I couldn't believe my eyes. Snow -- all over the ground. Sure, the weatherman said it was going to snow -- but, so much? All night long snow flakes must have fluttered to the ground to blanket the earth with a shimmering sparkle of ice crystals. It was so pretty and clean and just begging to be played in.
"Oh boy, that's for me," I thought while staring out of the back kitchen window. "Honey," I called out to Pat, "Let's go outside and have some fun in the snow -- maybe build a snowman or something." Hearing no answer, I turned from the window to see her standing in the bedroom doorway with a pair of 'long johns' in her hands.
"It's too cold outside for me," she said, "but if you have to act like a little kid this morning, then you had better make sure you dress warmly enough."
Ten minutes later, the dogs and I were going out the back door. Their tails were wagging like windshield wipers running at high speed. Straight to the shed, I tramped through the snow until I stood at the door. I opened it up all the way and called out to Butch.
Butch is my pet pig tailed monkey. Only today he was my snow buddy. A few years ago, he experienced his first snow and really enjoyed it. I wondered if he would remember it.
I opened his cage door and he leaped into my open arms, giving me a big hug and sticking his right finger in my ear. He's such an affectionate monkey.
I gave him a banana which he shoved inside his cheek pouches. Then I attached his 25-foot chain to his harness and hooked the other end to my belt. "Come on, Son, let's have some fun," I said! Then I stepped out of the door and we entered a winter wonderland.
When I Dropped Butch to the ground, the snow came almost up to his knees. He reached down and gingerly brushed the snow with his hands. All at once he was bowled over by the dogs, who were already having the best time of their lives playing and romping in the snow.
Rising up, looking like a wooly snow monkey, Butch let out a whoop and charged the dogs. He caught up with the biggest dog and jumped on his back, knocking them both into the snow. Then they were up and playing again.
Butch must have forgotten he was chained, because all of a sudden, he was at the 'end of his rope.' With a jolt, he was jerked off his feet and again was buried in the snow.
When he came up, he looked straight toward me, "Oohing" to the other animals who suddenly stopped their play and listened. Butch started coming at me. Can animals understand each other? I think they did.
With the dogs right behind Butch, they all jumped me at the same time, causing me to fall backwards in the snow. Butch then preceded to use my chest as a trampoline while the dogs barked and licked my face.
Staggering to my knees, I wrestled with my pets for a good 15 minutes. Boy! Was this fun or what!
Wanting to build a snowman, I reached down and felt the consistence of the snow. Very sticky. I said, "Butch! Help me roll a snowball." Of course he didn't. When it was big enough, he jumped on it and played while I continued to roll it.
Very soon, the snowball was too big for me to roll any further. I turned around to start rolling another one -- big mistake. A second later, I felt Butch land on my back, knocking me head first into the snow. Just how much fun can a person stand?
Lying face down in the snow trying to catch my breath, I suddenly could have sworn I heard a horse laugh coming from a monkey.
Duce is the penname of Carman J.W. Vance at the Crest Yard in Fort Worth.
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