Snow – Dexter

It’s snowing Lenny, get out of bed.

Yesterday was a dull, dank and dreary day. You know the type of day one where you regret getting out of bed let alone looking through the window to see the grey leaden skies which surrounded us. In any case we went to bed last night leaving the rain falling steadily.

Upon waking up this morning we bimbled downstairs as is our usual ritual, whereby I get some pre breakfast food and Lenny gets tricked into putting his harness on. It always works and he always falls for the ruse. I know I should tell him but, hey, it is fun to see him suffer the indignity of being trussed up against his will. Anyway back to our morning wander. As I stood having a drink I looked up, somewhat bleary eyed, expecting to see the garden wet and unappealing. The white stuff on the ground met my eyes and I was happy. It had snowed lightly and this meant that our walk would be fun, all the scents were closer to the surface and I would continue in my quest to try and get Lenny to eat yellow snow. As we made ready to go out on our morning patrol I was pulled to one side and noticed that there appeared to be a dog coat sitting on the drainer in the utility room. I smiled as I envisioned Lenny being placed within the coat and then felt my heart sink as it was put on me. Apparently it is cold outside, I am an older pup, it’s for my own good and I don’t look like a fool in it.

We made our way out of the house, walked slowly down the driveway in case it was slippery and then turned right into the field in from of the house. Lenny and I were quickly at the end of our respective leads, sniffing for treats hidden in the snow and trying to get as much snow on our noses as possible. We explored both sides of the path and then, once through the first gate, expected to continue our walk along the path. However we were gladdened to see that we were directed into the field to the left and alongside the river. Cue more pulling, huffing and puffing, along with associated shenanigans from the pair of us. Around the field, through the children’s playground and then back out into the field. We went through the deeper snow, around the bends of the river and then through the little line of trees back to where we had originally entered the field. It was here that Lenny and I stood quietly next to each other Lenny nose bumped me and we leapt, gazelle like, in opposite directions. We forgot that we are permanently harnessed to our staff so our bid to escape, and have fun, failed at the first hurdle.

We stopped opposite the church which backs onto the river so we could have a breather, and to allow one of our staff to readjust his harnessing equipment.

By this time our paws were getting a little chilly so we decided we would drag our respective staff back to home and, hopefully, extra treats for being so good on our walk.

Duly cleaned and dried off we ran around the house like a couple of possessed fools until we were warned that breakfast was not being provided until we behaved appropriately. This seemed to calm us down, as breakfast was served and we settled in for the day having had a lovely and fun walk this morning.

Now we just need the snow to freeze, become icy and then watch as our staff fall about all over the place on our walk tomorrow. I still haven’t got Lenny to try yellow snow. Hmmm.

Throwback Thursday

As the UK seems to be basking in an autumnal heatwave (the thermometer on the shed is currently reading 39C!) I thought I would take you back to the field behind my previous house.

February 2019, Chesham, Buckinghamshire.

Only another few months and it will be Christmas! I know, I will sshh now.

What a day

As soon as I managed to open an eye this morning I had a feeling that today would be different and maybe fun. I was proved correct. I was not surprised to see that Lenny had sneaked onto the big bed during the night. He does try his luck far too regularly and usually gets kicked off but last night was quite chilly around here. I knew he was on the big bed as there was a strange lump that wasn’t mum or dad shaped. When I shook to make sure I was heard, Lenny roused from his slumber and slinked past me whilst aiming a sly bite at my ear. I looked out of the door to see the sunrise was beautiful and almost fiery in the sky. We went out for our morning constitutional in the frosty garden and by the time we returned to the kitchen door, the cloud had rolled in so my parents decided to have some breakfast before taking us over the fields. I get used to them taking liberties like this so I settled down at a window to watch for squirrel invaders into my garden. That is when it started, light and fluffy at first and then heavier and heavier. It was snowing and we were going to have fun, I could feel it.

We were harnessed and then out of the door, turn left and down the hill, turn left down the lane and footpath and turn left at the school. Lenny was pulling and yanking on his lead, so much so that mum was having to rein him in as she slipped on the newly laid snow. It was then that I remembered that Lenny hadn’t seen snow before and, looking at the heaviness of the clouds, we were going to get a fair covering of it. Anyway onward and up the hill to the first field which was already filling up with snow. Let the shenanigans commence. We pulled and jerked our way around the field, got snow plough noses and then wandered through the deeper stuff until the bottom of our harnesses acted like snow shovels. Lenny was running around like a fur possessed. He had this silly grin on his face as he tried to run and then bounce through the snow. Along the edge of the next field, up the slope and then toward the big field at the top. I figured that the far end would be the deepest and I was proved right once more when we got there and even I was having to leap almost gazelle like to make sure I walked and landed in the deepest parts. Straight through the woods on the return journey and the trees were covered in their wintery coats. Still Lenny has this grin on his face that he was in his absolute element. I was also enjoying it so much that I had forgotten to introduce him to yellow snow. That I had been warned by my parents not to be so horrible to Lenny didn’t contribute to my forgetfulness at all.

When we got home we both got towelled down and warmed through. Before I had my second breakfast I decided to cavort around the garden only to arrive back at the kitchen door to be captured by dad and then I had to watch Lenny go racing past me to do “snow zooms”. I watched him having so much fun that I felt happy for him. We were a bit worried that he might not like snow or think it very strange stuff. However, watching him run around and aroooing made my little heart sing with pride.

He’s sleeping soundly on one of our eight beds in front of the wood burner at the moment. I wanted this day to come for some time. I wondered what he would make of snow and now I know that he loves the stuff. Maybe making him eat yellow snow is a bit naughty. I’ll save that for another day.

Sleep well Lenny buddy.