Tuesday morning we woke up to thin sheet of black ice, thanks to a Nor’easter that hit the east coast. The driveway, deck, road, front steps, hell even the grass was slippery! But the Dynamic Duo still wanted their walk.
Hubby said, “It’s very slippery out, BE careful. I sanded the driveway and steps, but it’s still very slippery.”
I got Thing One and Thing Two ready for their walk and decided I should step outside first to assess the situation. Damn good thing too. I almost fell on my ass.
Did I ever tell you we live on a hill? Well we do. Not only is our street a hill and we are about 3/4 of the way up the street, our house also sits on a hill.
The first obstacle was getting to the road. I figured the best path was down the hill on the grass and so Frick, Frack and I started out.
Thank God one of us knew it was slippery out.
Because we live on a hill (see above, in case you missed that) our walk is down hill one way either coming or going. SO I decided the best way would be to head up the hill to start and down the hill for the return. I was hoping the the ice would melt just a bit and make our return a bit easier.
News flash, we live in New England and while the weather is titchy, (yes I said titchy and yes it’s a word) the ice hadn’t melted in the fifteen minutes it took me to walk up four houses.
Fifteen minutes. To walk four houses up. It was that slippery.
Trying to keep Beevis and Butthead on the grass was no easy feat. The town had salted/sanded the roads but that stuff is very bad for their paws and besides, it was only the middle of the road that was cleared. My luck I’d find the only icy patch in the middle of the street, get pulled down by Dr. Evil and Mini Me and left there to get run over while they found their way home.
Well here’s the titchy (there’s that word again) thing about New England, sometimes the weather changes in a snap and sometimes it doesn’t. Tuesday was one of those days when it didn’t. We managed to make it back into the house with minimal slippage. I promised the dogs we’d have a longer walk in the afternoon.
The Nor’easter turned to straight rain. I’m not complaining, it’s better than snow or ice, but it was pouring buckets by the time I got home for our walk.
Personally I love rain. I’ve loved it since I was a child and sat in the Adirondack chair on the porch with my Grandfather on a warm summer night, a bowl of fresh blueberries and cream in my hands and watched the beauty of a lightening storm. When my kids were small, we’d put on raincoats and go outside and jump in puddles. I love the rain.
The Dastardly Duo however, hate the rain. No matter how many times I remind them they are Labs, they still hate the rain. BUT if we are walking in it, well that’s an entirely different story. So I suited up, harnessed Pinky and the Brain and we started out.
I’m the Brain right? And the Mini Me. For sure, the Mini Me. I know who the Evil one is.
You’d have thought we were running a marathon. Sampson kept trying to run and I can’t even begin to tell you how many times they shook themselves. We managed to make it around the block in record time and I still had time to get their food out, stock the fire and dry them off before I had to head back to work.
YOU dragged US out in a Nor’easter and you are calling ME evil? I look like a drowned rat! Stop talking and tell the readers about today’s #Advent4Dogs prize.
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What a day you had! I laughed all the way through your post. I could picture every step of your day. I know why you can’t stay mad at Delilah. She has the sweetest expression! She smiles sweetly with her eyes. She is a love.
Gus’ Mom
Aw, Delilah’s “the evil one” like Ducky’s my “demon dog”. We say it with as much affection in our hearts as when we call our other dogs our sweethearts. I used to love rain. Until it started coming in under the door that separates the porch from the room which used to be the carport. Now I hate rain, especially downpours! I hope things have warmed up a bit for you!
Sorry we laughed too and specially at the bit about well how many times can a dog shake themselves dry in the rain?…….never too many times in our book. Sorry the weather outside is frightful luckily over here it is delightful. Have a tremendous Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
Ice sucks, but we walk in all weather, so we take Mom out in ice storms too. She usually ends up falling and we then jump all over her thinking she wants to get down to our level and play. She seems to put on a bad mood after that happens and we end up skating back home. She bought something called yak traks for under her shoes for ice which help a bit, but we just enjoy dragging her along with us wherever we decide to go. Take care and don’t let riff and raff tackle you on the ice!
Hi Y’all,
My Human got me a set of Pawz, like Sugar wears. She can put them on me when we’re in the mountains and it’s icy outside. It helps with traction and keeps the feet from freezing. Also, if you aren’t in a rural area like me, it will protect against that nasty stuff they put on the roads. I also use mushers wax. It even helps with traction on hardwood floors.
Course, visualizing you trying to get 8 boots on 8 Lab feet…WOW! WHAT A POST THAT WOULD MAKE! BOL!!!
Y’all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Oh I hate ice. I would have skipped the morning walk altogether. The dogs would have been fine. Not me….lol.
Jack is the same way about the rain…wants no part of it. Maggie though will dance around and roll in the grass – she’s the nutty one.
I won’t usually walk when it’s really icy, but sometimes you just have to. I also have Yaktrax (like Emma’s Mom) that I put on my shoes. You should get some, they help a lot.
I don’t mind walking in the rain, as long as it’s a WARM rain! LOL
You’re braver than me! I don’t think I would take mine out in the ice. I would probably never make it back home!
I love your various nicknames for them! I’m glad we don’t have ice issues here; I can barely walk on dry surfaces.
Careful on that ice! After falling twice in 2 years (not on ice but from an elevation) and breaking each arm, I’m EXTREMELY nervous of slipping. I do love all the name variations you have for your duo.
Sheesh, I’m glad you didn’t fall and break your ass. That would have been bad.
Haha, yes, that walking in that whatever-kind-of-personal-hell weather you get is no fun (been there, done that, earned the t-shirt–hey I know all about crappy cold slippery weather…I live in Colorado) but glad everyone is safe and secure. Stay warm and don’t be too hard on the ‘Evil One’; she’s so adorably cute and clever and the topic of so many delightful stories that make the rest of us smile with our morning coffee. 🙂
SORRY to say this butt WE laughed about the ICE Walkie thingy…
Now our Mom has these thingys that go OVER Shoes and Boots…. and when it is snowy or Icy… she puts them on and NEVER EVER FALLS… they are called YAK TRACKS…. MAIL GUYS even Use them… THAT is how SHE found out about them in the Furst place… She got HERS where the Mail guy told her…. QVC…
Of course we would get a CHUCKLE out of watching her Slip and Slide and FALL… so we may jut HIDE them from her…
I heard it is super bad out by you…be careful! Don’t blame the doggies one bit for not being thrilled by it!
Love your varying nicknames for your dogs. I knew which was which. Do they have any nicknames for you after they return from these icy walks?
I’m with Sophie. I grinned through the whole post too.
However I am a little jealous of your wash and wear Labradors. Honey comes home with clusters of ice balls stuck to all her fringes. It’s quite a job with a warm, damp towel to get them all loose.
Yikers, that is a nasty walk. I love rain too and it doesn’t bother my dogs, Glory will sit right out in it. I’m enjoying a fire now too.
This is so hilarious! You are such a trooper! So are Pinky and The Brain. Fun!
I’m not laughing at you, I am laughing with you!