The King In His Element

We woke up to a frozen landscape this morning as the "Blizzard of 2016" had settled into our area during the overnight hours. The snow continued throughout most of the day as well, ending (with about 7 inches) just before sunset, around 4:00 pm. 
Now, I am not a fan of voluntarily subjecting myself to harsh elements, especially the cold and wet ones but it seemed that the colder it got, the more it snowed and the more the wind blew, the happier the dog became. This is understandable and I have to humor him because it is in his Tibetan nature (he is a Tibetan Mastiff, a breed widely used by tribes in China, Nepal and Tibet to protect their sheep from wolves, leopards, bears and even tigers). 
So, being a good Mom Mom, I took him out for a walk...in the freezing cold...blizzard. He absolutely loved it. Me...not so much, but I have to admit I did enjoy taking photos while I was out there. The snow frosting on the fields was beautiful and I was able to take some very lovely photos but my very favorite photo of the day is this portrait of one seriously happy dog...my "Ice King."

“The Tibetan mastiff lives in Tibet, 
the most mysterious snowy plateau in the world.
Boasting ferocity rivaling that of lions and tigers,
aristocratic aloofness and elegance,
unquestionable loyalty,
and an amazingly high degree of intelligence,
the Tibetan Mastiff deserves
the honour of being titled ‘the Holy Dog."



- China’s Tibetan Mastiff, Foreign Languages Press, 2006