The photo today is of a pencil drawing given to me by the artist Judy Meyer. It came in the mail yesterday. It is of my Aussie Buster who died about two years ago now. I love it and am so touched to receive this surprise gift. Its perfectly like him, the way he used to look at me. Even the little tufts of hair that stood up on top of his head are there. I showed it to Sparky and said, "See Buster". He sat and looked at it for a couple of minutes.
Buster walked all the way over to Bill Mayo's house one spring day to court Bill and Phyllis' girl Australian Shepherd eight miles away. When I finally found him I made him walk all the way back home. I suppose he thought it was worth it. They had puppies and Phyllis gave most of them to 4-H kids to raise and train. I always wished I had one of them. Soon after that he had to be neutered. Buster was a wonderful dog, very loyal and kind. He sure wanted to work, but refused to do any tricks. He came from Montana where Charilie Golden's daughter Pamela Clark was raising Aussie show dogs. Joe got him for me for Christmas. Buster had a beautiful long coat, and some of the hairs on his feathers were 12" to 18" long. I saved all the hair I brushed out of him and am going to learn how to spin it into yarn and make a vest or something so I can be head of the pack. I won't say head what of the pack.
This morning I really slept in. When I woke up at about 8:15 Joe was cooking his own breakfast! Its not normal for him to let me sleep, but he has been doing better about that. He doesn't cook much either. I'm not a very good morning person. In fact today I'm not ambitious at all, but did get the bathroom cleaned! Here it is already 5 p.m. and about time to fix dinner. I'm making thick pork chops with dressing.
There's a clear blue sky and no wind. Tonight should be close to a full moon. I've been able to watch the jackrabbits come into the yard for hay in the bright moonlight the last week. The dogs won't even chase them away any more. Guess they are resigned that they will never catch one so why make the effort. Also the dogs can't run much in the deep snow, the rabbits have no problem. At least there don't seem to be enough of them this year that they are eating my shrubs and plants.
The rest of this week is predicted to be above freezing in the days, so that is a definite change. The piles of snow may be on the decline now. Have taken a small walk on the snowmachine trail where its well packed, and done some more photography today. Checking out the drifts again. Decided they are indeed awesome. The depth of the drifts is unusual in the fact that Wyoming is a high desert. We only get 9" of moisture a year, sometimes not even that. In other places snow falls and melts off. Whatever snow falls here just stays until spring because its too cold for it to melt. For the last 10 or 15 years Wyoming has been in a drought. I'm not sure this year is going to be any better.
Joe was talking to his friend Frank in Utah a few days ago, and he told Frank we had the biggest drifts he has ever seen here. And he grew up here in the old days when there was a lot more snow. Frank is not doing very well. He has lung cancer. Another of Joe's friends from his job passed away a week or so ago.
Better go for now and pay some bills. I'm liking my new way of paying them online from the bank account. It works pretty well.
