This past Tuesday, New York was hit by a massive east coast storm that was supposed to bury us in snow, but halfway through, the snow turned to sleet and the world froze. I slid across the walkways in the dark, when the dogs had to go out to pee. The next morning, the maintenance guys came back and salted the sidewalks and broke up the ice in the parking lot, but they left the backyard as it was and we have had an ice rink ever since. Butterfly is in love. Cricket may be a snow bunny, but Butterfly, it turns out, is an ice skater. Her ice rink is bumpy and often runs uphill, and she has to skate around various impediments, but that only seems to make it more of an adventure.
Surveying the territory
Testing the ice
Going on an adventure
and returning
Happy.
Cricket has been more circumspect about the whole thing. She has found it impossible to dig into this strange version of snow, and has had no luck removing leaves from their icy casings. She sniffs huge clumps of snow for signs of pee and birdseed, but she spends most of her time on the edges of the ice, ready to return to solid ground at any moment. But every once in a while, she lets loose, jumping and spinning and leaping across the ice, while her sister placidly skates along nearby. They meet up to check in, sniffing each other’s noses and ears, before going their own ways again.
“What is this stuff?”
“Wheee!”
“Whoohooo!”
“And a two-footed landing!”
But it’s Butterfly who is loving this new ice world. No matter how far out she goes, and no matter how high she climbs, she leaves no foot prints, and I’m realizing that, for years, she must have felt unsteady walking on the grass, and now, with ice under her feet, she finally feels secure.
Butterfly, in her own world.
rachelmankowitz 
Rachel, I love this! Peggy Fleming–eat your heart out!
Now if only I could get Butterfly to wear a skating dress!
I can feel her joy…those playful photos are wonderful!!
Thank you!
I think Butterfly is her own world… lucky thing 🆓
It’s like watching my grandkids play in snow for the first time. Such a hoot :<)
Makes me want to put on a puffy snowsuit and go to town!
it was a strange storm. I’m about 50 miles north of the city and we got 11 inches and not a whit of ice.
Wow! The original predictions were for eighteen inches where I live, and then, pfft.
We got hammer from the snow. My short legged dachshunds still loved it. We dug snow paths for them, but they would still climb up on to the icy tundra and try their luck. It was great fun watching them slide about.
I love my weekly Cricket and Butterfly updates!
Thank you! They make me want to slip and slide too, but then I remember the inevitable pain that will come, and I step back onto solid ground. Grumble.
Wonderful “action” shots of flying ear flaps Rachel! 🙂 jane
Thank you!
wow what great captures on ice! I am looking forward to it melting hopefully this week. We have mountains here in NJ!
It has started to soften, but only enough so that when I have to follow Butterfly out into the hinterlands, I can hear the ground cracking under the surface.
Wonderful and beautiful pictures! Who would have known Butterfly found her calling from a storm! Those two are just so adorable!We were hit with wind storm and knock our power, heat and water out for 4 days. I had to send Sasha the bird to my son’s house. Just 2 days after wind storm we were hit with 2 ft of snow. My eldest girl BabyGirl went out in it like a pro. The other 3 were like go potty( Not far away from the porch of course) and run back as fast as they could into the house. Now it is funny to see a great big black German Shepard (Samantha)run back in the house because of to much snow!
Thank you! I love that image of a big scaredy-dog!
I ment to say just two days after I got my power back on.
Attagirl Butterfly!
The pictures of Butterfy leaping send my heart leaping! So glad she enjoyed herself!
Thank you!
Fantastic pictures. I remember Maggie’s first experience with snow. She was far from impressed!
Thank you! Butterfly is circumspect for the first snow of each season. She especially doesn’t like feeling trapped.
Fantastic photographs – you have captured the joy of both Cricket and Butterfly having fun in the snow and that’s is great to look at. However, that is a problem also in Scotland – a rise in temperature and snow turns to slush and that’s cold. wet and miserable and no fun at all. Enjoy the snow (within moderation) when you can.
I’m happy for Butterfly. I don’t enjoy sleet nearly as much, haha 🙂 And I love the pictures!
Thank you!
Such a joyful outing.
Yes!
They are having a blast! What a good time and great photos!
Thank you!
I loved theses photos, because they both looked so happy!
Thank you!
What a delightful story! My beagle seems to take ice in her stride, barely paying it any notice, slipping now and then as she does a quick turn for a good sniff of an invisible something, catching herself and moving on with barely a break in her strike. No Whoopeeee! for her. Just business as usual.
When Cricket slips she turns to me with a look that says, Mommy, this is your fault.
Beautiful! Woof!
Thank you!
Cute cricket & butterfly, love to see them playing happily!
Thank you!
Since it’s been in the 90s here, I was thinking that this didn’t pertain to me. Then someone mentioned BIRDSEED and I’m all in.
My downstairs neighbor makes sure the birds are fed in all seasons.
How great Butterfly is having so much fun! And The pictures of them enjoying their ice rink are fabulous!
Thank you!
Lots of snow !
I love reading your stories. And the action photos Wheee” and “Whoohooo” are great. 🐾
Thank you!
Just like children (which they are) 🙂
Beautiful photos! The energy and courage of trailing into snow is amazing!
Thank you! And Butterfly thanks you too!
Nice presentation.
Thank you!
Rachel, these pictures actually brought me joy and smiles today just by looking at them!! Thank you so much!!
I’m so glad!
I love the action shots and the huge smile on Butterfly’s face – way to go girl!😀💨💨
Thank you!
Love their expressions and how you describe them.
Thank you!
I love your posts where you document how different these two “look a like” girls are in personality so I loved this especially. And congratulations on good photos of white dogs in snow in dim light. We got ice and a little snow but mostly wind and wind chill. I was glad to have cats those days.
Thank you! Cricket would like to have some cats too, but I’m not sure what her plans for them might be.
Chew toys, maybe?
Butterfly is a little like Snoopyce skating in the Charlie Brown Christmas cartoon. I love the Whee and woohoo pictures!
Thank you!
Love the photos, Rachel. Stay warm.
Thank you!
You caught some great photos! Love the flying ears 😉
Thank you!
Love the pictures 🙂
Thank you!
Adorable! 🙂
Thank you!
Great photos!
Thank you!
What fun for Butterfly! It makes me happy to see dogs who are happy.
Me too!
Wonderful story and photos!! happy to see your post.
Thank you!
You are a great story-teller. I always look forward to your blog.
Thank you so much!!!!!!!!
So much snow!! Have fun 🙂
Thank you!
Lucy says she wants to play with Butterfly! (Then she will immediately remember she hates cold weather and paw at the door to come back in!)
Ha!
Wonderful snow puppy action pics! I hope the ice sticks around a bit longer for Butterfly.
Thank you!
My dog had a blast as well, but our ice rink is all gone.
Butterfly is trying to make the most of it before it disappears, but it’s melting already.
Our australian shepherd sinks happily down, making a well trod path out to her tree. My daughter’s dainty chihuahua pekinese mix(don’t ask–a rescue dog) daintily walks above it all.
The chihuahua maltese mix won’t even go outside in it. It is fun to see each dog accepting the situation on their own terms. What to do with our President, however? Sink into the news? Skate over it? Hide in the house until he melts?
I think we follow the dogs and do what feels right to each of us.
Exactly. And not dictate how others respond. Can you imagine Cricket saying everyone needed to do as she does.😎
Well….Cricket is pretty well convinced that she knows it all. Trying to convince her otherwise can get me into a lot of trouble.
Omigosh… they are the cutest! So happy for them!
Thank you!
So adorable!
Thank you!
A wonderful winter white adventure for your adorable pooches.
Yes!
Great action shots!
Thank you!