Peanut Economics: Exploring the Arctic Tundra Outbackside

Hello dear friends! This is a special edition of Peanut Economics, and you will understand why it is special in just a second. As many of you know, I am a snow dog, or at least my ancestry goes back to the great snow dogs of old. Although I may be too little now to pull the giant sleds in the Adirondacks, my heart is as large and as fierce as the giants I was bred down from. I still love the snow, and I often dream of the day when I too would get to explore the frigid wonderland we know as the Arctic tundra.

This winter unfortunately has been for us devoid of snow, and so this little snow dog had only her dreams to cling to. That is until one morning when I woke up super early to this....

I was elated! Could it be? Was the day finally here? I could feel the promise of fulfillment of my dreams within my very paws. But I had to be careful. This was not an undertaking for the faint of heart. Conditions had to be perfect, or else I put my very life at risk. I went through my mental checklist, and I prayed that all would be as I hoped it would be. First, I tasted the snow to make sure it was ready. If it had an off flavor, I would know it wasn't time. Nope....tasted great. CHECK!

Then I walked through the snow to make sure it had the right crunchy sound beneath my paws. Perfect crunch with every step. DOUBLE CHECK!!

Then I did the full body plunge to make sure it was the right temperature and consistency for exploration. Super cold and perfectly packed. TRIPLE CHECK!!!

I looked to the heavens and thanked the good Lord for smiling on me. My dream was finally coming to pass. Now all I had to do was get my supplies together. I was burning daylight, and there was no time to waste!

I got my gear together as quick as I could. There was no telling what I might need in the frigid arctic tundra. Since I had never been there before, I took everything I thought might come in handy. I brought extra blankets, a pink kiddy pool (never know when you need to go wading), a red tool box, a cardboard box, and a small animal crate with a scary stalking kitty already inside. I had everything I needed!

As the fearless explorer, I said my goodbyes to my mommy, complete with hugs and kisses.........

and I headed to the great Arctic Tundra Outbackside........

Oh the beauty of it all! When first I laid eyes upon the great white expanse, it took my breath away so that I had to take a moment to soak it all in....

With as beautiful as it was, I could not forget I was an explorer first and had to see what I could see while daylight was on my side. So I wandered through the frigid wasteland......

Seeking new and wondrous things........

Pushing myself to my physical and emotional limits in this lonely, barren world of ice and snow......



Where a snow dog can be forced to do things for the sake of survival they wouldn't ordinarily do.....shameful things......like eat snow.......raw snow.......uncooked even........

Oh wait........I do that all the time anyways.......okay.....never mind.......back to the tundra and blowing snow and survival in the vastness of the Arctic Tundra.......

It was a long day, filled with the taste of an icy victory. My paws were turning into pawcicles, and it was time to head home. As I gathered my supplies together, I did so with a full heart, savoring the knowledge that I had fulfilled my dream of being a real life snow dog in the Arctic Tundra Outbackside!

I couldn't wait to tell my mommy about my many adventures. She would be so proud.....maybe not about the snow eating......but about everything else......her heart would swell with joy for me. I raced home to share everything with her.

How wonderful it was to share the day with my mommy....the triumphs.....the tribulations......it made the whole experience that much richer for me. A dream fulfilled is a gift indeed. A dream fulfilled and shared with someone you love is a treasure that is beyond compare.

Today, I had a dream come true, and it was amazing. The thing that made it extraordinary was the fact that I didn't experience it alone. I got to share it with someone I love and who loves me in return. My prayer for you today my friends is for you to live out a dream (no matter how big or small it is) and to have the gift of sharing it with someone you love! Happy dreaming!