One fine day

One morning in the spring of 2013, I woke up from a strange dream. I should tell you at this point that I tend to have *very* mundane dreams. I dream about doing the dishes; I dream about my commute; I dream about running or skiing; and I dream about work. Anyway, in my dream I was sitting in my usual chair at our weekly staff meeting (I told you!). However, after it ended, I got up, walked across the room toward the door that leads back to my office, and noticed my coworker DL sitting in a chair by the door. For some reason, I felt the need to hug him, and so I did. And he wrapped his long arms and enormous hands around me, I snuggled close, and then I woke up.

Weird. I promptly put it out of my mind and began my day. A few days later, at work for real, I was chatting with DL about something work-related. Then suddenly, I thought, "Whoa. Holy crap, it's you. I didn't recognize you at first because I kinda thought you'd be Asian and there you are looking instead more like a viking warrior, so it threw me off. But there you are... Well, I guess we'd better get on with it then."

When I brought him home, the girls said, "Oh. You found him. Cool."


It's been a peaceable, delightfully pleasant time since then. We decided somewhat arbitrarily that Thanksgiving should be our anniversary, and we have a lot to be thankful for. A few months ago, it occurred to me that we had never had an argument. I asked him, "Do you find it odd that we've never had an argument? Like never? Not once? In a year?" He said, "No. I think we paid our dues and deserve this now."

People say that passion fades, in fact leads to unnecessary drama, and that you should not look to fall head over heels and instead should find a partner with qualities that you value in a friend and a business partner.

That always sounded perfectly reasonable to me.

I've also been told by sensible, long-married people that a partnership that is based on ticking all of the "compatibility" boxes but with no spark of chemistry will never last. You need that bit of magic to get you through the tough times.

And that sounded perfectly reasonable to me, too.

I never understood how to reconcile these two things until I had my realization with DL. It turns out that passion can be also perfectly reasonable and peaceful and not come with pain or drama, and that that's how it should be. And I will pass along my own tip to add to these bits of wisdom: Trust your dogs. :)

Rrrrrroooooooo

Starbuck spends a lot of time moping and sighing, lying on the couch with her chin between her paws. DL says that retirement was too sudden for her and she gets existential crises because she listens to me writing lectures about climate change and peak oil and so on and so forth. He says that we need to get her a hobby, perhaps some balsa wood airplanes or a stamp collecting kit.

Question...

"I finished my rawhide, and you still have yours. Can I have yours? rrrooooooooooooooo?"



Answer: No.

Photos from the 'hood

The sun shining through the trees:


Sparkly sugar frost:




Overflow on Rosie Creek:

This is very annoying! We are supposed to be able to ski across this by now! But we have had hardly any snow and we keep getting warm snaps that cause more melt. Climate change sucks!

Snuggles!

Every dog has her day

That is, her time in the most desired spot on the couch.

Lovely day in the White Mountains

It was such a pretty day that H decided to lug her giant camera around:


H:


Starbuck looooooves to run in the snow!


H taking a photo of me taking a photo of her taking a photo of me:


Mousie tracks leading between mousie holes:


Frost growth on trees in a moist area:




My pretty Autumn girl, all comfy in the snow in her thick winter coat:


Linden, the goober:


The sun is not rising very high nowadays:


Not a bad shot with the camera timer! All four fuzzies!


Gee, can you tell which way the prevailing wind blows here?


DL looking like he swallowed the sun:


Goober surveying her surroundings:


And DL doing the same:


The leeward side of the tors, where wind-packed snow drifts had accumulated behind the sheltered vaccum:


DL looking like an Antarctic explorer:


Here are photos from H's camera:

Starbuck looooooooves snow

She reminds me of Snoopy dancing:

Source: http://www.tarynelliott.com/blog/2012/03/releaseweek-day/snoopy-dancing/

Just hangin' out on the couch

Top o' the Minor News

Cutting edge journalism right here, folks!

I <3 the Minor News.

This is what it's like to scold a husky

Notes from here and there

1) Despite early snow, we've had almost none since then and have been unable to ski. However, the trails have been frozen, so being able to talk leash-free walks from the front door has been most welcome!

2) Autumn has grown in her winter coat and says that the couch is getting too warm for her, but she'd still appreciate it if we'd save her spot for her, thankyouverymuch.


3) Linden is ridiculously cute. Why does she look like this? I think she is being manipulative so she can get more cheese.


Does she not have a difficult life? The poor, suffering thing just has to ooze cuteness, or else we might neglect her.


4) Photos from a hike:
The dudes in dudeversation:


Girl selfie!


Starbuck sez, "OMG! Aunty M is an angel!!"


Starbuck loves to plow herself through the snow:


And come up with a snowse:


Here is a rare photo of Linden looking all dignified-like:


This is D2's dog, Naya:


5) Wood-stove omelets!!! I have determined that the maximum allowable outside air temperature at which one can build a fire sufficiently hot with which to cook, without overheating the home, is 15F/-9C.


6) Starbuck cuddle selfie!!!