Always wanted to live in the neighbourhood – with snow!

 

Woke up this morning and burrowed deep down under the covers.  Curly- headed Alpha popped up right away because he had to head to Clarkes across the street to get his caffeine fix.  I heard my owner ask, “did it snow.”  “No”, he replied.  “OK then I’m staying in bed for another hour.”  I snuggled closer to her relieved to not have to head out  because it wasn’t quite light outside. Suddenly she poked her head out from under her pillow  and said, “I think it is snowing now.” And it was.  Everyone came to life.  We LOVE snow.  Call us weird, call us bizarre, call us downright loco,  …we love that white stuff.  Clothes were thrown on, jackets dug out of the closet, old Uggs  that can get wet slid on happy feet and out we went.  We love snow so much that we went the long way to get the coffee.  Now THAT is devotion to the fluffy stuff.  I did mention last posting, however, that no one bothered to figure out where MY coat was so look at me….I’m dressed in a snow blanket but it was worth it.

  

Now snow means different things to different people.  For many in Telluride  it is their livelihood.  All of the lifties who have come to town are excited to see snow falling because the hill opens in just under two weeks.  Shop owners are excited because visitors will come to town and pick up gifts for their friends and family who didn’t accompany them  this trip.  Restaurant owners are happy because all that altitude and  fresh-air exercise makes for some hungry folks.   For a huge percentage of people in  town it  means getting out on the slopes and skiing and snowboarding their tails off….OK, they stole that expression from us dogs but you know what I mean.  Others are delighted to see snow because, like my pack, big fat falling flakes just make them happy.  It can’t be explained; it has to be felt. 

Some people just can’t accept that there are people in this world who  truly do  love snow.  Don’t forget curly-haired Alpha  grew up in Toronto and my owner grew up  in Northern Ontario  on the Quebec border so they really  understand winter! I will admit  my owners don’t like brushing snow off the car (but hey, we don’t have one, problem solved.)  They hate freezing rain. They really  hate stepping into a half-melted puddle in the middle of the night on the way back from a movie at The Nugget Theatre, but other than that snowflakes make them happy.  Everything looks clean and fresh and new and hopeful.  I think that is what it is…. snow makes us  feel  alive and reveling in life kindles our sense of hopefulness.  

For me it means that some or maybe all of the boys are coming home. Once turkey season rolls around it gets more and more likely someone is coming back to walk me, hug me and play with me.  If it is David….I’m getting fed extra food off the counter.  The rest of the bunch are just old  fuddy duddies.  Jon and Benj worry about my heart, my liver, an extra roll of chub around my middle….to hell with that, bring on the grub guys.  I love turkey scraps, even a  bite of pumpkin pie tastes good to me.  Oh well, I heard David isn’t coming home this year.  He’s still off with China teaching China to speak English.  I hope he is teaching  her  to love dogs too.  Since I’m half Chow a part of me comes from there…I wonder which part?  I guess my head  since I have a mostly black tongue; in case you didn’t know Chow’s have a fully black tongue. I have a feeling only Benj will be home this year.  He’s leaving College behind again  but we all know how that goes…they just continue breaking up and getting back together.  I bet anything that by January he’s back with her again.  I can’t even think about Kim  not coming. She and curly-haired Alpha are so similar that it makes the energy level of the condo  go up…they are always up and ready for anything.  Oh well, we have to share her, and by default Jon,  with her family too.  I can’t bear to  think about it.  Bring on the snow I need to feel hopeful!

Anyway, this town has a real sense of humour about snow.  There is a lovely bronze (I think) statue near the school bus stop at the local Middle and High School.  That little charmer is always dressed up by the locals.  Today she had on a wig to keep her head warm and a cute little scarf.  How sweet is that.  Someone keeps  her stylin’

 

I admit that snow can make navigating difficult.  Mind you I do it by smell not by signage.  However, people can get lost because it gets harder and harder to figure out where you are.    And it becomes much less likely you are going to be using your patio furniture with your friends.   But hey, how much can you do that anyway.  Gee in Texas you sit outside on your patio and drip sweat and swat mosquitos all night.  How much fun is that?  Instead   we meet up with friends and  ski until we are exhausted, nourish ourselves with  savoury winter foods and then  hop into hot tubs and feel like a million bucks.  Well I don’t   hop in  because I avoid water as much as possible but the owners like  to lounge around in the hot water  and laugh as their hair and eyelashes collect snowflakes.  Add a glass of wine  and they are in heaven…. (probably NOT recommended by their doctor but he doesn’ t need to know  everything).   I prefer to sit on the edge and  let my tail swish in and out of the water once in a while.  It just makes me feel happy to be out in the snow  with the owners.  If they are happy; I am ecstatic. 

And look at these little fellows. They  probably think it is almost tree season. It is not even eight o’clock in the morning and they have begged to get outside to roll in the white stuff. Kids are closer to dogs than you would actually believe!  Don’t lose the magic guys!   You wouldn’t want them rolling around on the grass in Texas…you’d be worried about fire ants and stray snakes.  There’s only one problem.  If you have ever lived in a cold climate you know there is a relationship between snowsuits and needing to pee…in fact I really could use a fire hydrant about now. See ya later.