and it's Thursday again

 which will be Monday for me tonight.  I've had some great walks with friends this week, which has been fun.  Tuesday was the only walk that was just the dogs and I.  we did the Campbell Airstrip loop.  today LS joined me for Rovers Run.  the ice in the creek looked super cool.

 the first day i was out there there were these dog teams.  just a couple each on a sled with 4 dogs each. they were not on the dog mushing trails but instead running on the multi-use trails.  thankfully, my dogs did great moving to the side of the road the 3 times the teams passed me on our walk.  also lucky that the couple were super nice.  if you are on the dog sled only trails and run into a team they have been known to swear at people like crazy.  best to just avoid that encounter. i get it cause they really can't stop fast and having a loose dog on the trail can be super hazardous.

 no hazards though.  dogs were great.  the third time the teams passed the guy said it was their young team so it sounds like they had been stopping somewhere and switching dogs out for training.  everyone is happy when there is snow on the trails. 

 todays walk was lengthened quite a bit as we heard from a pair of bikers that there was a bull moose on the trail that was not thrilled with them...they had opted to turn the other way rather than risk it. we took the side trail that took us over to Homestead trail and then came back down the Airstrip.  totally avoiding the moose but adding a few extra miles...2-3.  also very pretty that way.

 later i met some friends at the little botanical garden near the house.

 they had a light display out and a walk to enjoy it...of course, the temps today dropped down below 10.  was out in it for 2 hours walking, then came home switched shoes/socks and headed back out to the gardens for another 30 minutes or so of walking. with the sun down the temps were even lower.  not bad though. i actually do pretty well with the cold. 

 once we hit the indoor part there was a little folk band playing.  they were not really very good sadly.  enthusiastic, but i really did not want to stay there for hours listening to them.  i made it through 3 or 4 songs and then i was ready to go.  my friends seemed ready to leave about that time too...i wasn't the only one who was not a fan. 

 the little free library got a nice dusting of snow this week.  i re-organized the books a bit inside.  the kids have taken over the lower level, which is great.  it seems to get a lot of use by the neighbor kids.

 all the new snow looks so beautiful clumping on the trees. 

 the lights are super pretty...i always love the fun lights out there this time of year. 

 my friend got nicely frosted out there today.  my hair was in a pony tail so no frost for me

 Tusker gave her a run for her money.  she said he was the winner of the day on frost.  i think the wet/icy tennis ball helps him.  all that drool freezes as it drips off the tennis ball. 

 lost 5 tennis balls over the last few days. the more the snow the more tennis balls lost.  I'm sure other dogs will find them or little creatures will incorporate them in to their nests.

 the ice patterns looked quite artistic. 

 maybe on tomorrows walk I'll take that trail that follows along the creek.

 more art...man made and nature made

 hard to really capture the snow on the trees in photo's.  black and white probably does the best...otherwise it just comes out too blue/washed out

 it is really nice to have all the snow though.  it's my favorite

 the snow and the cool ice formations.  water is really amazing.  it can come in so many forms. 

 it can be gentle and relaxing but it can also be hazardous and deadly.

 these are all from the i-phone.  easy to get lazy.  i did pull out the real camera today.  it felt pretty cold by the time we got back to the car. 

 my batteries all survived though. 

 both Pier Ones are closing up here after the holidays.  they are closing all of them in AK and Hawaii.  bummer. i have always enjoyed having pier one.  stopped by this evening and got a few items on sale. then i hit Michaels.  still trying to figure out what to do with my sponges from the beaches on the Kenai. 

 i will try dying some of it.  i like to make stuff for local prezzies.  put some of the local findings into it and some creativity. 

 watched a few minutes of the Impeachment stuff.  the right is sticking with the lets pretend there are not all these facts and continue to bitch about the process. they keep saying the GOP in DC won't change unless the base changes and the base is being told lies and being given false narratives so they won't change unless some of those GOP folks decide to actually have the guts to stand up. 

 Romney is the only one who openly admitted that it was Russia that screwed with our elections not Ukraine. the right is following the narrative set by Putin that it was Ukraine.  they don't even seem to get that they are playing right into Putin's hand. 

 Trump's finances are getting closer to being released, that seems to be the thing he is most determined to keep from the public eye...gosh why is that i suppose?  could it be he owes a crap ton of money to putin and the saudi's? 

 the Mueller report had a pretty clear outline of all the obstruction and that has continued.  the right screams that they should interview all these people that this administration has blocked from being interviewed. there is enough to impeach him on...the senate won't toss him out but he will have the impeachment and the truth keeps coming out.  eventually it will all fall out there and all the crap these fools on the right have defended will come crashing down on them. 

 this isn't like the Kennedy/Chappaquiddick thing...just him and the girl in the car.  it was a different time and different situation.  there are a lot of people involved in this crap. 

 eventually the house of cards will come crashing down. the investigations will continue. 

 Clinton has no power at this point so the hatred of Hillary can only take the right so far.

 it is pathetic that the right saw Clinton having an affair and lying about it as cause for impeachment but see absolutely nothing wrong in what is happening in this administration.  shows that they are now and have always been bull shit.  even though they paint the Dems as the evil ones...it's really the GOP who have done the worst in modern times...they have just hidden behind the armor of religion. 

 for decades though religions have gotten away with some of the worst crap. God must be pretty pissed watching people use his name to screw over their fellow man.

 today his administration is taking away food stamps...though they have been giving billions to aid farmers who have lost money because of his tariff war with China. stores are closing not opening up here.  i see the empty stores more and more...that doesn't look like a thriving economy to me.

 of course, the food stamps is perceived to be being taken away from minorities while the farm/ranch aid goes predominantly to white folks. sadly, the small farmers/ranchers are not getting as much of this farm aid as the corporate farms...that is how the system works here.  until those fools who have sold themselves to this GOP (who does nothing for the common man but instead works only for corporations and wealthy), until they wake up and realize they are being taken advantage  of...that they have been manipulated...well until they wake up, nothing will change and it will only get worse. 

 they have been convinced that the GOP is on their side because guns/abortions and immigration.  the GOP is selling them a bridge but giving them a 2x4.

 it's all pretty depressing to me.  watching the right protect and defend this complete idiot.  the other nations leaders at a NATO meeting were seen laughing at trump.  they are all on to him...only the trumpee fools here state side haven't figured out that he is not the white stallion but just the orange buffoon. 

 that is flat top...for obvious reasons below.

 i head back to work for another stretch.  need to plan a sledding day. 

 got a lot mailed.  will have more to mail but at least I've got round one done. 

thankful for a.  snow and cold.  b. friends to hang out with c. my heated mattress pad...great to warm up after being outside.