Today we join our fur-iends Rosy and her brothers from LLB in Our Backyard on the last Friday of January 2019 for this week’s edition of Nature Friday.
We had a little storm blow through Ranch-land yesterday and by blow, I really mean windy conditions. While the total snow only measured 3-4 inches, the wind drifted it in some places to closer to 6 inches. The Knuckleheads however saw it as an opportunity to go mushing.
Normally, the Knuckleheads walk on either side of me. We may still look like a 3-ring circus, but they walk nicely on either side. Sam never walks right next to his sister. I think I’ve heard him moan, “ewww, dog germs” on occasion. Yesterday, the windy and snowy conditions made them both frisky as all get out and I had to bundle up like an elder Eskimo on the ice flow including fat mittens which leaves very little dexterity to steer them around. While we weren’t out anywhere near the time or distance we normally are on a morning walk, those two bounced, galloped and frolicked like a couple of school kids. Try holding a cell phone in a mitten while staying upright in blowing snow. I laughed just contemplating the image we must have cast.
It reminded me of another musher team captained by John Suter in 1988. Suter and his team of Standard Poodles entered the 1988 Iditarod. As a rookie, the team actually finished in 38th place with a time of 18 days, 1 hour, 50 minutes, 50 seconds. Thankfully, the Knuckleheads were happy to head back to home Nome after a few blocks rather than days. Yes, it’s true; I’d we’d never make it in Alaska. But no doubt the Knuckleheads still dreamt of winning their own Spirit Mask and race trophy. It should be noted that a few years after that first run, officials passed rules allowing only northern breeds like Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes to compete.
Here’s hoping you win any race you’re in this weekend. Stay warm and safe.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Looking good Elsa& Sam🐾❄️
💜nose nudges💜
Wow! Love reading these and the photos. Wish I could see the three of you out in the snow in real life. So different to the climate here.
Best wishes,
Ro
Have been reading that you guys have been having such high temperatures lately. And this week a life threatening Polar Vortex will invade the upper Midwest. Poor mother Nature; she’s all over the place. Stay cool.
Never in a million years would I have thought Poodles could be mushers! Quite the factoid….
And if your knuckleheads are anything like mine, there is no such thing as too cold or too much snow.
At least not for a few minutes but at age 13, a bit of sanity even creeps into Sam’s thimble sized brain on those particularly chilly days.
Of course, Zeke’s coat is a tad thicker than theirs…
Maybe longer, but in Elsa’s case, I’m not sure thicker. Her coat is so vigorously thick I have to dig down in the depths when it’s longer. I’ve only seen her skin when I happened to nick her. 😕
Mayhaps!!
And bummer in nicking her…
Yeah, it’s usually on the toes. She zigged and I zagged. 😢
Dang…
I know, I always feel badly when I nick ’em. Never fun and it bleeds forever. 😔
😞
Wow, I had no idea that a team of poodles had finished the Iditarod!!!!!
My pups are similarly insane about snow and cold!
It’s quite the factoid, isn’t it? 😇
What a nice walk in the snow. We are in deep freeze so the dogs are wild with cabin fever.
They do get antsy when it’s bitter cold, don’t they?
I like snow:)
We like it too. Thanks for swinging by the Ranch. We 💜 visitors.
Poodellss tried Ititarod race??? Mee-yow that iss sorta kewl an sorta weerd rite Miss Monika?? Mee lgad a rule was made fore it to bee ONLEE Northern poochiess! BBBRRRR…
Sam an Elsa you both did grate takin yore Lady fore a walk!!
“Dashin thru THE snow, mew mew mew…..”
Wee have all most 3 feet here an it started snowin again!
Stay warm with ***purrsss*** BellaDharma
It WAS weird. Sam and Elsa took me for a ride more than a walk! A couple of times I was a kite. Stay cozy and warm; it’s gonna be mild here today so our snow will be gone in no time.
I can barely get myself to take Luke for a half hour walk in the cold and snow, I could not even imagine days and days of being out there! That was interesting about the poodles, I didn’t know any other breeds had ever competed.
The surprising thing to me was Suter wanted to compete with poodles. 😲
Huskies couldn’t take it when Poodles beat Husky butt so they outlawed Poodles from races.
Heh, heh. Good one, Jan!
My first winter I thought the snow was fun but not anymore
hugs
Mabel
Hazel too
I’m grateful not to live in Northern Minnesota. The snow shoveling would kill me.
I can’t believes they won’t let Poodles, or any breed that shows they can, run! PFFFFFFFFT!!!! WTD?? I bets a pack of Airedales could do it!!! waits….no…we would DEFINITELY gets distracted by critters and bunnies and pull the poor sled into the woods. nevermind…..
Anyhu, I can send my transport tunnel , and you guys can come here for the weekend ~ it’s gonna be 70 and sunny and FABulous! Though, I would trade it for some good fresh powder! ☺
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
Oooh, 70. Sounds divine though it’s sunny and mild today here. It will help melt some of the snow that people can’t seem to be bothered with shoveling off their walks. {growl}
We love the snow too, call us Snow Knuckleheads as well. We just wish we could have one snowstorm where we get lots of snow and no ice:(
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
We’ll keep our paws crossed for you. 🤞🏻
We think that ice stuff is for the birds, too.
I wonder if there is an Iditarod equivalent specifically for Maltese? You know, about 60 feet long in less than an inch of powder. Followed by a nap.
With a nice piece of chicken jerky once they cross the finish line, courtesy of the main knucklehead around here. 😊
What a lovely picture – snow, wonderful snow. Some Poodles have all the luck :o) Don’t suppose you’d be interested in a swap – your snow for our 48.6C? No! . Hmmm I didn’t think so.. Have a great day.
Awk! That kind of heat is obscene! Hope it gets cooler on your end soon.
Lookin good Sam and Elsa! We sure wish we had some snow!
xoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
I bet the Iditarod was much more stylish when it had poodle competitors. 🙂
Well, there certainly was no shedding those years on the course 😆
We’re pretty sure your pups have what it takes … well, if can harness Elsa’s attention to the task 😉
She’s far more focused than the Knucklehead. 😊
This post reminds me of my Kissy’s first snow….it was Thanksgiving weekend, 1988, and she was all of 6-1/2 months old. I put her snow jacket on her (after I bundled myself up) and brought her outside to go for a quick walk. She stuck her whole head in a drift and came up with snow covering her face and head. She was so darn cute I couldn’t help laughing. She really loved the snow. Once we moved down here, the snow didn’t last long and I think she dreamed of going back to our home on Long Island.
When they were young, Callie and Shadow, and then Ducky loved the snow, too. Shadow now prefers drier, sunny days in the winter but Ducky still likes to romp in the snow (when we get any).
Sam is a lot like your Shadow. Would prefer a nice comfy sofa to a snow bank. Elsa is like Ducky…in soo many ways, but especially when it comes to snow. 😊
What a Brrrrrr-ave mush team you have.
Hahaha. That’s a good one, Michael. 🛷
Those two are the cutest knuckleheads ever to mush with a bundled up mama.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
I don’t even want to think about Milo pulling a sled… whee! it would be careening around corners, dragged across bushes, pulled into trees!
That’s the poodle way! And a wild ride for sure. 😆
That was a new one on me, the poodles in the Iditarod. I think a team of chihuahuas would have been the Iditarod version of the Jamaican bobsledding team…
Bwahaha! 🛷It might take a bunch of them to pull but what a riot it’d be watching that happen.
That is breed discrimination. They need a separate even for other breeds. Give the small terriers and toy poodles a chance.
We’re with you-let anyone who wants to (and is able) compete. Still…the idea of pulling a sled for almost 3 weeks day after day isn’t exactly my idea of fun and games.
I hate the cold but the pups don’t seem to mind it. I bet a team of giant schnauzers could have run the race well. It seems like racism or something, but I am sure it was to protect the less hardy.
The only problem they had was the formation of ice balls in their paws but Suter created special boots to keep the team mushing. An amazing story, even if discriminatory. I’d love to see some standard Schnauzers run! What fun would that be?
We took our Little Bit up to the snow in the Sierras once and she didn’t like it one bit. We didn’t take her again. She wouldn’t walk in the snow and she sure wasn’t about to potty in the snow.
Have a woof woof day and weekend you two. My best to your mom. ♥
It’s a whole ‘nother experience with little guys. Much easier to potty when you’re not up to your eyeballs in snow. Have a super weekend!
That looks coooooold! Here heading into the panting sunny 70s. We need more rain. 🐾
It was VERY cold. 🥶With the windchill, near zero. This morning too though it’s sunny and should make it to 40F. Hope you get some rain.
Those knuckleheads are already champions.
They sure are and always No. 🥇with me.
To the team!
Love it! Here’s to a fantabulous Rhapsody of a weekend. 🎶We will, we will…rock you!🎵
🎶🎶🤘🤘
🕺🏻
Your Knuckleheads seem to like snow, but not cold.
We have that much in common. 🙂 Actually they don’t mind being out in it, but trying to plow through is tiring. These guys are more sprinters than marathon runners.
It is so funny to see some dogs enjoying the snow, they jump, the roll, they run the nose under the snow…
It’s true, the snow must turn up the sniff factor. Elsa runs with her nose in the snow. I think she’s trying to imitate a submarine. LOL
And here the thugs are lying in the shade, seeking the coolest spots….
Today I’m definitely envying them. Stay cool.
Wow! I never knew Poodles ran in the Iditarod. Thanks for that bit of history‼️
Indeed, Suter competed for 3 or 4 years as I recall. Insane in my mind!
They are so cute! Snow makes my cats want to nap more.
It makes me want to nap and curl up with a good mystery.
oh wow congrats to the poodles!!!! but we rather start in a snow mobile if we can… we 4 could make a team in a fab fast snow rocket with seat heating and snack bar
;O)
Woo-hoo…count us in to bring the beer.
The fur kids look adorable in their jackets! Love those paw prints in the snow, too!
They love those jackets, which is surprising since dress-up is never on their wish list.
They enjoy being out in it and being the stylin’ dogs they are, absolutely love those jackets. Cracks me up.
So **freaking** cute! <3