They don't grow up...

... my kids that is. We had a lovely snowstorm and Matt, who's home from college, rounded up some friends, both older and younger, to snowskate with. For those who aren't up on winter sports, a snow skate is basically a wheel-less plastic skateboard that you ride down snow covered hills. The boys have been out in the backyard for about two hours now, moving all the snow around to make the perfect jumps and landing. They got out my halogen light (which I'll now expect to be broken next time I need it when painting the house), so they can do "night skating". As a mom, it really pleases me to see them out in the snow having fun.... I just hope my snow shovels end up back on the front porch so I can use them in the morning if need be. There's nothing worse than waking up to a half a foot of snow and realizing that your snow shovels are all buried somewhere out in the backyard.

At the beginning of the storm yesterday I went and played in the snow. Since it was an odd day, I took Daisy up Millcreek canyon for a little cross country ski tour. I like to go on odd days, because those are the days dogs are allowed off leash. I've previously made the mistake are trying to ski with the dog on her lead, and I know that is a recipe for disaster. "Dogs are odd" is the mantra I use to remember the off lead days. Daisy loves to ski with me. She loves romping in the snow and playing with all the other dogs. The Millcreek Canyon road is an uphill/downhill trek. You trudge up, turn around and cruise down. Daisy clearly doesn't understand why we go so much faster on the return trip. Sadly at age seven I think her hips are starting to bother her, so I had to try to go slow on the way down... a little added exercise for me because on my old, double cambered, edgeless cross country skis I pretty much need to snow plow in order to slow down... they just don't turn like my downhill skis do. I always consider it a good day when I wear out my dog!