I Wish I Had the Video

It was one of those moments when you really regret that you don't own a video recorder.

New snow fell during the night, coating everything in that beautiful blanket of white. It wasn't really a  good consistency for cross country skiing, but my late husband, Shannon, and I were too eager to try out my new skis to wait for better conditions. We loaded up the gear and the dogs, Iger and Freida, and headed out to the mountains.



The snow was waist high in some places, but with skis, we would would be fine and Iger and Freida were big dogs. Iger, a Bernese Mountain Dog, weighed in at one-hundred-ten pounds, and Freida, a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Saint Bernard, weighed a hefty one-hundred-thirty-six. We reasoned they'd handle the snow just fine.

Shannon took the lead, followed by Iger, then Freida, and I brought up the rear. After a  few yards it was obvious The Kids were struggling. Freida, only three years old, managed better than Iger, who at eight years of age, had greater difficulty. However, being a very intelligent animal, it didn't take long for him to figure out a better way.

Moving in close behind Shannon, Iger stood up on his hind legs and with a dexterity I didn't know the big dog had, he placed his front paws on the back of Shannon's skis. The two headed down the trail in tandem, Shannon unknowingly pulling Iger with him.

Of course, after a few few feet the added weight tipped Shannon off that he had a passenger. He stopped, literally shook Iger off and moved on. Iger repeated his acrobatics. Shannon shook him off once again.

On the third repeat of this comedy routine, I stopped, hung between my ski poles and laughed until I didn't think I could remain upright. Shannon looked back, shook Iger off once again, and glared at me.

"It's not funny," he said. "It's hard enough to break trail without dragging along more weight."

Through my giggles I said, "But Honey, that's the funniest thing I've ever seen."

Still not amused, he replied. "Evidently the snow is just too deep for The Kids. We'd better head back. And since you're already in position, you take the lead."

I didn't mind. After all, he had already done all the hard work. A point which I wisely chose not to point out - at the moment.

Iger did not attempt a re-creation of his feat. Instead, when he realized we were heading back, he raced Freida to the vehicle.

After snacks, water for the dogs, and coffee for us, we headed home. Every few minutes, I erupted in a fit of giggles. If the video would have turned out as great as the one playing in my head, I know we'd be a hundred-thousand dollars richer. Well, at least people would be more likely to believe me.