Or, What I Did the Day that Bowie Died…
If you’re anything at all like I am, you need reminders of happiness and simple joy right now. The loss of David Bowie has had an unexpectedly profound effect on me so this is a gift to myself and hopefully, to you.
We don’t get much snow here in San Diego but in a stormy winter like this one, you can drive an hour from the beach and be in snowy mountains. An extreme juxtaposition indeed! Geez, I really hope you gardening folk like photos of dogs, because you’re about to get an overload of them!
My girl Sasha is a husky-lab mix who has never ever seen a single snowflake in her short life. An unthinkable scenario given her breed. The song of her ancestors sings to her of the cold blue biting blindness but she has no frame of reference. I imagine her soul was sick as a result.
Well, no longer! Because for Sasha, das wunderhund, Winter has come! She was so excited and amazed and confused she didn’t know how to handle herself. She’d dart in one direction, freeze, spin and then flop around burying herself into the snow.
Here she is in a gleeful sprint. Just look at that face!
And she wasn’t alone, she had her two friends with her, Noe and Edie. It was another dog party up on Mount Laguna, part of the Cleveland National Forest. Here’s a whole mess of photos from our delightful day…
It was good for all of us to see snow again. Being from Buffalo, I have a love/hate relationship with it. That is to say, I adore hating the snow. I’ve been served three lifetimes worth of it and am quite content not seeing it anymore.
At least that’s what I thought before last Sunday. But after seeing the dogs romp and play, building a monster snowball and being foolishly challenged by my girlfriend into a snowball fight; I’ve come around. Sorta.
Actually, I’m not sure Nury challenged me outright. Perhaps with her eyes she said, “Have at you sir!”
Either way, challenge excepted!
Oh, there was also a moment where old aunt Edie thought that Sasha’s face was edible (Thanks for the image Nara).
I find it slightly poetic that while one of my heroes was slipping away into the East coast evening, my adorable girl Sasha was having one of the most mind blowing and amazing experiences ever. As one door closes, another opens. It’s been over a week and I still find myself trapped in the grip of melancholy. I spent two hours last night looking at images and video of all my lost glam rockers (Mark Bolan, David Bowie, etc.). If The Universe takes away Brian Eno, I’m not gonna play with it anymore. Looking at the photos above really helps me to shake that feeling. I hope it also gives you a smile and some much needed perspective.
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
-David Bowie 1947-2016
Good for Sasha!
Wish we could take her for walks but distance dictates that it is not to be.
If she leaves now she can make it!
Got it!
Great fun for all of you, what lovely loving pictures 🙂
Aw thanks Agnes! It was a really fun day. And the best part was coming home after an hour drive to warm sunshine and green grass. Small doses for me please.
I couldn’t help but gush over these pictures since I love snow and I love dogs. Thank you for posting!
My pleasure. I always feel a little guilty when I go off subject here, but dog photos and the Internet go hand in hand…
Love it. Impossible to not feel the joy from all of you. Beautiful dogs! For heavens sake even my bulldog Amelia has been to the snow sir. It’s practically abuse you waited so long.
I know I know. But in my defense, there was no snow last year and the year before that I had just got her in the spring. So… This was the first possible time I could do it. Barring driving to Buffalo of course…
Ok. I’ll buy that.
Your dogs built a great snowdog! What joyous photos. This week I’m mourning Glenn Frey, who provided lots of soundtrack to my college years. How sad these exceptional artists left us so soon.
They do a good job especially when you consider they have no thumbs nor any formal snowdog making training! Not too shabby. It’s due to having handsome and talented tutelage from mustachioed gentlemen of course…
Yeah, I’m officially over the loss of talented dreamers. I’m boycotting The Universe until further notice. So, I’m sending you this through a CAT5 wormhole device from an alternate universe… They have cheaper Internet and a higher bandwidth here too!
Glad to hear you’ve found a better place!
You know what they say, location location location!
I love this blog post like a husky loves snow.
As much as you love snowball fights?
lovely pics. I like the snow puppet you guy built.
With chocolate flavoring no less!
Oh, joy! As both a dog-lover and a Canadian who misses the snow like crazy in France, I really enjoyed this post. The French hate the snow unless it’s on the ski slopes so I feel a little alone as I stare sadly off into the snow-capped distance. Thanks for sharing the love!
I totally understand. I’m from Buffalo originally and the people of San Diego, while they too love the snow, are desert folk at heart.
No snow yet in FL but the orchids are tucked away in our shower keepin warm!! What a delight to observe, thanks for the wonderful pictures I’ll share them with Crede who will be a little jealous and then go back to sleep. No eggs from our chickens yet, 7 girls (1 Silkie!) they should start in the Spring.
Thanks Mary! Those eggs should be coming soon as the days get longer. My silkie never stopped laying this winter. My Easter egger started, then stopped again. The Rhode Island Red just began two weeks ago and is in full production. Either way, I’m back in fresh egg breakfast land and you should be soon too.
This is going to be in capital letters because it’s profound: YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DOG! That first photo is exquisite! It screams pure joy!
May I borrow it as my desktop wallpaper, please?
Great pics my friend.
Well after such pooch praise, how can I say no? I’ll ask Sasha… She said, *licks butt*, so I’ll take that as a yes.
Those are all cell phone shots too. Nury wanted me to bring my camera but my Buffalo snow expertise knew that it would be a wet snow day and I’d definitely ruin my Nikon were I to bring it. Luckily, I choose all my cell phones based solely on the camera capabilities… One must have priorities.
your priorities seemed to be saving the day. again.
I’m also really good at making lists. I never refer to them afterwards or apply them in any efficient manner. But they really get made well. Be they numbered or bulleted.
Lists are great, especially when they are ignored.
Yes, I love looking back at lists and saying, “um yeah, that didn’t happen.”
The best laid plans of dogs and men…
Noe has much better aim than Nury does! 😉
I love how Sasha looks right at home in the snow.
I love that photo, it really does look like a dog chucking a snowball.
Sasha does look like she was meant for the snow. So much so that I’ve entered her in the next Iditarod! Stretch out girl, we’re gonna win this one!