Snow

The artist in me appreciates the detail snow brings out on the trees. The way it smooths the landscape into soft hills and valleys. The gardener in me sees it as a blanket covering my perennials and keeping them safe during their winter sleep. The human in me says, 'Okay, so aren't we over this winter thing yet?'
After hours of plowing out our driveway and the neighbor's driveway (who is also the world's best dog sitter) and ages spent on shoveling pathways  which the dogs will use for their 'toilet'. And  having to go out and sand the driveway and stairs to the back door and front door, I have had enough. I want for snow no more. Sure its pretty to look at and a part of me suggests I just hunker down for the winter with a larder well stocked in the basics and chocolate waiting for spring to burst upon me with no shoveling involved. Truth be known, there are places to go and people to see.
I have 3 part-time jobs that require that I be able to leave the house. I have a husband that needs to get to his job but more importantly I have dogs. Little dogs that require shoveling of paths. Right now the snow is deeper than they are high so paths must be shoveled so they can attend to their daily duties. If I had a large dog or dogs I could merely open the door, wish them the best and let them go. But these are little dogs and they are old dogs. So like a faithful servant I attend to their needs which consists of diets, medicine and shoveling.
Don't get me wrong, when they were younger I wasn't as attentive. There were days in the midst of kids getting ready for school, husband for work and me to my various jobs that I merely opened the door and tossed those dogs into the cold. It is funny, no matter what you say to watch a dog 'swim' through snow. And one little dog we had would spend hours looking for the snow ball I had tossed out into the snow covered yard.
But I have had enough. I would move if I thought there was someplace I would love as much as our home on this dirt road. But I have to admit there isn't. But maybe the next dog will have longer legs so there won't me as much shoveling involved during the winter. Still after all that I went for a walk, talked to some neighbors and just enjoyed the snow, from a distance.