Chapter Ten Winter Time

In January, we were getting dumped on with snow just about every weekend. Cabin fever started affecting all three of us. Linda didn’t like to walk around much in the winter because she was afraid of falling on the ice. Owning her own business, she is cautious that she isn’t laid up and out of work where she couldn’t service her bookkeeping customers. I was cutting back on my long distance traveling as the roads were quite miserable. I found I could get more accomplished over the phone. I went to see customers only when there was a real need to do so.

Tova, started to get real antsy because she wasn’t getting the physical exercise she needed.

One night, after Linda had a tough work day, she said, “I thought you told me when she turned two she would slow down. She has as much energy as a young puppy.”

“She has slowed down some but with all of this snow it’s affecting her as much as it’s affecting us. Look at us, we feel like caged animals.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but you know if it wasn’t for her personality; I don’t think I would want to continue to deal with her. She’s lucky I love her.”

“She loves you too.”

“I know she does.”

“Tova, come on we’re going to go for a walk around the neighborhood.”

Oh, you mean I can get outside for awhile. This long winter stuff stinks.

“It’s dark outside and slippery. You might fall.”

“We’ll take a flashlight and I'll put my ice cleats over my boots.”

Guess what turning the corner a block from the house, I fell. Tova just looked at me as I hit the street.

What happened, you okay? I’ll walk slower for you.

When I got off of my butt, I brushed myself off and we proceeded to head down the street. I must remember the grade of that street; snow melts during the day, runs downward and freezes over after dark. Oh well, it isn’t the first nor the last time I’ll fall. I didn’t tell Linda I fell because I knew she would feel bad.

“Tova, when I see you getting this hyper I guess you and I are going to have to walk around the neighborhood more often so mom doesn’t get stressed by your high energy. She’s not used to dealing with a large dog, especially a high energy dog.”

Just keep walking dad, I’m picking up new smells around this snow pile.

And so the winter gave us a near record amount of snow. I learned to take out my snow shoes and walk her around Dorr’s pond. This gave her more than enough exercise if I did it twice a day compared to our summer walks around the pond three times a day. It was great exercise for me too. Whenever she saw me take out the snowshoes she would run up and down the stairs and do circles before we left the house. We would walk to the pond and then I would unleash her and put on my snowshoes. She loved it.