This time, though, we had SNOW! Not little bits of snow or the overly fluffy snow of winter. This was consolidated spring snow and it's the best kind of snow. It's hard enough to walk on, but soft enough to dig in and make snowballs. It even tastes better than really cold winter snow.

We walked across a couple of patches of snow on our way to the summit, but we were all business and didn't stop much. After spending a few moments on the summit, we started down to the big snow field on the northwest face of the mountain.. The sun was just starting to set, casting long shadows and giving everything a golden aura. Standing above the snow field, I kicked off a small snowball that rolled down. Tink watched it for a moment, cocked her head to the side, and suddenly leaped after it. She spent the next 30 minutes tearing around, chasing snowballs, and digging in the snow. She was absolutely enthralled. It made me overjoyed.

When Treen passed, I worried some of her passions wouldn't be passed on to Tinkham. Treen loved the snow like no dog I have ever known. She could smell it. I think she could remember year to year where patches of snow would linger on some trails. When we found it, she would slide her face and neck across the snow and roll in it like some dogs roll in a dead fish. The only hike Treen and Tinkham got to share had a bunch of snow, but was it enough time?

Clearly, yes. Or dogs just love snow. It doesn't matter. Tinkham's utter bliss on the side of the mountain was perfect. It reminded me of the great times I'd had with Treen and told me I'd have times like those with Tink.

The only downside is the snow's all gone now (when I write this in July) so we have to wait until the fall to start again. That must be what they mean when they say, "Good things come to those who wait." I just wish I was better at waiting.