After last weekend’s blizzard, our entire landscape had changed. The snow was two feet deep in most places, except in the drifts, where three feet of snow dwarfed my dogs. The only way to get around at first was on snowshoes.
I took a walk around the front of the house:
The snow in front of the garage was more than thirty inches deep.
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What our driveway looked like, from the garage, after the blizzard
My car was almost completely buried.
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Even with snowshoes, I sunk about a foot into the snow.
The rest of the cars didn’t fare that much better. Aaron’s car was surrounded, with a huge snow sculpture that hung about two feet off the back of his trunk.
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You can see how the snow blew against the windows in the background, nearly filling them up.
The drifting and blowing wind made giant craters around the bases of our trees.
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Our driveway is underneath all that.
By the time I got back from my front yard exploration, Brian was ready to start digging us out.
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You can get a sense of the depth of the snow compared to my husband.
I headed around to the back of the house, making a trail so the dogs could join me. We couldn’t go out the back door because it looked like this:
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You can see Lilah’s reflection in the door.
We had already dug out the back door the day before, so my son and I could relax in our hot tub in the middle of the blizzard. This was all fresh snow since the night before.
With my snowshoes, I made paths and the dogs followed behind, tamping down the snow further.
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Jasper, Lilah and Tucker follow behind me. The snow was too deep for them to go bounding off chasing after squirrels.
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Lilah and Tucker stop and rest.
Once the paths were used enough, the dogs could run through them — at top speed.
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It’s still a one-way route.
I think Tucker felt a little frustrated, though. There were chaseable critters, but he Just. Couldn’t. The snow was too deep.
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Tucker looks a bit perturbed.
Lilah didn’t really care how deep the snow was; she’s used to bouncing through snow. Though she did need to rest her weary head now and again.
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Lilah resting her head on the side of the snow path.
Still, there was much beauty to be seen; the sun casting shadows on untrammeled snow is something rarely encountered when you live with three dogs.
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A clear morning after the blizzard.
There were no doggy footprints to mar the snow’s unbroken canvas, so the tracks left by different visitors were easily spotted.
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This trail left by a squirrel zippers across the snow.
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Perhaps a fox?
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I love how the little bird prints weave through the shadows of the fence.
The snow was fun from inside the house as well. Throughout the storm, I scattered birdseed for our winged friends. Afterwards, I added more, enlivening the programming on Cat TV.
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Calvin and Athena enjoy watching the special guest stars on Cat TV.
Once the dogs came back in, they watched the show as well.
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Elsa Clair and Tucker watch The Real House Sparrows of New Jersey.
The bird seed in front of the kitchen doors provided additional opportunities for birdwatching. Calvin discovered that hiding next the to scratcher encouraged unwary birds to get within pouncing distance.
The warm sun helped clear away the snow; as it melted off our roof, large icicles formed.
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The snow slide off the roof as it melted.
Aaron dug a path on the deck, through snow that was three feet deep in some places.
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Jasper and Lilah walk through the snow canyon, hand dug by my son. Lilah had to stretch a bit to rest her chin on top.
In the next days, as the snow melted, the dogs found ways to reach other parts of the yard. Usually Jasper led the way, his long legs plowing through through the drifts, with his brother and sister following behind.
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It’s nice to have someone pave the way.
Did you get any snow? What do you pets think?
You may also like:
- Snow Fun: Dogs, Cats & Humans Enjoy the Blizzard of 2016
- Haiku by Dog: 12 Haiku Written By Dogs, Inspired by Snow
- Snow Strategy
- Photo: Standing Tall on the Snow
- Photo: Dogs Play in the Snow
- A Dog’s Joy: Snow, a Stick, and Room to Run
- That Snow Dog!
- That Cat’s Cool! Introducing Snow Cat
- The Last Snow of the Season
- Dog & Cat Story: The Magic of Snow
The post Dogs, Cats & Humans Uncover Snow Joys and Challenges After the Blizzard appeared first on Life with Dogs and Cats.