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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>I chuckle at everyone's stories of how their bassets
like/don't like the snow.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>I don't think any basset has ever loved the snow as much
as my Duchess. She adored it. Lived for it. Wallowed in
it.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>First, she loved to eat it. She would stand
outside in fresh snow and just eat and eat and eat, as if it were own private
ice cream parlor. You know how bassets have mastered the art of being
selectively deaf? She did when she was out in the snow. She became
almost mesmerized by eating all that fluffy whiteness. I think days could
have passed and she would still be there, slowly and deliberately eating her way
across the yard.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Second, she loved to maneuver in it. I think of
Debbie's description of Elder Clara "motoring" around. Duchess would motor
through the snow. She'd shove out that huge chest and just blast a path
through. She was great in the early morning -- she'd clear a
basset-width path out the door to the driveway while I followed behind, saving
me a little shoveling.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Third, she loved to just be outside in it. This
dog, who never liked to be awake for more than a few minutes at a time, could
stay awake indefinitely when she was outside. I remember one morning in
particular. It was 5 degrees. Five. Fahrenheit. She
would NOT come in. I'd call, plead, reason, bribe. Nope.
Finallly my Dad took one end and I took the other (guess which one I got --
"she's YOUR dog," my Dad said) and we put our shoulders into pushing all 75
unmovable pounds of frozen bassetness toward the front door, while her
reproachful red eyes accused us of spoiling her fun. She never even
noticed that her teeth were chattering so loudly we could actually hear
them.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>There's little as pathetic as a basset with chattering
teeth.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Then, one time we had an ice storm on top of the
snow. Duchess climbed up on the lawn to "use the facilities," and then
discovered it was frozen solid. I can still picture her as she just stood
there and then in exquisite slow motion started to slide inexorably down the
incline, across the lawn, toward the street. She didn't move her body to
try to stop it, but turned her head and looked at me over her shoulder, those
resigned basset eyes saying goodbye.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>(She ended up unceremoniously dumped off the lawn at the
side of the road, and by the time her slide had ended I was already there to
catch her. Adventure for the day done, she waddled back in and slept until
the ice melted.)</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Hugs to all bassets -- snowy or not.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial><FONT size=3>Beth H. (Duchess ATB and Blueberry ATB)</FONT></DIV>
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