playing in the snow | conversebear

It’s odd to be posting pictures of snow and writing about it when almost all of our snow in Nebraska has melted. Not that I’m totally complaining, mind you. It’s been kinda nice to not have to seriously bundle up to go outside, but I’m sure winter will have its revenge and we’ll get a blizzard before spring hits.

I spent Christmas up in Minnesota with my family, and when I left Nebraska, we still hadn’t gotten any snow to speak of, just a light dusting. I was mainly disappointed because I really wanted to see Nova run around in the snow. Well, I got my wish in Minnesota….

Just before we visited, they had gotten a huuuuge snowstorm (about 18 inches at the house), and despite a rainstorm, there was still plenty left. I got to see Nova run around in the snow A LOT. The first time I just went out with mittens, hat and my coat. Big mistake. Nova wanted to play like a child plays in the snow, with full on enthusiasm, leaping into drifts taller than her, then jumping up on me. I ended up having to buy some winter boots and dug my snowpants from middle school out of storage (I am just shocked they still actually fit). She also got some nice winter gear: a coat and a great pair of boots. I know she’s a dog and doesn’t need them, but I also knew she would probably play out there all day and wouldn’t realize her feet were freezing. We borrowed a pair one of my other dogs used; she quickly lost in bounding through a snowdrift in the park (couldn’t find it before we left for Nebraska either!). I spent a long time looking for a decent pair that would stay on after that, and ended up buying her Ultra Paws Durable dog boots in small. I liked the double velcro straps and the foam inside the boots that helped prevent her paws from slipping out. They did a nice job of helping her not slip around on icy spots and kept her paws pretty dry. The first few minutes watching her try to walk in them was hilarious, but she adjusted very quickly. I made them seem like extra fun because as soon as they were on we went out to play, and once she was out, the forgot all about them!

As much as I complain about the cold and hate having to bundle it, I must admit it was so much fun to play outdoors with Nova. I don’t think I’ve actually played in the snow since I was in elementary school….Granted, I couldn’t/didn’t want to stay out nearly as long as when I was little, and tumbling down to the ground hurt a lot more now, but I actually started to look forward to going out with her. I had a blast throwing snowballs at Nova and watching her frantically dig through the snow to find it, and she had a great time barreling through the snowman I made. I even bought a cheap snow saucer sled, thinking she would love to slide down with me (I saw pictures of someone on Pinterest doing it with their dog). Wrong. The sound of the sled scraping against the snow freaked her out so she refused to ride on it, but she did like chasing me when I went down the hill and using it like a big Frisbee.

If you have a pet, I encourage you to go out and actually play in the snow with them. It’s fun to see how they react to the snow and it’s a great way for everyone to get out of the house and get some exercise!