Playing with some dogs!

Today will be one of the coldest days of the year, even for Fargo. The low is something around -17 F with a windchill of -30 or more.

I love these days. I love them every year.

As a Minnesota kid, I was always outside in the winters. I would be out running and wresting and playing with my golden retriever Kacy no matter how cold it got.

On Jan. 18, 1994, Gov. Arne Carlson ordered all Minnesota public schools closed because of the extreme cold. Morning air temperature readings were -26 degrees F in the Twin Cities at 9 a.m. with a wind chill temperature of -48 degrees F, according to the University of Minnesota.

I was 10.

To this day, Arne is a hero in my eyes as he probably is for all Minnesota “kids” who are now about 25 to 35 years old. He cancelled all public school for the whole state more than once. I don’t believe the state does this anymore in case some kid doesn’t get the memo and waits outside for a nonexistent bus.

I remember these “snow days.”

Although it was apparently too dangerous for kids to be out waiting for the bus, I spent at least that amount of time romping around with Kacy in the backyard.

We seemed to survive just fine. We didn’t need an “extreme cold warning” to know when to wear an extra pair of gloves or when to head inside.

I wonder what my 10-year-old self would think of my 28-year-old self.

Playing in the snow? With dogs? As a job? As an “adult”?

Not bad.

Above is my friend Ruby. She is in her element. Just another day!