Snow Good! Snow Play!

The snow looked fresh and pristine, and I hoped this would be fun. Hoped? Knew! I KNEW it would be fun! How could it NOT be fun? It was SNOW! New snow! Sparkly snow! Fluffy snow! FUN snow! I couldn’t wait to get out there in it.

It looked so pretty when I peeked out the window, all sparkly with the sun shining on it. I like sparkly! 

And if it looks that pretty and sparkly from inside, just think how great it’s gonna look when I’m OUT in it! Jumping in it! Running in it! Rolling over and over in it! 

I remember snow from last year. It’s fluffy and soft, and when I jump in it, I can disappear! Poof! Then I can leap out of it! Surprise! Then I can jump back into it! Poof! And out! And in! 

And today was going to be really special. Not only was my Lady going to come outside with me, but she was bringing HissPuff! It’s gonna be HissPuff’s first snow! How great is that?!

“Come on, HissPuff, you chicken! It’s gonna be so fun!” I came bouncing  up to her, full of happy like I always am, and  gave her a good lick, right on the top of her head. But did she appreciate it? No, of course not! 

“Eww!” she shrieked. “How many times do I have to tell you!? Keep your sloppy kisses to yourself!” And she swatted me! But I’m fast as lightning, and she missed! Ha!

Did I mention that HissPuff is a cat? And not just any cat. She is a prima donna cat. A cat with long, fluffy white fur that she spends all day washing. A cat who thinks she’s better than everyone. You know, she even thinks she’s better than our Lady! Our Lady! Who takes care of us, feeds us, walks us - well, walks me - pets us, loves us! No one is better than our Lady! 

Cats! Am I right?

Me? No, no, I’m not a cat. I’m so much better! I’m that loyalest, friendliest, devotedest of creatures, man’s best friend - woman’s best friend, too - a DOG! I’m just as fluffy, and just as white, as HissPuff. But I don’t spend all day licking myself. I have better things to do! Important things to do! Things like - well, like whatever my Lady wants me to do. 

And today, that means taking out the cat.

“Come on! It’s gonna be so fun! Come on!” I bounced back over to HissPuff and gave her another good lick. “Our Lady wants us to go outside! With her! It’s gonna be so fun!”

HissPuff glared at me, in that way that cats have. “Outside?” she questioned. “Fun?”

I raced over to the door and scratched on it, to show old HissPuff what was up. “We’re going OUT! And you’re coming too! It’s gonna be so fun!”

HissPuff turned her glare from me to my Lady. “I don’t know about this…”

Our Lady spoke. “Come on, Bathsheba,” she cooed. She has the most beautiful voice! I love her voice! I love her! She’s our Lady! “Your first snow! Isn’t it pretty? Beautiful! Beautiful, like you! Come on, Bathsheba. It will be such fun, going out to play in the snow together!”

(Bathsheba? Well, yeah, that’s her real name, the name our Lady calls her. Silly name. HissPuff is my special name for her. ‘Cause she hisses. And puffs.)

HissPuff turned down the glare a little, like she was pretending to be nice. She stared at our Lady. Licked a spotless paw. Slowly rose, in slow motion, and turned toward the door. “I suppose I could try it.”

I was dutifully scratching at the door, showing the way. “Here! Come on, HissPuff! Right through this door! Right this way!”

“Alright, Harold, we know where to go,” my Lady laughed. I love when my Lady laughs! She has the most beautiful laugh! She gave me a big hug, the way I like, and I let her back away from the door with me. Of course, I don’t have to let her move me, but I do, because it’s what she wants. And I always do what she wants. She’s my Lady!

Finally my Lady got the door open. Fresh, cold, bracing, tasty, wonderful-smelling air came pouring in. So many smells! Trees and rabbits and leaves and - something that passed by the house in the middle of the night, that smells like fur and acorns? - and pine needles. And SNOW! 

I leaped out the door, launching myself into that wonderful white stuff. It’s cold, it’s fresh, it’s beautiful. It’s over my head! It’s so FUN! I leap in and out! Poof! Poof!

“Woof! Woof! Hey, HissPuff! Isn’t this great?! Isn’t this - “ I turn and see her - going back inside! Just the tip of her fluffy tail, disappearing back through the door!

“Hey! HissPuff! You’re going the wrong way!” I leaped my way back through the snow toward her. “This way! This is where the snow is!” 

“It is COLD!” she hissed over her shoulder. “I don’t DO cold!”

“But you’re missing all the fun!” I woofed back to her. But she just kept going. 

My ears drooped with disappointment. My head dropped. I crouched down in the snow, disconsolate.  How could she? How could she walk away from this - this - wonderfulness? I raised my sad eyes to my Lady. 

“Aww, Harold, don’t be sad!” she said, coming over to scratch my ears and rub my cheeks. She gazed into my eyes, and I could see that she was sad, too. How could HissPuff do this to us? How could she make my Lady sad?

“Well, we’ll just see about that!” my Lady said. She patted me on the head and turned back to the door. 

Oh, no! Is my Lady going inside, too? Is there going to be no snow play for us? 

My Lady disappeared through the door. I dropped my head into the snow, licking my paws sadly. I heaved a big doggy-sigh. It was going to be so fun!

Then I heard it. 

“RRRAAWWWRR!”

I froze in stunned admiration. Wow! What volume! What emotion! What - what is going on?

Then I saw them! My Lady had GRABBED HissPuff! She was gripping her around her fat belly! My Lady’s hands disappeared in the soft, fluffy fur! She was dragging HissPuff outside! And HissPuff was making that amazing noise! She growled! She hissed! She puffed! (She usually only does these things to me. Never to my Lady.)

And then - wonder of wonders! - my Lady dropped the cat in the snow! HissPuff disappeared completely. The snow enfolded her, surrounded her, embraced her, closed over her snooty head.

It was a beautiful thing.

A very short-lived beautiful thing. Then HissPuff came shooting out of the snowbank like a rocket, like a firework, like a bullet, streaking in a glorious arc through the air. She landed on the doorstep, all four legs spread, claws shining. Streaked inside. Gone.

A moment of stunned silence. Then, my Lady started to laugh. She laughed and laughed, dropping to the snow, rolling over and over. I’m coming, my Lady! Let’s roll in the snow together! 

It’s snow fun!