Snow days are fun days

We almost never get snow where we live in France. Winter temperatures do regularly fall below zero but snow is rare. The last time we got more than a fleeting flurry was a few years ago before we moved here full time. We were on a Christmas visit and arrived to a house with no central heating and just a single open fire for warmth. As we’d driven south down through France the temperatures had steadily dropped, hitting a low of minus ten our first night. The house was used for holidays then and provisions and comforts were a little threadbare.

When we woke in the morning the lane was a sheet of black ice. As the house is on a hill with a lane down to the main road boasting a narrow sharp bend, we faced an unappealing prospect: go hungry until the thaw, or slide out in the car to the shops and hope for the best? We did the latter. I was mighty glad to get back with enough food to last the whole trip and a car we didn’t drive again until the thaw.

I love snow. So when it started snowing here with fat, steady flakes late on Thursday afternoon, I wasted no time in heading out. I was encouraged by Albert Claude. As soon as he noticed it falling he was at the door, with a sparkling big hint that I wasn’t going to ignore. We enjoyed a fun half an hour in the falling light and cold.

Luckily the snow was still with us yesterday. As overnight temperatures had fallen, there was a dicy layer of black ice to contend with. It made walking to the pond tricky and if I didn’t love snow, I’d have abandoned the walk. But, snow won’t last long and I wanted Angel and Cerise to sample the joys of it. When it was falling they were very clear they didn’t like it. But I was sure a play in it would win them over.

I was right. As soon as we were off the ice and padding on soft snow, they forgot their caution.

They soon caught the snow bug and were running about happily. Cerise was the most animated I have seen her for any length of time. While these days she has plenty of moments when she lets herself go, they are usually short and sweet. Yesterday they were long and wonderful to witness. We stayed out in the cold for a good couple of hours, I took a thousand or more photographs, the light was beautiful. It was all too good to miss by rushing back to my desk.

Down at the pond, suddenly out of nowhere appeared Moustique. Our friendly Breton spaniel friend who lives along in the next hamlet. He was out for a walk with his owner, who was nowhere to be seen. As we made a slow turn back up the path to head home, I heard a distant shout. Coming down the steep, stony and now icy path was Monsieur Laville, calling for Moustique. He said that as they’d come through the woods, Moustique must have heard us down at the pond and shot off to join us.

I never tire of seeing dogs happy together. My dogs get as much happiness from their friend joining them, as he gets from their company. It was a walk where everyone was happy. What simple joys people who don’t share their lives with dogs miss out on.