Cold Redefined

Despite having spent a couple winters in Fairbanks, with regular temperatures of -40, it has been bone chilling cold here for at least a week now at much warmer temperatures (like -15F this morning).  Some of this is due to clear skies, which means we have been getting lots of sunshine, which is great.  And it makes everything look awesome with the hoar frost.

 And it doesn't stop Tatonka from wanting to play fetch.  But it does mean I am only playing fetch with him in short segments and only in the park across the (frozen) creek.  It also means we aren't ski-joring or skiing at all or ice skating.

If you have been paying attention to the Alaska weather (and why wouldn't you?), then you may have noticed we have gotten more than our share of snow this year.  Which is great when you love to play in snow, but not so great when it is followed by temps too cold to go play in all this glorious snow.

This just means Tatonka is benefitting from those long legs and large body mass when he pounces on his universe ball in the deep snow. It also means he tires out more quickly or gets his workout done before I go hypothermic so we can all come back inside and I can work on my thesis.

And I do mean deep snow.  There are several deeper pockets of snow in the park that are over his back.  Percy mostly swims through it. But really Percy prefers to snuggle on her bed by the heater vent.  Or 'help' Tatonka bring the ball the last ten feet to me.  Or chew on his back leg until he drops the ball.

Despite it being too cold to play the world's best game (search) the big dog is undaunted in his universe fetching.   I'm not even sure he notices when it's so cold he starts to pick up one foot at a time, which is the coldest he has ever been.