Snow, suck, and sun

This is about as snowy as it got.
It was pretty for about 15 minutes.

There's a saying that winter around here can be a cold, gray, bucket of suck.  Mary Chapin Carpenter said it more lyrically:  "around here winter seems to come, with rain and mud and bits of sun."  

We had our first snow on Sunday.  I wasn't even a dusting, too wet for that, more like a wetting, and before the day was over the sun was peaking out.  I had a free day, however, and hadn't been out hiking in a couple days, so I was determined to exercise myself and the dogs.

Snow on bare tree branches looks like someone
painted them white.

It was nice starting out when the snow was falling, but it was 12 miles of mud.  I did three, four-mile hikes.  First with Maya and Commando, next was Maya, Trooper, and Lola, and the final four was Maya and Max.  Maya and I did 12 miles total and I think we are both feeling it today.

The restored house at Pleasant Grove.

Trooper and Maya are giving me the
"Why are we stopping again?" look.

Max and Maya

The day ended with some sunshine, just a bit.