While so many are digging themselves out from snowdrifts the likes of which have never been seen, we’re hanging out, like we always are, in the 75 degree weather. Don’t get me wrong, there’s not much to complain about when you can get out and enjoy the outdoors almost 365 days a year, but there are certain things I miss about not having a winter.
Ice skating, for one. My children have learned to improvise with a pair of socks and the hardwood floor. Add a strong Golden with a hardcore tug instinct and voila! You have dogsledding. (Taking it to the next level, there is an Akita group in the area that heads out with scooters and goes urban mushing. I love that!)
I also caught the kids lugging their boogeyboards up to the top of the hill and riding on down, tailed as always by a dog or two. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I guess the dogs were feeling left out of the action, because this morning I found Brody and Kekoa taking part in their favorite Olympic activity, Greco-Roman wrestling. I usually let it go, but they were doing it right at the top of the stairs and I had visions of cruciate surgeries dancing in my head.
So I yelled: “Brody! Knock it off!”
Which had the exact opposite effect than intended: He started up, spun around, and knocked poor Koa right off the top step. Boom, boom, boom, she went, me running over with my hand up to my mouth in horror.
Fortunately Koa is tougher than she looks, and must have been learning from all her observations of the kids goofing off. She twisted her hips under her, leaned into her side, and rode down those steps on her butt like a master of the involuntary luge.
She made it down 7 steps, bounded up to the landing, and I swear if she could have talked she would have yelled “Ta daaaa!”
I like to think my family’s overall lack of major injuries is due to my stellar safety monitoring skills, but I’ll be honest, I’m just really lucky.
And for your Tuesday edification, an oldie but goodie: Involuntary Luge from Scrubs:
At the risk of changing the subject and/or missing the point, I was gratified by your comment, Dr. V., about (urban) dogsledding. I visited Alaska a few years ago and did a brief dogsledding tour. Initially I was concerned for the dogs, their safety, their well-being, etc., but they genuinely seemed to love the outings and seemed well cared-for.
I suppose, like so many other things, that there is a right way and a wrong way to go about this activity. It behooves the animals’ owner/trainer to treat them well, or else they won’t want to mush!
Oh I chuckled at your greco-roman wrestling description – we have that in our household on a morning and evening basis. It started when Charlotte was 8 weeks old and would hang from Holly’s front chest fur – and has continued – at least they are the same size now. http://brrnese.smugmug.com/Berners/CharlotteHollyVideos/12794807_KHQv6#1178814358_ZEeRz-A-LB
GO KOA! phew–i’m glad she’s okay!
and in other news, have you seen these cuties at the SDZoo the last time you guys were there? the tiniest antelope ever… http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2011/02/royalty-born-at-san-diego-zoo.html
Pulling kids on the skates boards is a good activity to burn off all that energy they all, dogs and kids alike, seem to have in endless supply…besides, as you said…you’re really lucky…put the padding on the kids and send all “outside to play”.
Very off pet-topic, but my niece and nephew, who live in SoCal, have gone ‘ice block sledding.’ Here’s the wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_blocking
They show teens doing it, but my niece and nephew are 10 & 12 years old. Your kids are a little too young yet; but something for the future…
I love the Scrubs clip – one of my favorite shows!