Josh: When I was younger, I loved the snow. Whenever it would snow, I would run around outside like a goofball, prancing over any snowbanks in the yard. I also had this tendency to roll around in it, to get myself nice and wet – after all, I didn’t have to clean myself when I was done! That was for my parents to do. As I got older, I would still roll around in it, though I was no longer the goofball I once was.
Jeter: Only a few months or so after I moved in here, we had a blizzard. It was crazy. Daddy had to put Josh and myself out on that crazy night, and went into panic mode when Josh essentially lead me to a blind spot in the yard where we couldn’t be seen. I am not sure how we got back into the house (I am sure Josh simply lead the way for me to follow), but what was fun for us certainly was not fun for daddy. That also was the first night where I was allowed to stay out of my crate all night long. It wasn’t the last time I was able to do that, but it was nice to spend the cold, wintry night with my family. Daddy didn’t let us back out until the next day though.
Alanis: The big snowstorms they are talking about are storms I have not yet really experienced here. I understand that down the Jersey Shore, we can get hit with some monster storms due to all of the moisture coming off of the ocean – but they are quite rare, as many such storms turn into rain events if they form at all. Today, I experienced a nice 8″ storm though, and I was having a blast. My mommy commented that she got a bit nostalgic for Josh, because I was acting like Josh used to act in the snow – running around like a crazed lunatic without any cares in the world. Maybe someday I will experience a big blizzard, but this storm was perfect for me….
Jeter: She really was crazy today. While she was doing that, I was actually laying down in a big pile of snow on the deck – with the junco birds, who weren’t all that scared that I was laying there (until I moved, of course!)
Josh: I just watched from inside the house – no real motivation for the snow. Nice and toasty inside the house, where I can eat, drink, and just sleep. That is the most important thing in my life nowadays – sleep.
Alanis: I wish I was around when Josh was crazy in the snow. We could have had so much fun!
Josh: I think fences would have been broken.
Jeter: I was never like that in the snow – I do like to eat the snow and dig through it, though. Especially if I know there is a tennis ball beneath it all. I also will pull out sticks and chew on them. Interestingly, I never do this when there are sticks randomly laying around the yard. I only do it when there is snow!
Alanis: Daddy didn’t play ball with us in the snow today. Lazy daddy!
Jeter: He claims he is still getting over an illness and didn’t want to expose himself to the conditions….
Alanis: Yeah, right. He just didn’t want to be bothered. But we made our own fun. We were out there for at least a half an hour on two different occasions today……
Jeter: I am exhausted from it all, to be honest – I am going to go take a nap now so that we can play at 1 in the morning and drive them crazy as they are watching the Dummy Box!
Alanis: My favorite part of the day……..
Me: Dogs seem to LOVE snow, and it certainly can make things easier for owners who are looking for ways to exercise their dogs. They pretty much take care of it all themselves by rolling around in it, running through it, etc. I am getting over a cold, but in the past, I have been able to keep them occupied simply by throwing a tennis ball in a snowbank. They would dig through the snow, trying to find it. Just like with children, dogs consider a “snow day” a fun treat, and there really aren’t many precautions to take. Obviously, you want to make sure they don’t overdo it, and watch for any signs that they are getting lethargic or feeling too cold to stay out there. Dogs like Golden Retrievers are built for these elements, though – and you really shouldn’t have to worry about much of anything, other than an injury as they run around. Enjoy days like these with your pups – they don’t get too many of them in their lifetimes, unless you live in Alaska. The days will give you memories that can last a lifetime, just like the memories we had today of Josh back when he would run in the snow like Alanis did today.