White dog in the snow

My "Snowy" <3

A friend told me recently how her dog went on an adventure following some really good smells and ended up trapped underneath a neighbours' house. And how it was a really scary experience. Well, today that happened to me. (Except for the house part.)

We were out sledding, just me, our Finnish neighbour and the boys. And really it was just us, as no one else was out even though there are many stay-at-home moms around and the weather was just BEAUTIFUL. Rekku was off leash the whole time, as he knows our routine well - I carry juicy treats and call him over regularly to enjoy them. We had excitement from the very first sled run, as the human boys just seem to always sled down to danger or crash each other.. but it was also fun, and a really good workout for us moms since the snow would give in every now and then :D

We were already home, and sledding next to our building, when Rekku, who usually just hangs about close by leaving messages to the neighbours' dogs since he does not want to go in the deep snow (which is everywhere except the pathways to main doors and garages) went missing. Completely vanished. He was not in the building next to ours, and not in our building. He had not gone past us, and was not in any of the neighbours' gardens (he can cross over now with the snow over the fences). There were no tracks leading anywhere. Geez what a scare. We all kept calling him, I tried not to panic. How can a dog disappear into thin air like that? (Nearly white dog in snow, but still..)

Luckily I had my neighbour helping out, as the human boys seemed a little scared too by the situation. And it was her who heard a little scratching noise (why-o-why does not my non-barking dog bark when I keep calling him like crazy?!) and went to look what it was. And there he is, my curious stubborn terrier, gone under a neighbours' trampoline after cat smells and was stuck in there, not able to get out because of all the snow.

What a relief.

And of course he was like "stop squishing and kissing me, what's the matter? I was just investigating..".

Life is never boring with a terrier

On Sunday I had a similar but way smaller on the scare-scale incident. Rekku and I went on a little snowshoeing walk before friends came to visit. Being a bit stubborn as he is, Rekku chose another pathway to follow. I thought oh well, both pathways end up in the same place so maybe I need to trust he knows them as well as I do. But, after he could no longer see me, his confidence disappeared. He headed home. I called and called and other snowshoers (there are a lot here in the weekends) down the path reported to me whether he was coming my way or running the other way. I could see him and knew he could not hear me so I ran down the path in the snowshoes. Once in a life time experience perhaps? He finally heard me, luckily way before he could get to the parking lot.

And after that, we had a nice walk. See pictures in the gallery!

Let it snow, let it snow..

Talking about the weather is consider kind of a stupid small talk subject. But with the weather we have had over the last two weeks, I could talk about it all the time. First it snowed every day for a week. I counted the snowfall in Rekku's height on Instagram. Then the Bise* came and it was like we were in a whiteout**. Snow on the ground, snow blowing around.. One day I was pushing Valtteri in the stroller in the snow with the wind blowing and had everyone I met commenting on my courage. In French. (yay, I understand!!)

Snowing more and more..

Let's see how deep it is..

Garden of snow

Walking with Bise

Ice decorations

Skiing, first time!

Only Finns in the sledding slope!

And so now it is sunny and warm in the afternoons and the snow is melting.. but there is enough to enjoy for as long as we are here to enjoy it :)

*Wikipedia explains: In Switzerland the bise blows from the north-east, above all during the winter months, and is due to a high-pressure cell north-west of Switzerland. The effects of the bise are strongest in Geneva, situated in a narrow passage between the Jura mountains in the West and the Alps in the South. 

** Wikipedia explains again: Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation.