Winter Blast

Blogging Friends.... So. I wrote a heartfelt tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman and then disappeared for one week. Sorry. That was completely unintentional and out of character for me!! Seriously. My excuse for being absent from both Beautifully Unique and everybody's Blogs? It will be explained throughout this post....

Over six years ago, in December 2008, our local area was hit--hard!!--by a back east-style snowstorm!! At least that is how I, an unpublished writer, would have described it!! Colossal-sized flakes descended from our clouds for at least one week with seemingly no end in sight!! Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.? Forget about it!! Because our mail carrier stopped service completely during that snowstorm!! The streets were hardly untouched. Why? Because. For the first time in my entire life, we were snowed in!! Plus. For the first time in my entire life, we enjoyed ourselves an amazingly memorable full-force White Christmas!! Less than two years later, on September 21st, 2010, I adopted Rose!! Now. My Mystery Dog's breeds are not the only unknown fact about her. We have also guessed Rose's age. See. The shelter where I adopted Rose said that she was three years old in 2010. Our vet? He guessed that Rose was 2 1/2 years old in 2010. Who was correct? We will never know for certain!! Fast forward. To February 2013. Our local area has once again been hit by what newscasters have deemed a Winter Blast!! As of Friday morning, sidewalks and yards were covered in ankle-deep snow and Rose likes it!! Now. This is not my first snow experience with Rose. We have enjoyed a few. This is my first Winter Blast experience with Rose!! There's a significant difference between the two. A significant difference. This Winter Blast blew in--literally!!--on Thursday afternoon!! And it was white-out blizzard-like weather conditions!! Which is much, much, much prettier than our typical Winter rain!! I love, love, love it!! Especially--especially--when our weekend arrived and those who I am in close proximity to were safely home from work and/or school!! Praise the Lord!! When I let Rose outside to urinate before bed, on Thursday night, she looked back at me through our sliding glass door, quite ambivalent of this newfound freezing cold windy snowy weather. Not that I blamed her. But she had to at least try. It was bedtime, after all, and Heaven knows we did not need any accidents!! Well!! Rose did much more than just try!! She plowed through a steep snow bank on the edge of our backyard patio like some Alaska sled racing dog, walked toward our neighbor's wood fence, squat and urinated!! Good girl!! For that, Rose was given a treat!! My little girl has always seemingly been curious about snow!! I took her for twain Winter Blast walks on Friday!! Our first. It was during the morning while sunbeams made everything sparkle like diamonds!! No snowflakes fell. Not even one!! See. I was wrongly convinced that this so-called Winter Blast had drawn to an abrupt close. For most snows around here only last one day. And I wanted to take complete advantage of it before Mr. Sun slowly melted this cold fluffy white stuff away!! Our second Winter Blast walk? It was during the afternoon as chilling winds blew and snowflakes descended from clouds!! Brrr!! It was seemingly much, much, much colder than our morning walk that day!! Either way, I love, love, love it!! During our afternoon Winter Blast walk, Rose was so very curious about the cold wet white snow that she returned home with some on her whiskers from sniffing everything!! However. During our morning walk, Rose suddenly started limping. Once we had found this bare patch of sidewalk which was blocked off from the snow by a neighbors' bush, I could examine its culprit. This did not require my internal Sherlock Holmes to "solve". No. Rose's back paws were clearly bothering her as though something was stuck in them. Sure enough. I examined Rose's back feet. Caked below both of her paw pads were several tiny snowballs!! Poor baby, no wonder she was limping!! Using my pointer finger, I sort of carved them out!! Rose then walked absolutely "normal" after that!! Once we returned home, she was given a treat!! On Saturday morning, as colossal snowflakes began to fall, I took Rose for our last Winter Blast walk of 2013!! Why? Because. As the snow piled steeper and steeper upon our suburban cul-de-sac's sidewalks, my little "Alaska Sled Racing Dog" wannabe was forced to jump over bank after bank after bank. And Heaven knows I do not need any injuries!! Speaking of which. To avoid accidentally injuring my canine, on Saturday night, I stepped outside the backdoor, nearly slipped, grabbed a shovel smashed this path through our then twenty-two-inch deep patio snow bank, and collapsed it!! You know what? I'm so very glad I did!! Later that night, it sleeted, hitting our windows and making them look like clear stained glass artwork!! This also produced some awesome icicles which were virtually everywhere!! I love, love, love it!! When I let Rose outside to urinate before bed on Saturday, she looked back at me through our sliding glass door, quite ambivalent of this newfound sleet. Would Rose brave it? Not so fast this time!! Rose stepped over my parted path in the snow bank, walked out, was hit by tiny balls of sleet, then turned back!! Poor girl!! By yesterday morning, our outside world was a frozen, glossy, shiny Winter Wonderland!! I love, love, love it!! I let Rose outside to urinate and have a bowel movement. She never got constipated during this Winter Blast, by the way!! Rose slowly and cautiously stepped over my collapsed snow bank path, skid on ice which now covers our yard, and did her business!! Good, good, good girl!! For that, Rose was given a treat!! She is definitely my little Snow Dog!! Which leads me to wonder about Rose's age. If our local area was hit by a much, much, much more "severe" snowstorm than this one in 2008. And I adopted Rose on September 21st, 2010. Could she have actually been two years old when I got her? Not three? Which might have made Rose a puppy in 2008. Because. My little "Alaska Sled Racing Dog" wannabe hasn't got any Siberian Husky or St. Bernard mixed within her mysterious D.N.A.!! That I am completely certain of!! Being a Snow Dog {breed} does not flow proudly within Rose's blood!! So. If Rose was two rather than three on September 21st, 2010, then that means.... I could have an additional year as her Mama!! Hmmm!! I am alright with that!! Now. Only God knows how long Rose will live. He has her days numbered just like mine!! Meanwhile, I only have today!! That being mentioned. I shall make every second count!! With quality time. Hiking. Home-baked treats. And, of course. Making Winter Blast memories!! As temperatures rise a bit, and wet raindrops fall from clouds today, let the meltdown begin!! I love, love, love it!!