All Quiet on the Homefront

It's safe to return now. Volcano Karabeth was just blowing off some steam yesterday and has returned to normal.

Today was absolutely bee-you-ti-fool. Perhaps not everyone shares my opinion since up here on the high hill snow measures over 4 inches deep but I happen to be one of those odd people - stop agreeing so wholeheartedly with me and let me finish - that likes snow. We even took the day off school.

Not only is a freshly fallen snow clean, it is bright. I used to think that it was sunshine that I craved but now I know it is light. Low light reflected on clean snow qualifies. At least it did today.

I think my adrenalin levels have returned to normal and hopefully my blood pressure, too, after yesterday's stressful events. I took today as God's gift to me in the form of a forced day of rest: my own personal sabbath, if you will. Even basketball was cancelled. Ah! God is good.

The Bear and I were on a mission early this afternoon to get the driveway shoveled before the ice storm arrived to add a glacial touch to the snow. Since we only have one shovel we decided to work in shifts. Pepper was going nuts at the front door while Bear was out there shoveling and alternately playing with his friends. She didn't know what was going on but it looked like fun and she wasn't partaking of it, hence she was upset. Once I got my layers of outwear arranged about my person I took her out where we also could be pelted by the myriad snowballs flying through the air.

Pepper was rather restless to run and I was having trouble restraining her so Bear told me to "let her loose," which I did. Now I know for certain that people are not the only ones of God's created beings who carry a grudge because that dingbat ran straight to the yard where the dogs live who started yesterday's fight. Her demeanor told us she was looking to ring the bell for Round 2. Once we retrieved our retriever we banished her to the house where she had to watch the festivities from the front door once more.

We have a double door, or so it looks. Only one side opens even though they appear identical. Both sides contain full-length glass. About a year ago I put (cheap) venetian blinds on them because Pepper, in her attempts to see out, had destroyed the nice curtains that hung there. I saw no need to buy expensive replacements for something that would obviously need replacing often over the life of the dog.

And the blinds need replacing now. As further proof of her grudge-bearing tendencies she methodically pulled them down and chewed them up while we were out shoveling. I guess she showed me!

The rest of my day was spent lying on the couch with a book in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, and a quilt and the dog on my lap. Now I ask you. Does life get any better than that? I didn't think so.