a cold day in HELL

Yesterday, when Sasquatch and I got up, the temperature was minus 1, the wind chill minus 14. It was a cold-ass day for Kentucky. Sas enjoys a short walk in the mornings before dawn. She raises her nose in search of new smells that have arrived overnight, she listens for rabbits trembling in the brush, she looks around dimly for anything that might be out of place, she seeks out her favorite place for a morning pee. Like all dogs, she experiences and enjoys...mostly enjoys.



I wasn't looking forward to a walk yesterday morning, even a very short one, but I couldn't disappoint Sas. She was excited, as she always is...wagging and smiling and tossing her head. Happy-dog. So, I got as bundled up as possible, but I couldn't find my warm scarf. Where could it be? Beats me...



It wasn't too bad until we got around the corner of the house and the wind hit us in the face. I gasped and muttered under my breath every ugly word I know. It was so cold, it hurt to breathe...my eyes watered...my nose was instantly numb. I wanted nothing more than to get back inside as soon as possible. Sas was standing there at the end of the driveway...her nose up. I said her name to get her attention so she'd follow me back to the house without a lot of leash tugging. When she looked around at me, the she had this expression on her face that said, "Wow! How cool is this?!? This is not like in the house! This is exhilarating! This is cold! This is fun!" And then she took off, leaping and shuffling, prancing around, delighting in the otherness of the cold. It was funny and I would have laughed, but my face was frozen and refused to move in any kind of meaningful way. So we gamboled for a few minutes, (well, she gamboled; I mostly plodded. I think my gamboling days might be over, although every now and then I do get an urge to skip, but almost never when wearing fuck-me pumps.) and then I really could not stand it anymore, and she reluctantly followed me back to the house.


Since I hadn't taken my camera outside, and it probably wouldn't have worked under such extreme conditions even if I had, when we got back inside and when my fingers thawed enough, I did a little rough sketch of Sas gamboling. Think of it as animation, except not animated.


And then, since the morning couldn't get any stranger, I logged into HELL for a minute...It was pretty cold in there too...no new handbasket residents...no new messages...no new stalkers...whatever.


Those of you who have been paying attention know that I believe strongly that people should strive to be more like dogs in attitude. Sas's morning in the bitter cold is just one more example. She didn't complain about it nor even seem distressed about it. She saw it as something different to be experienced and enjoyed...mostly enjoyed. She didn't stand there huddled with her back to the wind (like I did). She leaped and played and made the most of it. We can learn a lot from dogs, and I'm doing just that...albeit slowly.

--Ina