Much of the snow in town is gone, but I live up on a plateau, and we still have about one or two feet of snow. Since Friday, the temps have been below freezing, and the mushy snow that has been slowly melting hardened into a solid mass. Perfect for walking without sinking in!!!
So happy that I can finally venture off into areas unreacheable all winter, Keeta and I walked out to the back of my property, slipped through the wire fence, and off we went anticipating an easy and enjoyable walk, made easier by the frozen snow cover - no bushes or pricklies to contend with!
We come to a small stream in a small ravine. I decided that the open and relatively flat surface of the frozen stream will make for great walking. It is still covered mostly in snow, and few frozen patches are visible. I test the ice by jumping up and down on a spot and it is rock solid. This little stream is mostly seasonal anyways, with only about a foot of water at its peak, so not much of a risk, anyways.
Well, we hadn't gone very far at all, when Keeta, in front of me breaks through. Only her front end broke through, her rear up on a snow bank, and she seem stuck? Her head is underwater, and she is pawing, is she not hiting bottom? Her head come up and bobs down and up, and she can't lift her front end out, because her rear is higher than her front. Well, of course I jump down the snowbank to pull her out, break through the ice too, and water is up over my knees! Grab her collar, pull her out, and then I'm trying to roll up-hill up the snowbank to get out of the water, because I just keep breaking the ice and not getting any footing. Keeta is running around rubbing her face in the snow, and I'm pulling my rubber boots off to pour the water out. It's -12C, with a wicked wind, and soaked jeans and socks are no fun.
Fortunately, we were still very close to home, so home we ran on the double!!! My feet were completely numb by this time. It felt like I was wearing cement shoes.
Keeta didn't even want to come in the house when we got home, I don't think that she feels that she got a good enough walk. I just wanted to change into some dry clothes, and we're heading back out again, but will avoid walking down the stream.
That was sorta fun!
