After quite a few uncharacteristically warm winters we are now having a fairly typical, as I remember it, WISCONSIN WINTER.  We’ve had a few  days below zero Farenheit and the cabin crazies begin to set in for those of us needing the great outdoors for sanity.  It is at these times that  I sometimes wish for the life of a dog… They are so in the now… “uhuh, too cold, feet freeze, salt everywhere to burn paws, might as well just sleep”…  and so he does. Wish I could turn my mind off like that.

But today, finally the morning temp was 20 F at our usual 7 AM time for a walk.  I don’t even need a thermometer. Below 20 degrees,  I creak out of bed.  But this morning I awoke with the feeling of throwing on my snowpants and going for a long walk.  Yep, we finally hit the acceptable walking temp… you know…when the saliva doesn’t freeze in your mouth nor the snot in your nose.  And I was prepared.  I bought boots for Raj.

Once they salt the streets, walking for Raj becomes difficult.  If he gets his paws in it he stops, raises them up, trembles with the pain, and gives  me the look…Mom! brush them off!  We actually tried them out in the driveway when I had to do the below zero snowblowing thing the other day.

  So, boots on both of us, out we went.  Rajah had an uncharacteristically happy sprint to his trot, went over to any stranger he would meet  with and uncharacteristic enthusiasm (he always has some, but this was overboard even for him)…”look at me, my feet don’t hurt, I’m one happy dog!”.   He even came over to me and nudged me several times….he usually, outside of my commands (I don’t walk him with a lead because he is so obedient to commands…like a well trained dressage horse) ignores me on our walks…..you know….”I got your pets all of the time and now it is time for some stimulation other than you….you can grunt your commands of  ‘wait’, ‘leave it’ and I’ll obey, but oh! the neat smells out here!”.

He was gratitude in motion.  It is at these times that I am humbled.  I realize that happiness doesn’t come from our “good stories” or our “bad stories” about our life.  It simply comes from being grateful in the now.  Grateful that I CAN take a walk with a silly old australian golden retriever  like Raj.  And, thanks, old boy, for your inspiration.  Today let me be gratitude in motion!