Up north at least, winter can be a long and grim season.
I’ve told you how chores are doubled by the cold, the dark, the wind, snow and ice.
We chop ice on the creek for the cows to drink, and gather sometimes frozen eggs.
But these are nonetheless a cache of precious days, still worth so much more than grim enduring. And after a nasty cold spell, winter has been pretty nice so far.
I learned from old Ladysmith how to make a good list. So here is a Ladysmith List of ways to infuse joy in the deep winter, more than mere holding on til April.
The kitchen – so many good things come from here in the winter and believe me, my nose knows! There are savory stews and soups, full of meat and usually my favorite – carrots! Of course this cowdog has a bowl at the table. There is also baking, and not just the Holiday specialties. I don’t get the cookies with chocolate chips, but the others are good and mom often bakes just for me. But my favorite aroma is baking sourdough bread!
A walk in the moonlight – on warm evenings or early mornings, I go walk with mom [warm being a relative term, of course, in January; to us that would be freezing at least]. Now on a clear night, around full moon, it is like daylight on the snow.
I stick close to mom to protect her, and because I do not like coyotes. We don’t go too far anyway, because mom doesn’t like the dark. But it is a peaceful adventure, so different than in the day.
When little Sprout is here, sometimes we sit on the porch and look at the sky through the telescope!
Take a snow day to explore – the smells are different after a fresh snow. I check out the visitors, examine the tracks, maybe make a few snow dog angels!
So many tracks and they all smell different!
Toys – I said I planned to inventory my toys, and being inside more, this is a good time to do that. The trouble is, I start, find a dear old toy I haven’t seen in ages, start playing, discover an old bone, then have to play keep-away with a cat… I think I’ll need help to sort and get some out to wash and donate! 
Most of my toys are very tough and so are quite old. My old friend, the late, great Border Collie Piper, used to love to tease me by taking my big horse to play with. I would then have to try to get it back from him. The funny thing was, I really didn’t care for it much, except when he wanted it!
You can find the same one right here: https://amzn.to/3Inx2nd
And they come in all sizes for every dog.
Read a good book – nothing like curling up with a good book on a cold evening. Mom started ” A Chorus of Cranes”, and I see “Backyard Birding” and others on the table. I’m pretty sure the best part is that cowdog by your feet, or on the couch beside you – or preferably on your lap while you read. One of the books we are re-reading is “I’m Listening With A Broken Ear”, a great story about a rescued Carolina dog, which looks a lot like me!
Find it here; you will love it and want to re-read it, too: https://amzn.to/3FNdJC7
Of course, there is nothing better than some Patrick McManus, such as “They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They?” and “Never Sniff a Gift Fish”. Mom reads aloud to me, and the laughter sure brightens a dark winter evening.
Crafts – living with an artist means I am frequently recruited as a subject, model, experiment or participant. I am fitted for a coat I don’t need, resist having cute little boots put on my feet, and make paw prints with Sprout. It is sometimes fun but mostly I just do not know what mom is thinking. And now I have pink – PINK! – paint on my paws!
Clean the coop – I know that doesn’t sound like a moment to cherish any time of the year, but on a sunny day, it is a good thing to get done. Mom deep beds the coop with a nice fresh straw, so cleaning in the winter is easy.
I help by sniffing around the coop for unwelcome guests, or wild turkeys.
Plan the garden – lots of seed catalogs come in the mail, and we pore over them, makes lists and plans. We have tested seeds for viability, although we won’t really start seeds until later.
Binge TV – now this is not something that happens in my house, but for some people, I hear this is a real activity. If you have to do it, may I suggest “Dogs 101” or “Lassie”.
Sit on the porch – turns out this is a great place to rest anytime of year. On a sunny day, even when its cold, the south porch is warm and pleasant. I remember when I lay there with mom and dad, enjoying one more moment together. Usually I prefer my post on the north end, where I can keep an eye on the road.
Winter Fair just finished – no chinook, but not too bad this year!
Besides the usual activities of sledding, skiing, and skating, every place has all manner of special winter events to keep cabin fever away. Right now, we have little snow, but you can be sure we’ll get our second, third, fourth winter in March and April, maybe into May!
Some like ice fishing, but I do not know why.
I have to admire Sprout’s success on his first ice-fishing trip though!
There you have it. We are sure to have more winter – might as well savor it. Winter is not a long, dark, dreaded season, not when you have the optimism of a cowdog, able to find joy in any small moment.
Not a time to be merely endured, but to delight in. And each day is one day closer to Spring!
Get out and enjoy this one precious life you’ve been given, the one you get to share with a dog!
Remember, if you don’t find joy in winter,
you have less joy,
but not less winter!
