Snow Fun: Dogs, Cats & Humans Enjoy the Blizzard of 2016
TweetBe careful what you wish for
Last week, I noted how underwhelmed my dogs were with the first snow of the season.
I’m thinking maybe Mother Nature didn’t like being judged. Because she sent us a blizzard. Drifting snow. Howling winds. The complete package.
The storm began early Saturday morning, so by the time I took the dogs out, there was quite a bit on the ground — the right amount for a joyous romp.
Snow dogs
Later in the day, we had through the garage; our back door was blocked by a drift. The dogs ran through the gate into the back yard and right into snowmaggedon. It was hard to run and pounce — even for Jasper.
Lilah always looks good in snow.
Jasper isn’t really sure he likes the blowing snow concept.
Tucker’s Velcro fur collects snow.
The wind blew Lilah’s fur, the snow stuck to Tucker’s face, and it was too deep for Jasper to walk. He had to leap, and Lilah and Tucker followed his path.
The video below captures a little of what it felt like out in the midst of it.
The biggest challenge for the dogs was where to “go” in the snow. Jasper and Tucker seemed to have few issues with it, but Lilah couldn’t find the right spot. I had to tamp down a section with my snowshoes so she (and the boys) would have a place to do their business.
Can we go inside now?
When the snow began to accumulate faster than cats at the sound of a can opening, we called it a day and came inside to dry off.
Hot tub blizzard
At that point, my son decided the best thing to do in the middle of a blizzard was go for a dip in our hot tub. “A once-in-a-lifetime chance!” he called it. He checked weather.gov to determine when some of the most intense snowing and blowing would be, and invited me to hang out with him.
Even with the wind, there were about six inches of snow on the hot tub cover. The back door was blocked by a drift, and the deck and hot tub stairs were buried, but we wouldn’t let a little fluffy white stuff and a bit of breeze stop us from having a good soak.
So in the middle of the worst of it, we suited up, and headed out to shovel.
Lilah and Tucker supervise as Aaron gets ready to take on the blizzard. You can see the height of the snow against the door.
It was, to use a word Mr. Giordano — my 10th grade English teacher — would be proud of, a sisyphean task. By the time we finished the deck, the cover was once again… covered — with so much snow we couldn’t open it. We finished the task with snow pants and jackets over our bathing suits.
By the time we got out of the tub, there was more than 1/4 inch of snow on each of our hats.
Aaron left his bathing suit, ski hat and snow-filled sandals on the rug.
Snow Cats
Back inside, we joined the cats watching the snow, appreciating the warm house and the double panes that were between us and snowpocalypse.
asdfas
Athena was glued to the window watching the best show ever on Cat TV: Birds! Snow! More birds!
Snow birds
When I opened the front door, I startled a group of finches that had taken shelter under the roof.
Seeking shelter from the blowing winds, birds huddled on the small ledges and clung to the top of door.
Storm ends, cleanup begins
The storm lasted until Saturday evening. I brought out my snowshoes and tamped down a path for the pups. It was the only way they could get anywhere, with two feet of snow covering the ground.
Athena watches us through a window filled with blown snow.
The storm was fun for us, but it wasn’t so for many of the folks at the Jersey shore. Unfortunately, flooding and high winds, plus snow and ice created dangerous conditions and damaged many homes.
We were lucky; all we have to do is dig out.
My car.
Do your pets like stormy weather?
You may also like:
- My Dogs Are Not Impressed By Winter’s First Snow
- Once More, With Feeling: Snow Again
- The Last Snow of the Season
- That Snow Dog!
- That Cat’s Cool! Introducing Snow Cat
- Snow Dog Lives
- A Dog’s Joy: Snow, a Stick, and Room to Run
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It looks like fun, but I’m just not a snow person and three of my dogs would refuse to go past the door. We haven’t had snow here since 1960, we keep our snow in the mountains. Yes, we are wimps, why do you ask?
I grew up with snow, so I’m used to it. Same with the dogs. It was fun to watch their first experience of it when they were puppies; they all took to it very quickly.
Oh Me cats and kittens!!!!! Dat’s just way too much snow!!! Mommy and sis Lexi used to live where it snowed more and da second time mommy’s car was buried unner snow was da bweakin’ point. She sed they was leavin and goin’ further South. MOL We can’t believe y’all was out in it hot tub or not. MOL Glad yous all safe and warm inside now. Have a gweat day.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Lexi
Every now and again, we consider moving south, but we love the four seasons, and we really don’t often get that much snow. Though it’s been happening a lot more recently…
I cannot even comprehend that much snow! My mom and brother live in N.Y.C. and they sent us photos of their street buried in snow. I love the videos of the dogs playing in it. Your son reminds me of my son. He would have done the exact same thing, including leaving his wet clothes on the floor! LOL!
LOL. I let my son see that pic before I posted it. He didn’t care. That’s exactly the way he left them. I found it highly amusing to see a bathing suit, snow hat and snow-filled sandals tossed there.
Wow, that’s all I can say.
Sandy (from California, the land of drought)
I think we used that word quite a bit ourselves during the storm. And the cleanup.