Simple Gifts

I believe I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world; the Snoqualmie Valley. I get to see amazing things everyday. It's time to celebrate that. (You can view pictures in larger format by clicking on them)

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Schmoozers first snow

I heard it was snowing up at the pass. I love the snow. Coal did too. It was sort of a tradition for us that as soon as their was snow in the pass we would load up and head for fun. Sometimes we'd end up in the rain. (Don't believe everything you hear on the weather reports). At least once we ended up in a traffic nightmare because there wasn't just snow there was SNOW! I love the feeling of anticipation as I start driving up. This time, on the drive up I kept remembering Coal. Snow and the beach were at the top of his favorite things list. I shed some tears but held on to the idea that Coal gave me some wonderful traditions that I can now share with the Schmooze. I was excited to see what his reaction would be to his first snow.



We arrived and Schmoozer was anxious to get out of the car. As I bundled up and grabbed the camera and pack, he completely ignored the snow and tried to meet the man parked next to me. Schmoozer thinks *all* people are his friend. I finally got us moving up the trail. I kept watching Schmoo and he just moved along like the snow didn't exist. Sheesh! Then we moved into a clearing where the snow was slightly deeper. Suddenly Schmoo stopped, sniffed and did some deep thinking. You could tell he was thinking "What is this stuff!?!". Then the fun began. After all, there is so much you can do with snow. You can eat it, sniff it, dig it, stick your nose in holes, bound through it, lay in it and chase snow balls. The more time we spent out there the more he began to enjoy. I finally just dropped the leash in an open area and let him leap, tumble and explore. It was a joy to watch.








I did spend some time absorbing the beauty of the trail we were on. I will definitely return. I love snow (how often have I said this). I love how it accents what we might otherwise miss and obscures the obvious. That is why it's such a magical thing for me. It is a reminder that the world I know is based on my perceptions. That there is endless possibilities, if you can try to see beyond what you think you know. Schmoozer is perhaps wiser then I andrecognizes that he knows very little and is trying to absorb every experience as deeply as possible.