Scripture Picture - Walk In The Snow

Yesterday morning my iphone rang with it's  old fashioned ringtone. 
It was my neighbor;  friend  for well over 20 years now. 
She and I  chat and text nearly every day. This friendship runs deep- and in saying  that right now; I give thanks because it's a great  gift.  She's a gift... and the two decades of sharing  cornerposts... more gift.   During our conversation, she  glanced out her window on watch  for Wylie Coyote. He tries to change up his breakfast menu between our places: "chicken" at our house;  "duck" at her's.  I think that's when I heard her say, "I swear I saw a snowflake."  I jumped up and ran to my kitchen window and peering out.... squealed; .... "I saw a snowflake too!"  "Yup... another one!  It's snowing!!!" -- Somewhere between  giggles and about two more minutes it really started coming down and  she exclaimed that, "It's blizzarding!"  grin--   Maybe to Northerners it wouldn't rate a real blizzard but to us friendly neighbors... it surely was a blizzard of snow. 
We were both giddyuP happy. Two joyful hearts.... although separated by 80 acres of woods, pastureland, and barbwire fences ... --- our souls beat  in unison with snowy thanksgiving. 

Thank you Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hanging up, I ran like a school girl for: 

my carharrt  barn jacket,

a chunky knit scarf, 

the red mittens,

my trusty olde Kodak camera...- stuffing fresh batteries inside.

my cellphone,

a paper towel for a tissue...

and remembering my new snowboots at the last minute I took them out of the box.

Joan of Arctics... --they sound warm enough; and I need to start breaking them in!

Last I opened Grandma Star's cupboard and reach in for the two red dog collars with jingle bells.

Francie and Addie know they get to "go"  when they hear them  and will actually stand on  hind legs

and lean up with heads stretched out for me to slide them over their heads.  I don't even bother to undo them.

Done!  Everyone's rearin to "go."

I crossed the cattle guard carefully... snow was already covering the pipes.  

The dogs cut through the barn and flew under a stall rail.  Addie can actually tippytoe across the cattle guard but Francieboy wimps out and was leading the pack anyhow today.  

The tall Joan's felt toasty on my feet and legs.  

Our wonderland walk was amazing!!!!!!!

Snowflakes floated down big and I ate the three that landed on my lips - well,  one landed a little further away but I still reached  it with my tongue.  Realizing what I'd just done, I  smiled; coz it's not every day a girl gets to eat a snowflake.  At least not here in Arkansas. 

We walked the woods and about the time we got  to "four corners"- the post that joins 4 neighbors land; Jackie texted me again.  "Are you wearing your new boots?!!!" she asked.   "You know me well, my friend," I smile and type back with red mittens off fingers now.  I snap a picture of the four corners post, and hit send  to share with her.  It is afterall; her post too.  Right about then I heard an owl hoot.  It was close... I heard it two more times.  I just stood there... watching and hoping to get a glimpse of it.  I never did.  Evenstill... I recorded it later as a special gift.  I took several  photos of the dogs and snowy creek, and then we made our way down through the holler and up to where we set out round bales of hay at the edge of the woods.  The blonde cow and Gracie the horse kept heads buried up in the bale. 

Standing here I waited awhile for Grace to look up and say cheese.  She just  stayed down happily munching.  The big black bull was laying down by the other cows behind me.  But turning around again,  I noticed he'd stood up.  Just him.  Maybe he was hungry.  No... he was being a bull-y. He's walking toward me now... not the bale.   My heart jumped a little coz there's really  no where to go.  No tree I could get to faster than him.  The dogs are Pembroke corgis- herding dogs but I guess we've never told them that.  If he ever charged; I figure they'd make a run for it too.

So I  pick up my pace and walk toward a big pine tree ... dogs following and he stops thankfully.  

Back to the front pasture; I climb the orange pipe gate on the hinged end of course and walk through the garden. 

 The Autumn pumpkins had fallen in  and I daydreamed that come  Spring; those seeds might spring forth and turn into pumpkin plants. 

I've been surprised with pumpkins and even potatoes growing right  out of the compost heap.  

Time will tell....

 With mittened hand on the latch of the potting shed door....

this chair is where all my spaghetti noodle  thoughts land. 

This is where I stop and think of the everywhere... I've just been, to the more 

in my journey and

And I know it all starts 

and ends

in the 

just

Believing HIM. 

It was time to head in now.

I'd just enjoyed a beautiful walk with melting flakes

in my hair and these thin skinned hands

numbing;  eager to thaw around

a steamy mug of creamy foglifter.

Thank you Father

for snowing on me.

 With... all my heart, soul, 

   strength and mind.

              Leaon Mary