Trail Blazers

It hasn't been an easy winter for those of us living in the midwestern part of the nation. The region where I live usually has about 55" of snow each season. This year, with over a month remaining, we have had about 83" of snow - a record.

Snow creates many problems. The roads are terrible. Floods usually occur when the snow melts. One of the biggest snow-related problems I face is finding a place to walk our dog. He is a small to medium-sized dog. His shoulders might be about 18" of the ground. Any snow over about 6" presents problems for him.

We live directly across the street from a large park. Many wild animals, including deer, live in the park. Earlier this winter, my dog and I were usually the trail blazers. After a heavy snow, he and I would trudge through the park and make an initial path. Quite often, the deer would then follow in the path we made. During the most recent heavy snows, things were reversed. The deer were the trail blazers. If we had several inches of snow duirng the night, the dog and I would usually find a nice path waiting for us in the morning. Interestingly enough, the path would be along our usual route - not a route usually followed by the deer. It was as if they went out of their way to blaze a path for us.