As Two Rivers is going through springtime melt and is welcoming the summer, here in New Zealand the leaves are turning and days getting chillier. Just like in Westeros… Winter is Coming.
But, it's not like winter here is anything like a winter in Interior Alaska. We live in Taranaki, on the west coast of the North Island, under the shadow of a mountain, and very close to the coast. It snows on our mountain in the winter but very seldom does it settle on the ground in my town. If it dips below freezing it's the talk of the town ("Brrr, cold today eh?") With a mountain so close we get a LOT of rain so our winters tend to be wet.
This climate change has been an adjustment for Spicy. She shed out much of her winter coat before we left Two Rivers in May 2014 and will likely never need to grow it back again. She looks even smaller now - I'd only really ever seen her during the winter with her thick coat on and without it she really is a tiny wee thing.
Another adjustment for Spicy is that she is now, very definitely, an inside dog. She sleeps on my bed and she and Lexie take turns on the couches during the evening. That didn't take long to learn! She is part of the family and loves my parents and is getting more and more confident around the rest of my family and friends.
She has also made a few friends (canine and human) that we meet regularly on our twice daily walks in the sports ground over our back fence. She loves the walks and she now knows every inch of the grounds and surrounding trees and streams - but there is always something new to sniff or pee on!
Occasionally we go to the beach and she loves to smell different sniffs and meet new friends there. Last time we went, the beach was almost exclusively people walking their dogs so much fun was had by all!
Lexie and Spicy at the beach
It's a far cry from her days as a SPK racing dog crossing under the burled arch in Nome, or leading a team of youngsters on a training run, but she seems to be enjoying her "retirement" very much indeed. Thanks Aliy and Allen for letting me bring her home!
- Moira
