was a little, well, slow. Then I realized that in fact she's incredibly smart, in a very devious and fun sort of way. The prankster, the teaser, that's my Meadow. Other dogs are her easy foils.

Finn falls for it. Ha, ha - gotcha! Nothing there.

Having fooled Finn yet again, Meadow leaves him to listen to some neighborhood dogs barking.

The whole time Meadow is teasing Finn, Maia is snoozing in the snow in the shade, watching. She used to be Meadow's target for pranks. She's older and much wiser now. I'm sure she's chuckling to herself, watching Finn fall for Meadow's pranks. As my father used to always remind me: Old age and treachery wins over youth and enthusiasm every time!


Dogs definitely have senses of humor. It's there to see and enjoy if you're willing to watch it unfold.


And yes, as these photos attest, Meadow recently got a haircut, the day before we left for Idaho. No worries - there's still a good one to two inches of wooly fuzz covering her skin on her torso. She doesn't feel the cold at all. And the haircut makes her feel light on her toys and very playful.