Wintry Wonderland

I live in the mountain paradise of Colorado. Paradise, that is, except for the last six weeks. We've been clobbered by one snowstorm after another every week since December 15th. I recently moved back here after living in the South for 10 years, so I've had to readjust.

One of our dogs, Dexter (a tall, skinny mutt that we got from a shelter and my best buddy), isn't so sure he likes the stuff. Whereas Baxter Boo (a hardened Colorado native Schnauzer) doesn't seem to even notice it, Dexter pussy-foots through the snow like a tip-toeing ballerina. Our Shitzu-Poodle mix, Dudley, is only about 8 inches high. He doesn't seem to mind the snow, even though he has to bound between footprints left by the bigger dogs.

Speaking of snow, you may have heard about the huge blizzard that hit Eastern Colorado, stranding thousands of cattle and making it hard for ranchers to feed them and keep them alive. There were drifts over 30 feet high in some places and hay had to be dropped via helicopter. The Colorado Cattlemen's Association has setup a donations website and a benefit concert to help ranchers and their families who have been hit the hardest. The losses in the area are expected to be in the hundreds of millions, with 15,000 cattle dying. Things look to get even worse as calving season starting, with calves being born in the extreme cold and deep snow. Take a look and consider making a donation.

(Photo Credit: Ahmad Terry @ Rocky Mountain News)