January 1, 2010

Custom made fur coats and weather cold enough to turn your nostrils into mucus-filled Popsicles do not mix well when you're an eager dog and a tradition-loving owner.
For approximately the last 10 years, my family and I have braved the northern wind chill and headed to City Park (otherwise known as Assiniboine Park, in Winnipeg). Without fail, the weather has graced us with the worst it can bring. We have survived wind storms, snow storms and some sleet. It is always cold and it always brings a smile to my face.
I think in the first year we needed to get three children and their new toboggans to the hill, and in Manitoba the hills, at least the good ones, are man made toboggan runs. Our favourite is at City Park. Because the weather was so miserable, Dave built a fire and we had marshmallows and hot chocolate.
Since then, our event has evolved. Now we have hot chocolate, marshmallows, hot dogs, chips, fudge, sometimes alcoholic beverages, sometimes not. Now our extended family joins us. We have had as many as one grandmother, one brother, two sisters, two brothers-in-law, a sister-in-law and six nephews join us. Over the years, babies have hidden in warm trucks and toddlers have been placed as close to the fire as safely possible. And even though our New Year's Day tradition only lasts a couple of hours, it's talked about all year long.This year, our Labradoodle, our custom-coated, hypo-allergic, want-to-be-a-lab but looks-like-a-poodle came with us.
Over the last 10 years, we have dealt with babies, toddlers and windstorms; we have never dealt with a dog that thinks it's a Shepherd, a dog that wants to think it and can stay outside all day long. Root Beer shivered, we put her in the car; Root Beer lifted each paw with a dainty shake, and we put her in the car. Luke was fine. I was fine (I have new boots). Dave was fine. Our nephews were fine and my sister was fine. Root Beer? She's a designer dog with Winnipeg weather aspirations. She won't forget the first day of 2010, and neither will we.
Her paws are still thawing, and when we open the door, she doesn't race through the opening like an under-coated Siberian Husky, she takes her time like an under-privileged orphan with only one small sweater to keep her warm.
She learned her lesson and we learned that a warm coat and some doggie-sized boots aren't a pretension, they're cold weather gear for a lovely dog with a willing heart and designer paws.