Friday Family photo--the snow horse

I'm dating these photos as the winter of 1949-1950, or 60 years ago, and I'm guessing this is before Christmas, maybe the first snow, and the horse is a bit skimpy. I did a painting from a photo of one of my snow horses with my brother and dog and I have on a lovely plaid coat, which I probably received for Christmas, plus there was a lot more snow and my ability to sculpt a horse had improved a lot. Lady the dalmatian was a replacement for Curly, a shepherd mix, son of Pretty, who had her puppies under the neighbor's porch. During the summer of 1949 Curly disappeared (I was told) while Mom, my brother and I were on a trip with my grandparents. Lady developed skin cancer after we moved to Mt. Morris and only lived a few more years.

The other little boy on the left is Buzzy Brown--the only name I ever called him--don't remember his real name. He lived down the street. I think he was an only child and his parents were rather affluent. He seems to be wearing a matching hat and coat. To show you how thrifty my mother was--I'm wearing a homemade headscarf and mittens, and the mittens were lined with my father's wool Marine uniform from WWII. The blanket on the snow horse was from my grandmother's house, and I guessing it was from her mother's house of the mid-19th century. I am wearing over-the-shoe boots, but my brother isn't--although in the photo of the other snow horse he is. Perhaps he came outside to pose after all the work was done?