Winterstorm coming!

We had rain on January 20th in the evening, then again overnight into the 21st.  It was a steady rain but nothing that would get the San Pedro river rushing high, or the stockpond refilled.  This storm that came through on my weather app this morning looks promising.

Since rain was forecasted for 7am, I went ahead and took the four hiking dogs (Sadie and Minnie stayed home) down to the maintenance road for a quick romp.  Walking that road east at sunrise is still the best area for a wide-angle sunrise view.  This morning the eastern sky and the mountains were all shrouded in grey clouds, though, so the only time I saw the rising sun was briefly as it poked over the Mule mountains before disappearing again.  I even saw snow above 6000'!

It was a steady drizzle and not a soaking rain.  The ground felt damp but not saturated.  I ended up walking the dogs for three miles up and down both dirt roads, watching a full rainbow come and go and the wet grass glisten in the early sun.  I was damp and cold, but the dogs had fun and that's all that matters.

I spent most of the morning back home trying to warm up.  I felt damp and cold all day. More rain and then snow was in the forecast, but there was a dry window between noon and 3pm, so Susan and I got together at 1pm for a river walk.  This time even Minnie came, but again Sadie showed no interest. Storm clouds were over the peaks and to the south, but we had dry weather over us, albeit a cold wind.  It didn't seem to bother the dogs, though.  Gretel seemed quiet and Susan even noted that.  She wasn't racing after Hansel although she still liked to ambush him.

There's something invigorating by walking in cold, windy weather.  To Susan it feels like being back in England, but what I like is the warm feeling I get being back indoors after a cold romp outside, and the sweet citrusy smell of lemon-ginger tea.  

We got another 2.25 miles in.  I got home by 3pm and as forecasted, the first flakes of snow began to fall.  It's going to be one very cold week and a week staying warm drinking hot herbal teas.

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