[Domestic Animals] Mikey vs the Snow Banks

We've gotten quite a bit of snow here over the past week!

So much snow that Mikey, who is a mini poodle/Maltese mix, could not get out into the yard to pee. He tried while the first heavy snow was still falling, successfully pushed his way through the snow on the back stoop -

and then fell into the snowdrift just beyond and vanished completely

He had to be rescued by hand.

So we've been doing what we always do when the winter snow gets deep - taking turns shovelling out a path and patch of the grassy garden path for him so that's navigable by Sir Smol

The thing is, Mikey likes to take jogs around his territory, his fence, to inspect the house and the perimeter and check on vital landmarks like the big maple tree in the back corner and the big stand of wild bergamot.

And the heavy snow that fell overnight tonight, and the way it drifted and piled up - meant he was having trouble figuring out how to get OUT of his sheltered spot so he could check on the status of our property!!! Excuse!! this is very important dog busniess, this is part of what we keep him around for!!! Excuse!

Now. Mikey has this very distinctive woof he uses. when he wants the cats to move.

and as I was watching him through the back door window pane, he runs up to one drift and tries to climb it. Can't. Runs to a second one, tries to climb out. Can't. A third one. Nothing going.

so he stops

and gives the snowbank that authoritative WOOF he uses on the cats

I didn't catch on immediately, I wondered what he was doing -

but then he ran to a different snowbank place AND DID IT AGAIN

Me: oh my goodness

He eventually found a place to climb up and out! but then he had to figure out a navigable path to where the wall of the top two stories projects outward over the semi sunken story and the foundation. More woofing ensued.

He figured it out, though! He jogged out in the Lower Snow Cover space under that sheltering ledge and ran all the way to the other end of the yard to perform a visual check, although he didn't you know. Get out into the yard at large. Close nasal inspection of important landmarks was out of the question.

He was very pleased and proud of himself when I let him in when he asked.

Mom to Mikey: You're freezing! Lie down in your bed and warm up, okay?

Mikey: WAG WAG WAG

HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED HIS DUTY

SUCCESSS!!!!

I just. Scolding the snowbanks. Trying to startle them so they'll move and get out of his way

that's what he does to the cats when they lie stretched out on a stair step and completely block his path

because he's not big enough to skip a step

so he woofs at them and then chases them and then goes where he wanted to

What a Good Boy.

a ridiculous goofus of an Excellent Lad

we're going to be telling this sotry for decades