Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Dressing and NWSS

It's 1 in the afternoon, it's 25 degrees outside, and I've just finished walking Tessa, Lucy, and Rosie and Remy. Ooch is sitting in my lap in the sunshine pouring in through the office window. We're quite cozy at the moment. Supposedly, the temperature is to reach above freezing today... I don't know if it actually will or not. These last three days I've worn regular underwear, long underwear, and a pair of heavy-weight denim jeans that have two layers of flannel sewn inside them; two pairs of woolen socks and my snow boots with Yak Trax on them; a cotton T-shirt covered by a polar fleece turtleneck; my down coat with thinsulate lining, gloves, a hat, and a scarf to cover my chin, nose and mouth. And I thought I had the "layered look" down pat when I lived in Florida and then Virginia!
I'm having a hard time deciding which day I want to go to the National Western Stock Show - if I could, I'd actually go every day. Do I want to see the Rodeo? Do I want to see working ranch horses show off their skills? What about hunter and jumpers? And what about the gentle giants - the draft horses and mules? Goats? Llamas? Chickens? Pigs? Any and all types of cattle? Working dogs? Grand Prix Jumping? - There is just so much to choose from and so little time to enjoy all of it! And, of course, I'm not even mentioning the merchandise booths or the informational booths. (May I quietly scream in frustration?)
Lovey and Nedi both raced outside this morning, then just as hurriedly raced back inside. It was 4 degrees out there, and the snow hasn't even begun to melt in yards. Most major roads are clear, between applications of sand and magnesium chloride and the snow plows. Sidewalks get shoveled every morning, but the snow melts and freezes around the edges of the sidewalk and roads, causing hazardous footing. Most of the roads where I walk the dogs are just plain ice-packed - there is snow crushed down to ice by the vehicles traveling through, and sometimes it's like walking through, or on top of, snow; at other times, you're suddenly in an ice rink. It certainly makes life interesting!

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