Snow week

I was going to call this blog "snow day", but then I realized that it has been snowing for the last 5 days with no real end in sight. About 6 miles east of here there is a National Weather Service observer that has measured 52" of snow so far in these past 5 days. Fortunately it is a very light and fluffy snow, so actual snow on the ground after a few days of settling is only 30". Now that makes it seem better. Not! The local businesses have switched from snow plows to front end loaders to move snow. We have been shoveling the sidewalk at the clinic nonstop, but within an hour, the snow is back. The good part about all this is that here in northeast Ohio, this is a fairly common occurrence during the winter. Everyone takes it in stride and life goes on almost normally if not just a little slower.

Good thing we don't use our basement door much. I just shuffled out through the frozen tundra to walk my dog though. Still wondering why I didn't wear boots today? Here's the view from the basement door up to the parking lot.

Yesterday I went outside to shovel my sidewalk at home and one my cats was gleefully running around in the snow. OK, maybe not gleefully, but he certainly wasn't hesitating about trotting around outside. Tough northeast Ohio cat! Caught this shot of him sitting watching me shovel the sidewalk.

All of this should be a reminder to take care of the dogs and cats in this weather. Don't forget to make sure your outside pets have a source of fresh water (not ice!). Make sure they have shelter from the wind and the wet. There is nothing I hate worse then to treat hypothermia or frostbite. Some short-coated breeds should just not be outdoor dogs in the winter. Period, end of story. Watch those large breed dogs (especially if they are overweight) as they go bounding through the snow. I can't even count the number of torn knee ligaments we see from over-exuberant bounding through the snow. Wash those paws if your four legged friend has to walk through ice melter. Some of it can be very irritating to the feet.

You may think I am crazy, but I love all this snow. OK I don't like the driving, the shoveling and barn chores are a pain in the neck. But it is beautiful. Just to watch the snow piling up outside brings back memories of how much fun snow actually was when I was a kid. The toboggan. The building of snowmen. The snow forts and snowball fights. Snow was not a chore. It was something to be played in and with. Snow got you out of school. Snow was special. It's nice to remember those feelings about snow. Makes me smile inside.