Yesterday was yet another day of intermittant flurries. The snowflakes swirl and fall gently, and visibility isn't a problem. Small patches of blue sky appear, but they're mostly obscured by low altocumulus clouds. Occasionally a few moments of sunshine appear amidst the snowflakes, but the golden glow vanishes just as quickly. It seems I just can't get enough of gazing off toward the mountains--the view changes from minute to minute as snow on the summits intensifies and lightens up, and as sunlight filters through the clouds to wrap the mountaintops in a smoky yellow haze.

Sophie and I snowshoed the same trail as Sunday, and the pooch found the going much easier on our old tracks. She still wanted to walk on the back of my snowshoes, but I dedicated the morning to training her to walk ahead of me. With just a few sharp no's and lavish praise when she galloped ahead of me, she learned quickly. What a relief!