Winter for the Hound Dog

Eiger loves the snow - most of the time.

Up until last Wednesday's storm of snow and ice, I could take him around the block to exercise in the school yard.  These pictures were taken after last Monday's storm when we had about 14-16" on top of what was left from the week before.  I'm losing track.

Eiger is a tall dog - long giraffe legs.  So running him around in deep snow is great exercise - until the ice came.  Now we worry about sprains, tears or breaks since the top crust crumbles beneath his/our weight but you don't know when and it's uncomfortable to lurch across the snow. 

He had fun when it was good though:

It's so deep that he runs like a rabbit pulling both back legs up and forward at the same time.  It's very amusing and the more we laugh the crazier he acts.

Taking a breather - I think he's such a handsome pup.

Trying to find something - head completely buried.

Canine winter bath:

In this next pic you may or may not be able to tell Eiger is walking gingerly around the yard.  The backyard has become a minefield - not from his piles (those are in a frozen pile in a corner when I can find them!) - but from the crusty collapsing over the chewed up snow from layers of storms.

He continues to show reluctance to go out and take care of business - any business - in his own backyard.  I thought he was a bit pycho.  He may be but I found out that everyone else's dogs are having the same problem.  It is therefore necessary to walk them a bit more and seriously - it's been 8-10 degrees most mornings and 15-20 at night and this furless human doesn't relish the bundling and fresh air much anymore.  It's safer to walk them on the icy sidewalks and streets than their own backyards.

I'm writing while watching the snow come down in our latest nasty storm.  I thought I saw enough of cold winter/snow from living in Iowa and our location in NJ is suppose to be closer to weather in Zurich - which I liked.  This winter has had more snow than any of our winters in IA and has definitely been as cold with below zero mornings and days that stay in the teens/low 20's - plus windchill.  Granted, we only had 4 winters in IA - I know there are years that are worse.

I just did a little research and found that as of last Thursday, Newark Liberty Int'l Airport had reported 61.7 inches of snowfall for this winter season - we are in the next "snow band" west of Newark so we get a little more with each storm.  And Al Roker has reported NY hasn't had this much snow since '82 - if you can't trust Al for weather, who can you trust?  So yeah, we are getting dumped on and I was really looking forward to Live with Kelley & Michael this morning for snow day TV fun but all I can get on every channel is Live News showing me all the weather mess that is falling right outside my window.  I think I'll change to HGTV. 

And then we girls will get bundled and go to work clearing off the cars and walks before our snow changes to sleet......

Can you tell I'm done with winter?  So is Eiger.