February –
freezing drizzle on snow
on snow
Tag: snow
Fiction: Oliver’s Christmas
Oliver trotted out the door and down the stairs of the deck into the back yard. He looked straight ahead to the neighbors’ to see if King was also outside. The little terrier couldn’t see the Great Dane, though, and breathed a sigh of relief. King was apparently napping in the garage.
Their meeting was inevitable before winter was over, of course, but every hour it could be postponed was a good one. Oliver looked over his shoulder at the bright red sweater he wore. He could see the row of white snowflakes down the side and knew that his name was stitched down the back in letters of green. Sure it was warm, but King would tease Oliver terribly, and Oliver was already a little sensitive about his size. The sweater would just give the massive dog a massive laugh for the rest of the season.
Oliver sniffed around his yard and found a good spot to answer nature’s call. That finished, he walked around in the two inches of snow from Christmas Eve. It really was more pleasant to be out with the sweater. Booties would have helped, too, but the sweater would be enough for King to howl about.
After crossing his own tracks several times, Oliver thought about going back inside. There was no reason to linger and risk being seen by King.
haiku 245
last snow of year
first snow of year
same clouds
haiku 197
skull outline
in the ice and snow –
shiver
haiku 194
season’s first snow –
young dog usurps
straw bale shelter
haiku 147
heavy snow —
dogs call truce
to share the porch
Fiction: Setback
Mel had been dithering for an hour, which annoyed him. He had been so decisive when he was younger.
“God, how my kids will complain,” he told Rufus. “And it probably won’t be long before some helpful neighbor comes over or sends a grumbling kid to do it for me.”
He thought a moment longer. Then he snapped his fingers.
“But I’m going to do this whether anyone approves or not.”
haiku 105
trudging through new snow
to get the mail —
first day of spring
haiku 101
foggy night—
dog rolls around
in the snow
haiku 97
respite
snow melts
around the shovel