In my absence, the small furry biohazard beloved by many has become portly: there are moments when he exercises doggy censure with the air of a grumpy old man.
But snow comes but once every ten years to this part of England, and the last time Macaulay the Dog sampled it properly I estimate he was about two years old.
The puppy in him: he who has only sampled the heady white crystals of snow once in his little life: this part came out to play the last few days.
He gambols. He ferrets. He snuffles and careers, he leads from the front and sniffs from behind. He digs important holes and barges snowdrifts, and wags a tail with its urbane grey tip until it almost falls off.
I muse, like many of my dog owning friends, that snow has a strange effect on dogs. It sends them coco loco, mad as a box of frogs, but in a highly focused and very happy way.
And Macaulay has a pack now. A pack of one: his faithful and occasionally rumbunctious companion Freddie, a huge black henchman, follows semi-obediently where’er the small terrier leads.
Occasionally he pushes to the front, but is suitably admonished.
This is not a post of many words: the forest was breathtakingly beautiful in snow, the light strange and ethereal, the forms picked out in white, the little colour of the winter landscape blazing. Small birds hopped about looking for food which was not there, and I directed them politely to my garden where there are seed and filled coconuts.
This is a picture post, because I can hardly believe this fairytale place exists, let alone at my door.
Kate Shrewsday 
It seems to have the same effect on many humans too! 😉
Ha 😀 They don’t go out much in the snow here do they? The whole world ground to a halt for a few days!
Guess I didn’t realize snow is such a rarity for you! Your pics are really beautiful!
Thanks Kathy. The light was just incredible today. The snow has disappeared, probably for another decade….
I have missed seeing your boys, particularly Mac, so thanks for this, Kate. Somehow, your snow looks far more enchanting than my snow. Maybe that’s because yours is so much more the rarity than the norm. It gets verrrry wearing here before winter’s end.. In any event, I enjoyed the post.
I can see how extended snow would make you pray for the groundhog not to see a shadow, Karen! Early Spring to you and yours x
Beautiful
Thank you 🙂
What a joy for me to see Mac once again – as well as your fabled forest! Lovely, Kate. We have had a tiring winter here with much snow and dreary days, but, I still love fresh snow, which manages to equalize all it touches, even as I stomp my feet and mutter “I am so tired of winter”. 🙂
Oh Penny, may Spring come soon for you. I am reminded of the eternal winter of the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Not long now, and the thaw will be here!
A magical post,the intrepid Macauley has been sadly missed, as has his person.
Thank you Brian. He’s at a grand old age now, but still sprightly thanks to Freddie who keeps him on his toes.
As a fan of Macaulay, it is good to see him happy and playing in the snow. I sometimes believe that my dog Maggie is more popular than me in the blog-o-sphere. 🙂
Four legs seem to win friends in cyberspace, Patrick 😀 Lovely to hear Maggie is well.
Yay for this next instalment of Macaulay’s History, and though perhaps inevitable (?) he’s become more portly in your absence he’s clearly neither sadder nor wiser if he can puppy around a winter wonderland!
Indeed: Macaulay is a wise elder in the dogosphere. His odour is a carefully cultivated as ever.
Dear Kate, I’ve never really lived with dogs–as an adult. As a child, my brother had a wonderful companion in “Kentucky.” The thing is I don’t know about dogs and snow but I do know about cats! One with whom I lived–Jeremiah–loved to go outside while the flakes fell. He’s jump up and try to catch them in his mouth or bat them with his paw. In was a delightful scene! Peace.
Good to catch up with the Mac again! Now with a big black blob.
That’s a nice way to talk about Freddie 🐕 🐾🐾
Indeed. We could add to that a big black neurotic blob, but we’re being kind so we won’t.
😢😢
It must be cold.
Good to see you’re both back.