Winter is here. The snow is finally falling and we are back at Chestnut Mountain in Galena, IL. This ski season is different and special. Jonathan has been hired as a full time pro patroller and lives at Chestnut Mountain Resort working and patrolling during the week. I come over every weekend and volunteer patrol a day or two each weekend. We are enjoying calling Galena and Chestnut home for this winter and are thrilled that Werner is able to stay with Jonathan in his outdoor kennel at Chestnut.
Jonathan, Emily, and Werner on the bank of the Mississippi River
As you can see by our red coats, we passed our exams at the end of last year and are officially auxillary patrollers. This year we will be participating in more ski clinics and learning how to safely transport patients in a toboggan.
Werner is 6 months old now and loves going on hikes and exploring new smells.
He has gotten better at retrieving and loves....
....playing with sticks and
carrying things in his mouth.
Even though he is getting bigger, he still loves to be held and is a floppy, soppy puppy.
We enjoyed trying out some new restaurants, strolling around downtown Galena, and taking a hike out to North Point at Chestnut. It was a wonderful way to celebrate with Pam on her birthday, December 30th. 
Claire Landgren and me at the start of our skiing adventure - still smiling and full of energy.
Feeling confident, we skied over a frozen section of the river instead of taking our skis off to climb the stairs and cross the bridge....this was my favorite part!
We followed the edge of the river and the bluffs....what a beautiful day out in the snow, and a great way to start the winter break!
Jonathan, Emily, and Werner on the bank of the Mississippi River
....playing with sticks and carrying things in his mouth.
