Our dog loves snow. We have written about her enjoyment of snow in other posts. It is snowing pretty hard this evening and more is on the way. Sophie is prancing. We are giddy too. We all love snow.

We finally have enough gear to get outside. It takes a lot of time and money and hunting to reassemble years of collected cross-country skiing and snow shoe clothes and gear. I have been at it for months and we are very close. Sophie even got a new collar with snowflakes on it today.

The snow started lightly about 10 am. We had snow on the ground but enough time had passed since the last storm that the parking lots and sidewalks as well as the roads have been free from snow for a few days. But, snow, considerable snow, was in the forecast. I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and faced a terrible decision. Should I wear my cute pink flats with the purple bows and risk slipping or should I wear sensible shoes. I know my doctor loves my fashion-forward shoes (well fashion forward for Idaho). I was particularly happy with this pair since I found them on an 80% off sale and only paid $10 for them.

My spouse, helpful and caring as ever, said he would hold onto me if I started to slip. I examined the bottom of the shoes and knew that if I slipped he, Sophie and I would all be in a heap right there at the front door of the doctor’s office. Reasonableness over-rode vain glory of showing off my new shoes. That is, until I realized that I could get them in my new pink pocketbook and swap out when we got inside. Every woman in snow country uses that strategy and I had a large enough purse and a small enough pair of sensible sole shoes to pull it off.  Problem solved.

We got into the office without me having to change shoes since the parking lot was clean. My shoes, and my new pink bag were a hit.

My doctor even took a moment to examine my bag and then tease me about my pink shirt AND my pink shoes AND my pink bag. I sputtered and tried to explain that it was really too much pink but my other clothes were dirty (which was true). I pushed under my chair

my black waterproof jacket that was part of a Breast Cancer

fund raising effort. The lining of the jacket is pink.

When we exited the doctors I knew the only way I was going to make it from the front door to the car was on my belly like a snake. I quickly volunteered to stand at the edge of the drop-off circle with Sophie while she took a much needed potty break. My chariot arrived and I was saved–and I got to wear my pink shoes. We went from my doctor to Sophie’s doctor but somehow changing to my sensible, good tread shoes to the Vet’s office is a bit different.

It was a great day today. All day we talked about going out tomorrow. It has been so long that we have been able to get out into our mountains for a hike or snowshoe. This winter was first held hostage by trying to get our house started. When we gave up on that, it was the end of the University semester an each student turned in their final and their viruses. My spouse had hundreds of papers to grade along with the first of the two viruses he caught. After that we were visiting family. When we got home from our family holiday travel we were doing round 2 of the viruses and they turned to bronchitis.

We are upright and hail and sort of hearty and are looking forward to going out and housing the new snow. UPS is in possession o our snowshoes at the moment but we can hope that the arrive early in the day so that we can go with them. If not, Yak Trax and flailing around in the snow here we come.

It will a grand day even if we cannot go far or very fast after being sick.