After a week of numerous snow dumps ending in a near 20 inch accumulation we were given a a 20 something degree Sunday with plenty of sun and a clear sky. That is as warm and comfortable as it is going to be for the next 5 months around here so It seemed wise to suit up Henry and take him to the bog behind our home. I believe the loop around the bog is just over a mile, and it is certainly very pretty and quiet. Along with the elementary school that borders our property, the bog was a selling point when we were considering the purchase. The only downside has been that our temperature in the winter is usually 5-10 degrees lower than the rest of the Anchorage due to the cold air settling in the bog (ie. Last night on the news they said Anchorage lows may hit 7 degrees, while a quick glance at our outdoor thermometer showed 0 for us already).

It was 24 degrees and Henry was soon geared up with gloves, a Jughead Jones styled crown hat, and some cowboy boots. The moment he gets in the carrier he becomes an extremely happy boy -- he loves being in motion and having plenty of new world to look at.  I planned on a quarter loop through the bog with a turnaround at the observation deck (I've taken some nice pictures here before as well) because his  tolerance for the cold remains unknown. As soon as we found ourselves underway it became clear that his clothing was keeping him plenty warm as he cooed and happily chirped away. He's an eager, interested little guy.



As we turned back toward home Henry continued happily cooing and I was pleased that he remained comfortable (I feared that he would get extremely fussy and we'd have to quickly scoot back to the house). He's a mellow guy 99% of the time, but when he does eventually hit the wall of his tolerance, it's game on. All seemed perfect until our path on the way home had a large cow and calf moose in the middle of it.

"Uh oh, Hank. Looks like a few Moose in the way."

"Geeeee," Henry announced.

"We're going to need to find a different way back, buddy." I smoothly back pedaled away from the munching cow.

"Froooooooo."

"Got it, Henry. You called that one."






A quick glance down found Henry returning my smile so into a new direction we trudged, stomping into 15 inches of fresh snow, eventually popping out in a different section of  the neighborhood. We worked our way back home via some side streets and ended up with a longer walk than expected. Henry had some rosy red cheeks and a big nap moments after returning home. It was a big day for the little guy.