'Tis the Season- Winter That is

 Those who know me know that winter isn't my favorite time of year. Cold air, snow, slush, frozen ground, frozen pipes, frozen hands, frozen equipment- not a big fan. I'm watching my friends' dog again while they're in sunny Mexico. Don't think I'd care to be there either- drug cartels, shootings, bad water. I pretty much manage to find something wrong with everywhere. Anyway, dogs need to be taken outside, for their sanity and yours, so I was taking my canine charge down to the park yesterday for a walk. We were having a good enough time; or at least he was. I'm not too interested in sniffing the deposits of my friends and colleagues, but he was in seventh heaven. As it was, another person showed up with their dog, and since Rabano doesn't get along well with any other dogs, and only a few people as far as I can tell, we took a hike down near the harbor. I was already having some difficulty walking since I woke up with an extremely sore back in the morning. Dr. Botts figured a walk might help it so I went out, not that I had any choice in the matter. Everything was going along fine, it wasn't too terribly cold and the snow had been plowed so it wasn't too deep. What I failed to notice, which I guess is reasonable since I couldn't see beneath the layer of snow covering the road, was that beneath the snow was a layer of glare ice. I managed to hit a patch and promptly hit the  ground. It's strange how a person can go from thanking God for a beautiful day to swearing as their head bounces off the ground. Fortunately I wasn't hurt, but I had noticed right before I bit the dust or ice as the case may be, there was  a fellow working in his boat close to where I was walking. Before I even took inventory of my physical condition, I checked to see if he was laughing hysterically. I know I would be. Apparently he was engrossed in the work he was doing and didn't notice my snow dance. At least my pride was still intact.  A student I once worked with came to school with a sweat shirt that said-"It's always funny until someone gets hurt- then it's hysterical." Truer words were never spoken.  I guess I can't really complain too much about this winter. Up until the first of the year we had only had a smattering of snow, and then it had all disappeared under the constant rain. Although I'm not a big fan of snow, I realize that it's a necessary evil in salmon country. Last summer the snow pack was pretty well gone from the mountains by April, and there wasn't much rain for weeks on end. I fear what the outcome of that drought is going to be on the salmon runs in a few years. I have to admit that the snow gives the area a certain beauty.It looks so clean until it starts to melt. I went down to the park and harbor and took a few pictures that I can look at if I'm down south and in the middle of a heat wave. I always feel bad for wildlife in the winter. I know that they are prepared for it, at least as much as they can be. When the snow gets too deep the deer go to the beach and eat kelp. I guess the ducks must gather either in the salt water or where the creeks flow still. We have so much fresh water here that there are times in the bays where the wind doesn't blow that ice will form on top of the salt water. I often wondered about how the ducks feet stayed warm, and my friend Chris Budke mentioned that the blood in their feet travels up into their bodies. Even so, it can't be much fun swimming around in frigid water. The ducks pictured in the two photos above are Bufflehead or Golden Eyes I believe. Both are fish ducks, meaning they have to dive under the water to find some chow. Oooooo.. the very idea chills me to the bone. Fortunately I don't have to live outside in the cold. As long as the power doesn't go out I'll stay pretty toasty. Looks like we're in for some single digit temps for the foreseeable future, so I guess it will be sweaters and warm socks inside and a prayer of thanks that I don't have to go out to use an outhouse anymore.