I’m thinking Thursdays, because of Throwback Thursday, are going to regularly be about Lassie and/or Ella. I miss them both terribly and though they’ve passed on that doesn’t mean I can’t blog about them anymore. I have a lot of memories and photos of them that I can share. Throwback Thursday is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

October 2007. I took this photo through the railing of our front porch steps. We were living in the mountains of Northern Utah at this time. A very beautiful place to live. Lassie loved to walk through the neighborhood with me. He introduced me to kind people by being a wonderful conversation starter. He scared away the kids that picked on me by being a very loud barker. Little did they know the worst he would’ve done to them was poke them with his snout. He always knew when I was upset and he always knew exactly how to cheer me up. We were each other’s best friend. We did almost everything together and we were rarely seen apart. I didn’t fit in with the kids my age in our neighborhood, but I had Lassie and his friendship was the most loyal and loving friendship I will ever have. He changed me forever and will always be a huge part of who I am. Which is why this blog was made with him at the forefront of my mind.

July 2007. Ella often looked like she was smiling! She was a happy dog and as a puppy she was pretty laid back. Her vet loved her so much that he often asked me if he could keep her. Ella liked people during her early years, but she much preferred the company of her fellow canines. She didn’t come to love being rubbed and petted and doted on by us humans until she was 2 years old. Until then Ella spent most of her time with other dogs. We almost always had a neighbor’s dog hanging out at our house. She had a “boyfriend” who lived next door (and is now at the Rainbow Bridge with her) named Grizzly. Grizzly loved Ella so much that he dug a hole under our fences so he could come over whenever he wanted to visit her. We were really good friends with his humans, so he knew us well and his family always knew where he was when he went “missing”. Ella was hard not to fall in love with. She radiated so much love and happiness most of the time. Most of the time because she certainly had her “back off!” moments, but we’re all allowed those moments.

Also, Petal wants to tell you all that we’re finally expecting some snow. I’ve told her not to get her hopes up because we’ve been “expecting” snow a few times now and got nothing. But my weather app says there is a 100% chance of precipitation tonight, so we’ll see.

Snow? For me? I hope so! Photo from December, when we had lots of snow.

We’re having very dark and stormy skies today. The sun has been gone all day and it feels like it’s been the same time all day. I’m not gonna lie, I love it. I associate this weather with venturing out in my coat and mittens and with Petal happily trotting beside me. With going back inside to get warm and cozy beneath the blankets with a mug of hot chocolate in my hand and a view of snow falling in a beautiful flurry from the sky. It feels like the world slows down a little and I like that.

But I don’t like mud. So I’m hoping for lots of snow, if we do, indeed, receive some.