Gone To The Dogs

Meet Buddy. He’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and he’s our newest staff member. We have not been able to find sufficient staff, so we’ve gone to the dogs for new hires. Buddy is young and impressionable, therefore, we can train him in his office doggie duties.

Being so young, he’s not quite up to full-time work and fell asleep on the job. Buddy is Ailene’s dog. Her husband died last month after battling cancer for a year. She got a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel because they are easygoing, people-oriented dogs. Buddy spent the morning in my office while Ailene was at a meeting.

I took a walk around the long block (about a mile to get all the way around) at the office today. The clouds were excellent from the east and the west.

Daddy Owl at dusk.

Purple Dawn

Dusk

Free

Icy wind picks up
Pulls leaf free from snowbound hold
Underfoot no more

Today’s wind was favorable for the leaf that was snowbound last night. The leaf was blown free of its icy hold, left lying peacefully off to the side of the trail no longer underfoot. Below is The Who’s “I’m Free” live in 1977 to celebrate the leaf’s luck of the draw.

Daddy owl eyeing me through a tangle of twigs.

This American Coot was foraging on the sandbar. Then it started to take flight and decided against it.

pTerodactyl trying to hide behind a tumbleweed.

Venus at dawn under clear skies.

After having cloud cover for most of the day, these were the last few clouds hanging around at sunset.

Snowbound

Blown by icy winds
Tumbled to the ground
On edge stuck like a knife
Snow rough, trodden
Out of reach
Sun’s warming grip
Snowbound waits its fate…
Snow melts sets it free
Or…
Stepped on, crushed underfoot

Kitty Print

A kitty print. Which kitty remains a mystery.

Purple ice mimicking the pTerodactyl on the clearwater ditch.

pTerodactyl flying over the clearwater ditch

Sandias and cranes at dusk.

Purple Tangle Heart with crescent moon

Dusk

Dusk and crescent moon

Persistence of dusk with crescent moon

Crescent moon

Cold Color

9ºF (-12.8ºC) at Dawn

Tommy Towhee puffed at 17ºF (-8.3ºC)

Crow and Clouds

Sunset at 17ºF (-8.3ºC) looking north on the levee

A bit of cold color through the trees looking west

Sliver moon at dusk

Snow

Laurie in the snow

We had our first snowstorm of the year. We have about four inches of snow so far and it’s down to 20ºF (-6.7ºC) as I write. It’s supposed to get into the single digits by morning.