Picking up Sticks and Dog Walks

Hey...Well, I finally decided to start a blog. I thought it might get me writing more or something good like that. I've been on a hiatus from everything, except my man, my dog and work. Settled, work and married life is fun, but different than what I've been used to in the past. I'm trying to learn balance, as well as a bunch of other stuff.

Tonight after work I went out and collected wood for the fire place. It was 35 degF with a chilling wind that made my teeth chatter. I put on the long johns, Patagonia fleece and my North Face expedition down jacket from my Siberia expedition and headed out. I saw a pile of wood so stopped the truck (we just collect sticks and stuff). As I approached the piles I realized they were lean-tos made of sticks. One was even over a hole. I felt guilty taking the sticks from someones home, but hoped no one was sleeping there now. I ended up only taking a few sticks from one of them (yeah, there were two).

After picking up sticks, Champ, my BIG schnauzer, who is so buff that he is bow-legged, and I went for a walk around the duck ponds near our home. The ponds are mostly frozen. The full moon was cresting Campbell Mesa shedding a large white streak through the icy edges and the middle waters where ducks and Canadian geese squawked and splashed (I think they wanted me to feed them, but I had no crackers.).