A glimpse of winter

 

  Morning sun revealed the glaze of clear ice atop the snow. What was once smooth had become pockmarked and entirely too crunchy for the brown hound attempting morning ablutions. He stared at me as he passed digested kibble, paper, and whatever else he consumed the night before. 

A sprinkling of confectioners sugar drifted down, but the ice coating rooftops teamed up with the soft breeze to deny the snow footing. The swirls spooked the dog, sending him skittering up a brick path colonized by last night's freezing rain. His feet found little traction. His flight towards the porch was a desperate, frenetic dance.

I grunted. Here was a dog that ate snow and ice cubes. I thought he'd lean towards excitement rather than terror.

He reached the porch and we both stepped back. It was time for coffee and breakfast. 

Our body heat left clear outlines of our feet on the mat.