Of the December Dump

December Dump 2025: Like a scene from a snow globe but not as stable.

It finally happened.

Colorado’s first serious snow of 2025 arrived yesterday and it showed up with force and frost. Plus, there’s a lot of it.

At Casa de Weed, we have about 1 foot of snow piled along the driveway and sidewalks providing a perfect runway for two rambunctious little dogs to terrorize their family and an entire neighborhood with their on-ice antics.

Yesterday morning as the snow was steadily falling, I took Luka and Layla out for a walk. When I opened the door to step outside, I saw both of their eyes light up with delight like they do when I open the cheese drawer in the refrigerator and I knew I was destined to be a dead man walking. So to speak.

First, Layla started bounding through the snow like a reindeer ready to take flight with Santa’s sleigh. She chuffed and jumped and generally endangered mine and Luka’s lives with her enthusiastic play.

Then, Luka joined in the fray and jumped on Layla’s head while growling and barking at her … All this as I was navigating an icy stretch in front of the neighbor’s house, shouting salty swears at the hounds and wishing we lived somewhere with sand and palm trees.

Eventually, we returned to the house where The Weed who left work early because of the serious snow greeted us at the door and said: ‘That was quick.’

To which I responded with a glare: ‘I smelled death on the air. At the very least, I just spared us the medical co-pay for a brand new plastic hip.’

I should be accustomed to December in Colorado. In years past, though, I’ve had the luxury of a few introductory snow storms in late October and November to get me geared up for December’s snowy grasp.

This year, no such storms came and yesterday’s December Dump left me unprepared for the peril I face each time I take my spirited little dogs out for a wintery walk.

This morning with the snow settled and ice taking full hold around us, Luka and Layla once again beamed when I opened the door to go outside with them. This time, however, there were no canine shenanigans allowed. Instead, I walked slowly, shuffling my feet looking like an extra on The Walking Dead and sending gratitude to the source after each successful step down the driveway without a fall.

Fortunately, my cautious ways and faith successfully got us through another snowy walk.

As I type this, I should be outside shoveling away extra snow on the patio and putting down ice melt. Still, as I just said, I’m off my snow game. I’m not ready!

Instead, I just looked up the first day of spring in the new year. The thaw arrives Friday, March 20, 2026, and so too will my trust in gravity and the confidence that my tiny torture hounds will not leave me for dead on an icy suburban sidewalk.

Thanksgiving 2025: Including the colorful holiday flowers here to remind me that spring is only about 3.5 months away. I think I can ... I think I can ...