After a reluctant beginning the depths of a Michigan winter have arrived. Paw Paw Lake froze at the end of January and now rests under its snowy blanket. Nightly the beacon of the Bluecircle fairiehouse casts tree shadows, its light amplified by drifts of lake-effect snow.

A daily inch or two of fresh snow has fallen this week so the dog and her people have concluded it’s too deep for long walks in the woods. Even the Gator slides and struggles in the drifts as it tries to keep a packed trail open for cross-country skis.