Merry Christmas to everyone!
Since the entire east coast is basking in 70 degree weather on this Christmas day, it doesn’t look like we’re going to experience a white Christmas. It would have been nice to get a little snow for Ernie’s sake. If I’m being completely honest, I kind of feel sorry for the kid. He keeps asking if there’s any snow in the forecast and I hate to disappoint him. Ernie loves the snow. He’s always talking about the time we all took on this snow creature. Of course, we won.
If Mother Nature is not going to bring us snow this Christmas, I’ll just have get comfy in my bed and spend hours recounting my exploits to Ernie about braving a previous monster of a snow storm – the Blizzard of 2010. Back in Northern Virginia, we were hit by a major storm. It was so bad, all the pet stores were closed. After a few days, we were still digging out from the more than 24″ of fresh snow that blanketed our area. This was on top of big storm that we got the previous December that really delivered on a white Christmas. After that storm hit, I had a friend hold the tape measure while I snapped a picture to show we had a whopping 18″ of snow!
Even though the snow from the February storm was more than twice as tall as most of my body, it wasn’t enough to stop me and Otto from enjoying our great outdoors. A few days after the storm, I ventured out with Otto for a walk along the W O & D trail in Vienna. I came across an 8 foot tall snow bank near the Whole Foods store. Otto thought it might be fun to watch the hustle and bustle around a food store – was he thinking of sneaking in and grabbing a quick snack?
Of course, Otto raced up this snow mountain without any problems. Now it was my turn. I started my charge and sometimes slipped back a few feet on my climb to the summit, but I persisted against pretty tough odds. I beat the snow mountain and successfully made it to the top. I even sat on the peak for a few minutes celebrating my accomplishment, which all serious climbers are known to do. Otto was upset that we didn’t capture this on film, but I think the pictures from the blizzard that I was quick enough to capture more than establish our snow toughness.
At this point, I’m sure I’ll have Ernie hanging on my every word. We’ve weathered the blizzard of 2010, but you never know when the next blizzard will smack us. As we head to the new year, take a message from a small dog on a cold day. Never give up and remember to keep the determined spirit if you want to succeed – or at least make it to the top of 8 foot tall snow banks!
Even though you might not be a Norfolk Terrier and pull off accomplishments like mine, you can still climb your way to the top!
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