They don't make ice skates for dogs.
I know this because I looked on the internet this morning.
Taking the beagles out for their morning constitutional was both comic and tragic this morning, as they desperately tried to retain their footing on a quarter inch of ice on the city's sidewalks and crosswalks this morning. Ever walked on an ice skating rink? Then you know what it's like.
Slip-siding down the sidewalks this morning was an exercise in exhillaration and panic, and I chose to skate to the closest subway stop rather than multiply the risk of a powerful fall by taking my normal two-block saunter to my normal station. Made me a few minutes late, but sans fractures.
Snow, then ice. What's next? Too early in the year for boils and locusts.
Another 4 inches of snow across the street in Central Park this morning. The beagles enjoyed romping in the powder. They're becoming snow snobs, preferring powdery snow to a more icy and sharp pelletized mix. New York City normally gets 20 inches of snow a year -- to date we've already enjoyed 32.
New York is always prettiest right after a snowfall. This one ended at dawn, which made things perfect. By this afternoon, it will no doubt be gray, slushy and ugly.
Times Square almost completely clear of snow. Roads passable. Most transit starting to return to normal. Airlines trying to catch up.
It was New York City's sixth-largest blizzard ever, and it was a blast. For all those who feared my Southern butt was toast, rest assured I handled it fine. In fact, managed to get to the office while most of my Yankee co-workers couldn't make it. Rest assured I gloated about that for a while.
A day after the storm, after everyone here had time to enjoy an extra day home from work, New Yorkers got down to what they do best -- complaining. You'd think Mayor Bloomberg had executed puppies and had them served to him for breakfast the way they're ripping into the city for handling the blizzard.
The most fascinating part of the whole weather event: ThunderSnow! With snow dropping out of the sky Sunday night at 2-3 inches an hour, and winds whipping around 60 miles an hour, there were flashes of light and booms of thunder overhead. Frikkin' bizarre!
Final snowfall tally at our place was 20 inches, although the wind drifted snow over two feet against the front of our building. Figure if I can handle this, I can handle anything Northern weather can throw at me. Bring on winter, you Northern wimps!
The final count was 13 inches of snow. In front of our building, the snow is much deeper, since the 60 miler-per-hour winds blew huge drifts up against our building. My first snow in New York City, and the first time I've seen this much snow since my childhood in the hills of Tennessee.
Irony warning: I made it into work this morning. Was the first one in, and 95 percent of the Yankees in my office aren't here. Feeling pretty smug right now, needless to say.
Winds were pretty fierce last night, and you can read on the news of motorists being stranded, people being stuck on train cars for eight hours, etc. As for this hillbilly, got to stomp through theigh-deep snow last night and this morning. Pretty amazing. I'm not in Kansas Georgia anymore.
Here's a few photos of the snow in Central Park this morning, and one of the beagles despertately trying to find a drift where they can go to the bathroom. Major canine confusion, needless to say.
First dusting of snow of the year in NYC. Dogs romping in snow. Couldn't find squirrels, though. They had the good sense to be indoors.
Released the hounds in Central Park today. And guess what they cornered? A pack of bears!
Everywhere I in New York, this hillbilly is a trendsetter. First New Yorkers were discovering the joys of moonshine. Then they started putting racoons in Central Park to make me feel welcome.
Now I discover that my beagle Marshall, and my two backup beagles, Maisy and Magnolia, are celebrities.
A walk in Central Park doesn't go by where we don't get pointed at, marveled at, and even admired. Apparently one beagle isn't a big deal here. Lots of people have them. Two is unusual, but not spectacularly so. But a pack of three beagles for some reason achieves a canine critical mass that drives New Yorkers -- and the tourists that visit New York -- into a hound dog frenzy.
I have people almost every day stop to pet them. Children warily inch forward and I have to tell them the only danger they face from my dogs is that they might get licked to death. I've had tourists from as far away as Columbia and France ask if they can have their pictures taken with my hounds, because they have beagles at home and miss them.
Exacerbating my beagles' celebrity is the current bedbug epidemic facing New York. Most pest control companies here use trained beagles to sniff out the pesky critters, making Roscoe, Squirt and Freedom into local celebrities. I regularly have New Yorkers ask if my dogs are trained to sniff out the painful vermin that have tormented apartment-dwellers, theaters and retail stores. I have to admit they aren't, but they still usually get a nice petting and smile anyway.
They are however, trained to track down squirrels in Central Park, and once they spot them, skillfully bay and leap forward, dislodging my right arm from its socket.
... we worship them and build statues to them!
Scenes from Saturday morning's Bagel Bark, a monthly get-together for dog owners in Central Park. Dogs got water and healthy dog treats. Humans got coffee with unhealthy danishes, crullers and other pastries.
Was taking my three beagles out for their morning constitutional in Central Park yesterday, and heard music playing at 7 a.m. through the trees leading to the bandstand. Couldn't figure out who in their right mind would be performing at that ungodly hour. Blew it off, picked up poop and headed back to the apartment.
Apparently, I missed a free live performance by the Jonas Brothers and somone named Demi Lovato.
Needless to say, I'll live. Not sure my daughter will forgive me, though.
My beagle Marshall likes dirty water hot dogs in Central Park.
Good thing my camera takes 2 frames per second or you'd have never seen the hot dog.
To all my friends who keep telling me New York City ain't gonna be anything like where I grew up in the hills: Think again!
Maisy, Marshall and Magnolia would love treeing this critter. Even my buddy Cas Walker would feel at home huntin' these babies!
Following up on my previous post about The Beagles, I submit this:
My wife is going to soooooo spoil our dogs.
Meet Maisy and Marshall, two of our three beagles. As a Southerner, hound dogs are just part of your DNA. I mean, heck, my alma mater's mascot is a Blue Tick Hound.
As you can see, Maisy and Marshall are deep in thought. They're trying to imagine how their life is going to change when they move to the streets of New York. Several readers of this blog have already expressed concern about how Maisy, Marshall and Magnolia (too hyper and too fast to capture on film) will adapt to their new surroundings.
We've researched this a good bit. And being a dog-owner in New York is definately a major issue. Here's some of our learning:
Our beagles will have some adjusting to do. But I know one thing they'll love: Beagles love following scents, and there's more smells per square inch in New York than anywhere.
Oh, and by popular demand, here's a puppy picture of Magnolia from last year. Before she got fast.
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