Turns out that we don’t get spring here at Switchback Ranch. We get “w-ring” in which it is like spring: it warms up, the snow melts, everything gets sloppy. But unlike spring in town, it is still possible that we could get snow. It is sort of miserable. Two days ago, the fog rolled up and sent itself packing.

And then YESTERDAY? SPR-UMMER arrived. IT IS THE BEST. And it won’t really end now until September. You see it doesn’t get terribly hot up here, not like in town. We just get this glorious 25-28 degrees celsius. It is the season of having too much fun outside and loosing track of time, of eating on the deck, of long-awaited projects. It is wonderful.

We are back in the sandbox:

(O has his first short hair of his life…it is KILLING me. Why does he look 12? Mercy.)

The hose is out:

The scooters are scooting:

The chalk is arting:

The flowers are coming up (and it would appear that all my end-of-season-on-sale planting survived! Yay blueberries, grapes, rhubarb, lavender)

In other news: Sam is staying. He is such a sweet dog and we all love him. But. How scary are these photos? He loves to hunt sparks from the campfires. It is the only thing he seems to have any violent streak about. If this beast doesn’t look like the thing of nightmares though, I don’t know what does.

Usually he looks like this and thinks he is a lap dog. His other favorite things are chasing Joel on dirt bikes, going for hikes, shedding and making Abby growl. His tongue didn’t used to seem so huge before Sprummer arrived. He prefers Wring….easier on a Pesky Shepherd (I tried to teach O about dog breeds, he miss heard me and starting calling Sam the Pesky Shepherd…it seems appropriate).

AMAZING how a little bit of sun changes EVERYTHING. Over-spiritualize much Melissa Ann? That was just a raging case of cabin fever and nothing treats that faster than some sprummer sun, an impromptu road trip (to Coldplay with friends no less), and a lost day planner (which means I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing, so I’m just not doing it…it is very therapeutic).

Thanks friends! What fun! Going to miss you somethings fierce.

There has been some excitement at the ranch over the last few days.

For one thing Joel came home. Hallelujah.

For another. We have a Nancy Drew-esque mystery on our hands. We have spotted a species of cat that even our Conservation Officer cannot identify.

He has sent these images to the Provincial Vet and some others. We are waiting to hear the results today. It is all very mysterious and exciting. I spotted him out my window at dusk. He was about the size of a coyote and that is what I thought it was. By the time I got my camera he had passed over onto our neighbors property. I took these photos from my deck with a 200 mm lens. He looked like a domestic cat (but much too big) with a tail like a cougar (but much too small)…and jet black.

Two days later we accepted voluntarily another black beast onto the ranch. Meet Samwise Gamgee (Sam for short).

He is a shepherd/husky mix. He is our neighbors dog and has sort of adopted us. They were two single brothers with busy lives and so Sam has found his way to our house quite frequently over the last few years. In fact he brought me a deers leg my very first morning here (that is Joe Rich style for a casserole). The brothers are now off up north etc and think Sam would be happiest with us. He is having a sleep over for a few nights to see how he fits in with our family. He is only two and bounces a lot. A MASSIVE bouncing dog can be quite a thing to have around a three year old.

But. He seems to have the most submissive temperament I’ve ever seen in any dog. Let alone one this big. Here Owen told him to sit. When Emily did the same he rolled over onto his back….that little girl knows well how to be the Alpha.

And it turns out, I may have accidentally attached to him. We are having a breeder over today to see what he thinks of him. I might take him to an obedience class to see if I can handle him. I like the fact that he has never been in a house. I like the idea of having a beast that I trust, especially whilst the mystery of the mutant cat persists.

When I fly solo at the top of Switchback Mountain, usually I would be a little petrified to see this:

At these temperatures when it rains in town it SNOWS up here. Happily I just completed the Hunger Games trilogy yesterday so I am feeling all post apocalyptic and mad with reckless independence. I had Joel teach me to use the beast before he left so while it would be nice to not have to use it, we’ve had an inch or two already.

I even hit Costco this morning for a solid ten days worth of rations….er…I mean groceries. Plus, I have allies. Super Fed and Super Pink hit the ground with a vengeance  this morning.

Lets dance snow storm.

Check in on me in 12 or so hours?  

DSC_0266, a photo by one thing blog an online journal by Melissa Fedder on Flickr.

I am not sure what qualifies as being snowed in, but we are getting awfully close. Over a foot in five hours this morning. We have now had more snow the last five days than the whole rest of the winter. AMAZING.

At our house?

We are more than ready to cuddle in deep for Christmas holidays. One more day of busy and bluster and then? We are settling down…way down.

There is still a trip to get organized, gifts to buy, things to bake, but I am not getting obsessed with that this year. It will get done. Or it won’t. Either way, no one is going to die.

All I know is? Starting tomorrow at 4:45 operation relax begins…

And there is a good chance no one will see us again until 2012.

(OBSESSED with those little round submersible LED lights! I’ve put them everywhere!)

Just kidding…there is fun to be had that we won’t miss.

From our family to yours…we wish you the merriest of seasons!

Joining in the Christmas Tour of Homes because…lets be honest…that driveway of ours has chased everyone away, and our tree is something to behold! Click over for HUNDREDS of fun decorating ideas!