Brrrr… A Cold and Grey Day

It snowed last night.  But the worst was yet to come. Today brought a cold, cold wind. With wind chill it was 1 degree Farenheit (-17 celsius) outside. Not my favorite kind of day! I bird watched awhile before having to suck it up and take the energizer bunny (Ryder) out for his daily chase session.  Enjoy the pics!

A wee bit of snow.

A poor song sparrow poofed against the cold.

A junco huddled against the wind and waiting out the blowing snow.

A lone cardinal standing watch.

The snow was so heavy it dragged the tree branches down to the ground. Without snow, you can walk under this tree no problem.

After the worst of the windy weather, birds began showing up to eat.  While the wind blew away the bulk of the snow at the base of the tree where we have feeders, there was still enough that the birds had to dig for their supper.

And then it was time for me to bundle up, grit my teeth and get out the door.

Despite the frosty temps and being frosty of face and ears with icicles hanging off his chin, Ryder, of course, enjoyed himself thoroughly. Note the snow-covered frisbee between his legs. And though the wind let up a little and the sun peaked out between the clouds, mom FROZE HER BUTT OFF! (Have I mentioned I don’t like the cold?) The things we do for our pets!

 

Our First Real Snow This Winter (Ryder Was Loving It)

So fall finally gave up her grip and winter has descended.  We had our first accumulation and it was a wet sticky snow.  So, of course, I had to go out with the camera.  My 54 pound energizer bunny demanded to go as well.

Looking down the back of our yard, everything frosted and beautiful.

Standing under one of our old maples looking into the tree line that separates our property from the neighbors. Every little branch holding its bit of snow, whitening the landscape so thoroughly you can’t see our neighbors yard.

And while I was meandering and trying to enjoy the hush that such a snow brings, my four-footed tornado was running, snuffling, and demanding attention.

Running, running, running…

So wet and heavy, the snow was enough to bring boughs down to earth.

And still he ran. (Ryder loves the snow.)

After about 40 minutes of the zoomies, Ryder finally wound down.  And I headed to the back of the yard to stand under a large pine tree and listen to the quiet.

The view through the tree branches was spectacular. It was a fine way to end the day.

 

So Much For Morning Solitude

Sweet puppy. Ryder enjoying a spot of  morning sunshine in peace. But not for long!

Armel showed up and invited him to play.

Ryder obliged with some light play.

Slap fight!  Ryder thinks he is part kitty.  😀

But when Ryder decided he’d rather snooze than play, Armel got up close and personal.  Poor puppy. So much for a morning snooze in the sun!

 

Having Fun Is Exhausting

Having fun biting, growling, throwing, chasing, and shaking your toys can just wipe you out.

 

A Little Light Fun – Armel And Ryder

Saver of Bugs had this series of pictures on her phone of her cat Armel and my dog Ryder having a little fun together back in September.  Not bad for only knowing each other a couple of months at this point. Enjoy!  (And the white blur you see in some of the pictures is Ryder’s waving tail!)

 

All done!

Ryder’s First Real Snow Since Puppyhood

Unfortunately for us, we can’t leave Ryder alone outside for more than a few minutes ’cause the little stinker is still eating inappropriate things. *sigh*  So, of course, Ryder was enthralled with the first real snow of the year. So much so, that he just kept asking to go out to pee, and then wouldn’t, because he just wanted to rub his face in the snow and hop around like a bunny. Potty trips are NOT play trips. Which meant many fruitless trips outside and it was making us crazy. At one point I loaded a Kong with treats and stuck him in his crate so I wouldn’t strangle his butt.

My daughter and I scrambled to clear up a long block of time for chasing and rambling so we could get him outside before he lost his little mind.  Or we lost ours. 😀  Luckily we have a partially wooded lot of an acre and a half to run his little legs off in.  So after a trip outside to hide toys in the snow, I opened the door and turned him loose.

Thanks to Saver of Bugs for the handful of pictures she was able to get of a speeding puppazoid in between gusts of snow.

“I’m gonna get you!”

Pounce and dig! (For some reason, Ryder likes to jump on his toys and then dig and kick them out behind him. Which, of course, necessitates more chasing!

“Come back here!”

“Gotcha!”

Running, running, running!

Ryder: “Roooll…roooll…roooll…” Mom: “Yeah, how’s that working for you, Ryder?”

Mom: “Here, let me help. You watching?” Ryder: “Throw it, throw it, throw it…”

“Aaaand, he’s off!”

WOOT! Saver managed to catch a sliding stop with a right hand spin!

I’m just loving this snow!”

An hour later a much more relaxed and happy puppy came back to the house with us.  He got to nap and we had to get back to work.  Just not fair!