Home Sweet Home

The snow has fallen mixed with a little ice and my brother probably should have had a two hour delay today.  I had to chase the dog out in the yard.  My mom and dad's vicious little schnoodle (schnauzer poodle mix) got spooked by something went off on a tear into the neighbor's yard, barking but not scaring anyone except for me, but that was more because I had to crunch out across the newly frosted expanse of my backyard in flip flops.

I shouldn't have stayed home today, I think as I take careful, but purposeful strides up the hill and into the neighbor's yard.  For such a domesticated animal, virtually a cat/dog hybrid with her natural tendencies to use family members as her personal pillow or stretch out lazily on the back of couches, Sadie has an uncomfortable adeptness at moving on this new ice.  I probably should have found something more gripping, more solid than these flip-flops, but nothing else was close at hand, but as I'm wrangling her up and re-directing her barking tantrum back toward our property I would hardly have the nerve to call these flip-flops convenient for their immediate closeness.  My toes feel chapped and ache with a coldness that is too easy to forget when you're sitting by the gas fireplace typing blog entries.  Sadie is stretched out on the back of the couch now, reading over my shoulder in a way that would annoy me if she weren't such a hair-brained dog.  And, as if on cue, she's off the back of the couch and proving my point, yapping away at an icicle that just fell from the eaves.

Outside, the trees are bare and even though our winter has been mild, I'm already itching for spring.  I'm not the type to stay cooped up like this only observing nature from behind the panes of glass that barely know how to keep the cold out.  I fold my blanket back over my toes that still tingle with the after burn of my little chase this morning and plead with the dog to just shut up already.  Haven't you caused enough problems for one day, Miss Sadie, Lady of the House and Bitch of the backyard?