This snowy Saturday here at Big Dawg Farms, the storm is dark and foggy at its height. The landscape that emerges after the storm abates is transformed – snow-laden evergreens juxtaposed with elegant leafless aspens, outlined in ice.
The wildlife emerge to find a meal, however sparse: bark from the scrub oaks, the few remaining leaves attached to the mostly bare branches, and a stray frozen acorn here and there.
Our dogs, energetic at the warmest of times, are exuberant in this, their favorite weather. They unearth toys for us to throw until we, though not they, are exhausted. They bask in the deepest snow banks they can find, happily coating their fur with ice. They dig for creatures sheltering under the crust. They chase the snow flung from shovels, snow blowers, even the plow.
Wild birds shelter in our garage, seeking warmth and refuge. They forage for any dropped seed inside, happy to be away from the tumultuous melee at the post-storm bird feeders.
In between playing with the dogs, we clear the snow off of our cars and trucks, our ATVs and our driveway. We said goodbye to our ancient plow truck after this storm. Its front end has finally given up the ghost. We will retain the plow, attaching the holder to another truck.
At dusk, the dogs line up to be let inside, where they will shower us with the snow covering their pelts, then patiently wait to be fed. After dinner, they will collapse in a damp, exhausted pile in front of the fire and go to sleep, paws twitching as they relive the antics of the day in their canine dreams.
The deer re-emerge, thankful the dogs are gone. They look for anything to fill their bellies before nightfall. The snow may be deep and the evening ever darker, but predators will emerge shortly in search of food. The deer need to be safely tucked away before those creatures who hunt at night start their rounds.
Thus ends another Colorado winter day.