Tag: outdoors

Congrats, friends! 🐾
We’ve sniffed our way halfway through February, and guess what? The sun finally remembered our address! I’m scheduling extra squirrel evictions from the bird feeders this week, along with maximum belly-to-sun charging, and at least three dramatic couch flops before Old Man Winter blows back into town and ruins everything.

Not so very long ago…January blasted in like a snow cannon with record-breaking subzero temps, high hopes, and big plans. The hoooman resolutions were whirling in full force, too. The trails were calling, and I was ready to paws-itively conquer every mile, just like I wrote about in The Adventure Clock Strikes Seven 🕖🐾.

But then February happened and… WOOF! We began to feel the pain of the longest of all the shortest months. The one where motivation curls up under the blanket and pretends it can’t hear the command ‘move’. When I caught my hooman staring out the window like she forgot what comes next, and the other googling Florida real estate – I thought, yep we need a survival guide to get them through the rest of this winter. If you live in Michigan, you know that February sunshine is nothin but a tease. March will roar in like a lion and sit on you long after the Easter Bunny has hippy hopped down the bunny trail. 

So to help us keep wagging through the sure-to-return gray sky, the slush, mud, and whatever else Mother Nature has in store, I’ve activated Operation: Outlast Winter… a Winter Survival Guide. It is guaranteed to keep us fur-ward thinking until spring arrives. Short walks still count, sniffing the same tree three times is valid research, and rest days are not considered cheat days but strategy!

Rule #1: Some Days, We Don’t Hike. 

I know this might shock you…some days, I don’t hike.  

The woods are right there past the yard. The air smells like adventure. And I choose rest. I protect my energy in the same way I would protect my hooman from an intruder. Which includes loud announcements and strategic couch repositioning. Here’s the important part: I do NOT call these “cheat days.”

When I plan a day to take care of myself, that’s not cheating. That’s strategy. Canines know this. Felines DEFINITELY know this. If you skip a big walk because your body or brain needs a break, congratulations. You’re being smart, not lazy.

Rule #2: Short Walks Still Count

Some walks are epic. Some are just down the block and back. I treat them exactly the same.

Fresh air is fresh air. Movement is movement. The ground still smells interesting. A short walk can reset a whole day. I have never once returned from a short walk and thought, “Wow, that was a giant waste of my time.”  Neither should you.

Rule #3: Keep Familiar Features  

I usually sniff the same tree three times. Just checking it for updates. Important information deserves a second look. Familiar things are comforting. In the cold winter months, comfort matters. If your routine feels repetitive right now, that’s okay. Repetition is how we get through hard things. It’s not boring. It’s stabilizing. It’s how we keep our paws steady when everything feels frozen.

Rule #4: Loyalty Runs Both Ways

Everyone knows dogs are loyal. But here’s the part hoomans forget: I am loyal to MY OWN NEEDS too. I drink water when I’m thirsty. I rest when I’m tired. I step away from things that feel unsafe or overwhelming. I don’t apologize for it. That’s called knowing my limits. And knowing my limits keeps my tail wagging and my spirit ready for the next trail day. Winter is a great time to practice saying, “not today,” without guilt – and without needing to roll over for approval.

Rule #5: Boundaries Guard the Good Stuff

If something drains my energy, I move away from it. If something feels good, I lean into it. I often back into my hooman and gently nudge her with my booty to let her know she should give it a little scratch – feels sooo good! Very simple system. Highly effective.

You don’t have to say yes to everything just because you might be home a little earlier on a winter night and you think you should be “doing more.” You’re allowed to protect your energy. Feel free to go lie down if you need to. Hibernation is real. Spring will still come. No need to chase it.

Rule #6: Adjust Your Pace

January brought excitement. Hope. New adventures waiting at the trailhead. That energy was real, and it still counts. February just asks you to carry it differently. This time of year really tests your endurance, so you may have to reset and check your pace. This is the part of the hike where you slow down, sniff the fresh air, and trust that the trail continues even if you can’t see around the bend yet.

Sometimes adjusting your pace means not charging down the trail at all. Sometimes it means standing at the trailhead, breathing in the cold air, and remembering why you love being out here in the first place. You don’t always have to hike the miles. Some days it’s enough just to gaze down the trail and know it will still be there when you’re ready.

So friends, there you have it, my winter survival guide. If you’re feeling a little frozen in place this time of year, just know you’re not alone. We’re all working our way through Operation: Outlast Winter together. Remember to take care of yourself, count the short walks, rest without guilt, sniff the familiar things, and keep showing up, even when it’s quiet and cold.

Now if someone could just point me toward the groundhog… I need to give his weather-forecasting skills a thorough sniff down.

I’ll bark at you next month.

Your friend,

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