Murphy's snow adventure.

So with over two and a half feet of snow down, the dogs had to go out. I took them out front and carved a path for them to get under the carport, the only place where the snow is not up to their backs.
I knew that Belle would not be a problem but with Murphy I was rolling the dice. I gambled that the snow was too deep to let him get anywhere other than where I wanted them.

I lost on that roll because I underestimated his prey drive and sheer dog power.

Down the driveway he went, bounding through snow so deep that he had to leap as he broke trail towards the road. The road was not plowed and was just as deep, and he continued to plow through the undisturbed snow at rocket speed. It was actually beautiful to watch him go, or at least it would have been had he not been ignoring me as I tried to recall him. In seconds, he was around the corner and out of sight.

Belle started after him, but she stopped at the bottom of the driveway when I called her once and she came back. Then I thought about it and sent her after Murphy, figuring that two dogs breaking trail for me would make my trek easier. Her I trust.

By the time I got to the crazy cat neighbor's house, Murphy had already forced his way up their driveway and into their garage, hunting cats. He'd then turned and gone up onto their front porch where they have numerous cat shelter boxes. I got up there and summoned him, and to his partial credit, he did come to me. I got hold of his collar with my one good hand and came back home, with my good Belle leading the way all the way back to our door again.

I was out of breath from trying to move through that snow, and it was only mid-thigh deep on me. But that black engine of destruction, Audie Murphy dog, he'd bulldozed through that crap like it was nothing, and he was primed and ready for more.

And guess who is not going back out front any more?