Friday, February 7, 2014

Fun in the Snow

So, you may have heard about the snow we got. It was quite a lot, in fact. Not five feet, nothing of Canadian scope, but a good 10 or so inches.

An interesting thing about Elka is she doesn't like being cold, but she loves playing in snow.


I also prefer not to be cold, and as I've gotten older (cough) I haven't enjoyed the cold and WET aspect of floundering around in the snow. Sometimes I wonder about Me As a Child; what was I thinking? 


But, that's kind of a kid thing in general. They'll stay in the pool until their lips are purple and their skin is totally comprised of goosebumps. They want to play in the snow until their hands and feet feel like blocks of wood. The experience itself is the payoff.



In that light, I have to ask myself: when did I stop feeling that way? Maybe high school, when standing at the bus stop in the snow and then being in wet shoes all day sucked (of course, I could've brought dry shoes in a bag with me....)  Maybe after I started driving, when I realized what a horrorshow inexperienced (or possessed of poor judgement) drivers could be in conditions like snow, or even rain. Maybe when I realized no, there aren't a whole lot of snow days when you have a job like a Real Grownup™ (though I did have one on Wednesday). Maybe it's because I don't have a snowsuit, or snow pants.





I remember Calvin and Hobbes would frequently have these philosophical conversations while Calvin and Hobbes were riding a sled down a snowy mountain, or a little red wagon through a similar landscape. There were wipeouts at the end, but their conclusions always seemed both simple and profound. Interestingly, I've found a similar comic, one might even call it a spiritual successor if not directly an homage, entitled "Frazz", by Jef Mallet.









11 comments:

  1. Elka looks like she is having a great time!

    I've really struggled with my love for snow and cold in the last couple of years. As the winters are longer and colder and dogs don't want to go out much either.

    What happened to all the fun?

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  2. I, too, have seen my love of snow diminish slightly as I've gotten older. I do love a good, old-fashioned blizzard, though. The kind that shuts you in for 3 or 4 days. We had two back-to-back big walloping snowstorms here in the Mid-Atlantic about 5 years ago and man were they FUN! Lately it's just been 5" here and there, and ice. Lots of nasty, disgusting ice.

    Love seeing the dogs enjoy it though! Those pictures of Elka look fabulous!

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  3. We are lucky, Mom is old and she still can't get enough of playing outside in the cold and snow. She loves to find mini humans to go sledding with or she builds snow forts with us or she just wrestles with us in the snow. We are lucky that she loves winter and so do we.

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  4. Great pics...Elka seems to be making up for your loss of joy at the fresh snow! :-)

    I love to go out with the dogs after it first comes down and play with them and watch them romp...but that's where it ends. Once it freezes over and I have to literally chisel the poop out, or worry the seniors will slip and get hurt - not to mention shoveling, cleaning off the car and driving to work - I can do without it. :-)

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  5. I love that snow. I rubbed and rubbed my face
    Lily

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  6. Dude. That comic starts in 2001. How the hell am i gonna catch up?

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  7. Love the snow! If you are looking for the perfect Valentine's Day gift for another dog lover check out our blog giveaway:

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  8. What is it with dogs? Silas was fascinated by the ice we got last week. This is the dog whose life goal is to never, ever have to pee in the rain.

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  9. I'm so glad Elka loves the snow. I find my enthusiasm for it waning too - but my dogs' absolute joy about bounding through it never fails to make me smile!

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  10. I rediscovered a love of the snow and winter a few years ago, but this year, I am SO OVER SNOW! Let it be spring already!

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  11. I have a pair of snow pants and jacket and they are the best investment!! I even wore them to work one day last week when we were getting scads of snow.

    I hope Elka had fun.

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