Countdown Day 9: Taking The Long Path

After storm and power outages, plenty of rain and snow, the sun finally came out. It had been a week since we'd gone for any kind of hike, and that long since we'd seen the sun. So, we put on our hiking boots and walked out the door to take a good long look around.
Funny how everything looks different in the snow, softer and gentler, yet so much harder to navigate. I actually wondered if it might have been easier if we'd been wearing cross-country skis. In most places ours were the only human footprints around. Plenty of animal tracks, though, to keep us guessing and amused.
I wanted to photograph Roger close to the same spot I had photographed him two weeks ago wearing his favorite Hawaiian shirt on a balmy 65 degree day. Hard to imagine that photo was shot February 6th and this one was February 20th. No complaints, though, we love the snow.
Shortly after snapping those few photos of Roger, we came upon this major impediment to our travels. Two trees had fallen across the trail, leaving a tangled 15 foot wide mess of impassable branches. So, we blazed a new trail (off to the left) through the snow-covered brambles and berry vines, only getting snagged a few times by relentless blood-thirsty thorns.
This reservoir was our destination. It's actually pretty close to home. We just like taking the long path to get there. It's more fun that way.

Roger is still congested and sneezing, but he sure loves the good healing vibes you send his way. Thanks for that, friends.