I awoke in upstate New York the other morning and it was -20 degrees. Let me spell that out for those of you who aren’t good with numbers…N-E-G-A-T-I-V-E T-W-E-N-T-Y D-E-G-R-E-E-S!!!
Cold? No. It was glorious and clearly time to get up and go.
I jumped on the bed and informed mom with a nudge of the nose that it was time to GET UP AND GO. We needed to hit the street and breathe in the refreshing chill from the air.
Some people and pets would take one look at the negative number and crawl back under the blankets, but if there is one lesson I have learned in my five years as a furball, it is that when a challenge presents itself and adventure calls, it doesn’t matter how you do it, as long as you get up and go.
A few minutes later the humans of the house were bundled up and we were on our way.
Mom had on her big puffy jacket, dad was wearing his battery operated heated vest, Evelyn put on some ski pants, and Rick had a turtle fur wrapped around his chin.
It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you get up and go. I am a giant St. Bernard/Mastiff mix puppy, so I just wore me. Play to your strengths.
Our walk around the lake was three miles. Along the way I wagged at everyone I saw. When we got to Main Street, I had the opportunity to stop and lean into some strangers while I gazed up at them with my big brown eyes…and shared my frozen drool!
It was N-E-G-A-T-I-V-E T-W-E-N-T-Y D-E-G-R-E-E-S I had a full on icicle beard!
Back at the house, my people thawed out while I sat by the door and waited to return to the frozen tundra.
Eventually mom gave in and we hit the ice rolling on our backs and loving life.
Rod and Barb bought Dixie snow booties because her feet got sore in the cold, but she was a champ and powered through. Play to your strengths.
It doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you get up and go.
When we returned to New Jersey at the end of the weekend, the temperature soared to 15. A bit balmy for me, but I grabbed mom and Molly anyway and went….yep, back to the trail.
I know you know what happened next!
I found a stick. I laid in the snow and chewed my stick. I rolled on my back some more because I had a stick!
Cold? No. Balmy? Maybe. Whatever your climate control, it was glorious.
To this point, Molly has not been a big part of my story. While we were in New York, she was cuddled up in her blankie at home.
I love that girl dearly, but she shivers and shakes when the thermometer falls below 80! She has never been a cold-weather dog and much prefers the fireside to the snow.
However…Molly is no whimp. She’s my hero…and you can be too.
When you see a challenge or sense an adventure, don’t be shy and don’t lay low. Be like Molly, put on your jacket, grab a stick of your own, play to your strength, and get up and go.
I’m a dog, I love life, and I have flaws. I’m perfect. Imperfect. Just. Like. You.