Bad Times for Dogs and Lovers

Walk lovers, that is; other kinds of lovers may not think it so bad. For dogs and I it isn't all that great. There is no where to walk except down the middle of some roads.

That is pretty limiting, unless you wish to risk being hit from behind by a trash truck.

Anyway you can find some clear roads. The sidewalks, with a few exceptions, are gone. My walk is shoveled. My son did it this time while The little Woman and I were away. My two neighbors to the East have shoveled. We three wise men from the East always do. But we are more the exception than the norm I fear, so as stated, the sidewalks are gone.

So those with dogs, or perhaps small ponies, resort to what they can find. Actually the man isn't walking his pony. It is a Great Dane, a beast with legs so long it just might be able to amble through the snow without getting its belly wet.

At least the dogs have the Bark Park. This is most likely where Mr. Great Dane was heading.

The Bark Park was quite crowded this morning. Where else could they go?

What about the People Parks? Not so inviting and not so crowded.

I drove over to Bellevue, they seemed to be good at clearing off trails. I arrived at 8:40, late for me. The State Parks open at 8:00. I saw a car make a U-turn at the entrance and sure enough when I got there the gates were still closed. The driveway in was plowed. It must be a safety issue.

This is Saturday morning, two days after the storm passed through. It came in on Wednesday and left early Thursday morn. It left a lot of itself behind for us to remember it by.

It was a heavy snow. A needy snow that hugged the bushes and clung to the trees and still hasn't let go. It has dragged everything down with its weight. I was out yesterday trying to rescue our bushes from living burial. Everything is pretty, but precarious and I guess going into the woods has more risks than the State Park was willing to take.

It is odd how these storms seem timed to disrupt trash pickup. That can was put out yesterday morning because that is the schedule. It remained there, still full, all night long. I tried to move it last night, but it has froze into that snow bank and I couldn't break it free. I couldn't even lift off the lid.

The trash man did come today, just as I got home from snapping these pictures and he managed to empty it and free the can. I bet those trashmen just love these snows.

Anyway, back to my plight. Seeing Bellevue closed I figured the other State Parks would not be passable. The paths there had still been somewhat impeded by the last snows. I had walked a couple, but there were definite difficulties involved. I was certain they would be impossible now, except for skiers and some fools on ATVs.

However, I thought of Talley Day County Park. Perhaps their walkways were cleared. Here is where I parked and got out of the car.

The man walking his pony-sized dog was on the entry road to this park. Ah, my hope sprung eternal until my hope sprung its spring.

In fact, my only hope now seems to be spring.

On the right is the opening path back to the playground.

No, I could only walk around the road that encircled the playground and the basketball courts, just a big circle around and back to the parking lot.

Even this was less than great. The road wasn't wide and I had little room to get over anytime a vehicle came by.

It also was slippery. It was below freezing and the surface under foot had a thin film of ice covering. I had to step carefully or I fall down and go boom.

Ah, another marker of a trail head, but no trail. I know it is there somewhere.

I mean everything is very beautiful and all, but it is like the gorgeous Hollywood film queen, we can look but she is unattainable to this mere mortal. I want nothing from this winter ruler except to traipse her lines and admire her, but she has dropped her vail and pushed me away.

"Forget it, silly man," she mocks me.

I pass the Bark Park and there are many wagging tails and happy woofs. They mock me, too. I go a bit and all I can do is gaze across unbroken white at the distant place where my woodland path crossed by the marsh pond.

You see normally one goes up a path by the Bark Park and follows a long and curving trail down a slope along a meadow. You circle around near the next road, then enter a woods. The wood trail winds a bit, then pops open by a soupy pond. There is marsh grass and the croak of bullfrogs to greet you, perhaps a sunbeam breaking between the gap. Then it is back it the woods and more twists and turns until you come back to the playground.

Not today, no soupy pond for you. Come back, two months! Maybe!

Maybe then this trail head will be open.

So now, what else can we not do?

Basketball anyone?

Bring a bright orange round ball so we can find it after each drivel.

Or did you bring your tennis racket for a fast game or two.

First we will need use the rackets to shovel off the court.

Thus I have returned to where I parked my car. See it just ahead? Right there on the corner behind that little pile of snow.

Me thinks it is going to be a long winter. Next Tuesday the groundhog will be called upon to make his proclamation on the remaining days of gloom and bluster. If he sees his shadow and all that, you know? Hey, if this keeps up they won't even find Mr. Groundhog's burrow.

Frankly, my guess is Mr. Groundhog packed up and went to Florida weeks ago.

They only thing they might find is the great shadow of Al Gore going, "Global warming, global warming!" "The cold has driven him mad," they will say," he speaks gibberish."

I drive back to home with not much of a walk under my belt. I fear I will not being getting much of one tomorrow or Monday either. I fear what is under my belt may begin to expand if the show doesn't begin to dissolve.

It isn't dissolving though.

Our main roads are in fair shape, but all the side streets remain a mess. Look down any avenue and it is snow from curb to curb.

Even here in my own neighborhood, despite the plows being through, our main street is treacherous still. I drive down it in second gear, wary of the stop sign half way down the hill.

Right now there is a bright morning sun, but it is just false security. It will fade to gray by lunchtime and the forecast calls for more snow this afternoon and into night.

Hey, Tammy, you say you miss the snow? You are welcome to come take some off our hands.

Below are a few more photos I took this morning.