It indeed has been a busy week both at work and somewhat at home so I am super glad I took Friday off to just get some errands done and was able to get out for a walk with the poodles.   You'll be proud of me.  I even remembered the camera!  

First off a few evening shots from earlier in the week.   This is Teddy's favorite spot to sit most of the time (as is apparent by the nose smears on the windows).

I also got busy and made Chex mix - which I only do during the holidays.  Sweets are fine but sometimes I just want something salty.  Okay so call me a purist but I'm not all that excited about the extras in it - peanuts, pretzels, bagel bites.  I pick out the Chex cerea so when I make it - that is all I use.

Meanwhile I actually got restocked in bird seed and the feeders have been busy as we are now completely snow covered here.    An interesting note though is that I have seen the red breasted and pygmy nuthatches but not the white faced.   

Yes, the finches seem to argue more than most.   They hang around in such numbers that there is no way we could have enough perches for everyone but it is fun to watch how they normally will sit in the tree and wait their turns. This is blurry but I was happy to see the gold finches are wintering over! Didn't capture any of the nuthatches.  They are so freaking fast as they whip in, snatch a single seed chip and then take off to eat it.   But the woodpeckers will come in and stuff themselves.  Both this boy (hairy) and his girl have been around.

After errands Friday morning the poodles and I headed up to the reservoir for a snowy walk.  They has SO MUCH FUN!  I was rather surprised to see about 8 ice fishing shacks out on the water already as it just hasn't been all that cold.  Even more so after we walked across one of the shallow areas during our hike and it was slushy and also found open water in some spots where I know it isn't all that deep.   Whatever people!   

There really wasn't much to photograph (other than poodles which you'll see a ton of photos here at the end) as it was well gray and snow covered and not all that pretty.  Don't ask me why this caught my eye.

Now for poodles, poodles and more poodles.   I apologize for poodle overload.    If you think dogs don't smile, even in blurry photos - wrong again.

Yes this one of Sterling is blurry (the camera couldn't figure out what to focus on and I wasn't fast enough) but he has such a fun goofy look I had to share it. Epic saw something in this pile of reeds and started barking.   I love his stance and his intensity and of course the curly tail.   I walked over there and didn't see anything but that means nothing.  It could have been a critter or just the snow falling off them when he got close.

Since we were nearing the end of our walk and Epic was still full of beans AND because his Mom forgot to grab something to let him fetch...I pulled off my headband and we used that.   Trying to take action shots and be the thrower does not work well.  I can't throw at all with my left hand and I can't shoot my camera in my left hand.   So we got what we got.  I can say I had at least 3 throws that went behind me (lefty I am not).

Still it is fun to see what comes off the camera with this boy.

THE POUNCE

THE SHAKE & KILL

THE MIDAIR SNAP

I will be saving the "posed poodles" for our holiday greetings later this coming week!