The storm we had on Sunday and Monday left freezing rain, so the ski trail, which was minimal to start with, was left a sheet of ice, with grass and sticks now frozen into place. I have wisely stayed off of this hazardous surface. Noko could not even walk on it without slipping, and he has 20 sharp claws for help.
However, this morning I woke up to see a trace amount of snow on top of the ice, so I decided to risk it and take Noko out for a little ski jor. We started out on our classic track, which was preserved in ice with a little snow in the grooves to soften the ski. Noko obviously did not like walking on this surface. I don't know if he was nervous about falling again or if the ice bites into his paws, but he stepped along pretty slowly. Better workout for me.
We saw a couple other dogs out, and usually he will pick it up when he sees them, but he didn't increase his speed by much. Soon after we crossed the bike path the second time near the oxbow, he just stopped and turned around to head home. OK, that was pretty clear communication, and my ankles ached from trying to stay upright in the icy conditions, so we turned around. By the time we got back to our turn off, though, he was feeling a bit more energetic, so we continued on to the dog park. He ran alongside a 17-year-old dog in the dog park, whose owner had just had knee surgery. I sure hope the owner can make it back home without slipping and re-injuring his knee!
After that little jaunt, we turned back for home, Noko enjoying seeing kids sledding down the dike. It was sunny and 25 degrees above zero. I felt it was nice to be outside, even though the icy conditions were treacherous and barely doable with the skiff of new snow on top. I was grateful to get back home without falling. My knees and ankles certainly got a workout from trying to keep my balance. I sincerely hope we get more snow soon. The rest of the state has plenty--why do you deprive us here in Fargo, Mother Nature? Not very Fargo of you!
However, this morning I woke up to see a trace amount of snow on top of the ice, so I decided to risk it and take Noko out for a little ski jor. We started out on our classic track, which was preserved in ice with a little snow in the grooves to soften the ski. Noko obviously did not like walking on this surface. I don't know if he was nervous about falling again or if the ice bites into his paws, but he stepped along pretty slowly. Better workout for me.
We saw a couple other dogs out, and usually he will pick it up when he sees them, but he didn't increase his speed by much. Soon after we crossed the bike path the second time near the oxbow, he just stopped and turned around to head home. OK, that was pretty clear communication, and my ankles ached from trying to stay upright in the icy conditions, so we turned around. By the time we got back to our turn off, though, he was feeling a bit more energetic, so we continued on to the dog park. He ran alongside a 17-year-old dog in the dog park, whose owner had just had knee surgery. I sure hope the owner can make it back home without slipping and re-injuring his knee!
After that little jaunt, we turned back for home, Noko enjoying seeing kids sledding down the dike. It was sunny and 25 degrees above zero. I felt it was nice to be outside, even though the icy conditions were treacherous and barely doable with the skiff of new snow on top. I was grateful to get back home without falling. My knees and ankles certainly got a workout from trying to keep my balance. I sincerely hope we get more snow soon. The rest of the state has plenty--why do you deprive us here in Fargo, Mother Nature? Not very Fargo of you!
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