When it snows, the dogs turn into puppies. IO loves it when we kick snow in her face, and Jackson loves to catch snowballs in his mouth. Their joy is contagious, and I cannot help but remember the delight of catching snowflakes, building snowmen and making snow angels.
Apparently Dixie is mad at me. Very mad at me. Last night she ate, not 1, but 2 of my shoes. Different pairs of course. Sadly, one of the shoes she chewed up was my black patent leather Nine West heels. Easily the nicest pair of shoes I have ever owned, my all-time favorites and my go-to shoes anytime I dress up. Not to mention they were my only pair of black dress shoes. They were timeless and I would have had them forever. The best part is that they were in my closet with the door closed (or so I thought)–I didn’t live through Cheyenne without learning a thing or two. Evidently, I left the door cracked open just enough for Dixie’s tiny little 10 pound body to squeeze in and destroy whatever suited her fancy. At least she has good taste.
As a 6 year old dog, it has literally been years since she chewed up a pair of shoes. Clearly, she was mad at me. And not just a little. She was devastated when we discovered her. She slunk around and cowered and wouldn’t look us in the eye. Her tail, which curls over her back, went down straight. Today she is a completely different dog, playing with me and curling up in my lap, intent on making up with me.
Meanwhile, Cheyenne has found a new way to embarrass us. The neighbor’s house fascinates Cheyenne. They have 2 golden retrievers and a cat. She sits as close to the underground fenceline as she possibly can without getting shocked (my thoughts on electric fences still to come), and stares at their house. The other morning she had been outside for quite some time and ignored my every request to come inside. I tried opening the garage door because sometimes I can trick her into coming to me that way, to no avail. Eventually I had to go outside to get her. She was intently gazing across the street and did not move even when I walked up to her. Judging by the amount of snow that had accumulated on her body, she had been sitting in the same spot the entire time she was outside. I literally had to pick her up, and carry her inside after wiping off the snow. Once inside, she held up her paws, and licked at them. Her poor little paws were frozen from sitting in the snow so long.
So I realize this isn’t the best photograph. I have friends that are unbelievably gifted and I wasn’t able to capture the falling snow, however, there is a certain peacefulness about this picture that I really like. It makes me want to curl up in the chair by the window with a blanket and the fireplace going. Maybe because that is what I was doing when I took this photo. When I was small and couldn’t sleep my grandma would have me visualize this exact scene–the window, a couch, a fire and outside the snow falling very, very softly… I would fall asleep so peacefully every single time. And then she would wake me up in the morning with kiss on the cheek and the kind words only a grandma can say. It is so hard to believe that she is gone. I miss her everyday.