A Pet's Only Clubhouse?

We have a trampoline in our back yard.  We bought it in the middle last May and had a lot of fun with it this summer.

This winter, I had expected that we would store it in the garage.  Turns out there is a reason you see trampolines in back yards covered in snow.  They don't breakdown into storable parts very easily so they sit in yard and are forgotten until spring.

I am not okay with that!  Those things are not cheap and the weight of all the snow destroys them after a year or two.

So, we made a compromise.  I am going to nag Shawn to shovel it off every time it snows and he gets to shovel it off every time it snows. 

Sounds fair, right? Yep!

Heidi and Shawn have been able to use it a few times this winter.  After the big fluffy snow falls, they go out back to shovel it off and end up jumping on it and if the snow if fluffy enough, they jump off it into the snow surrounding it. 

But our pets love it the most. 

Three of the five (yes, we have five right now) go outside in the winter for various reasons.  The most common reason is the biological one.  They head out the back door, down the path Shawn has cleared for them, towards the trampoline.  Along the way, they take care of business but then, without fail, they all head to the trampoline.

They spend a couple seconds to a couple minutes walking around under the trampoline before high tailing it back to the house.

We have all wondered what it is under that trampoline that is so attractive to those pets.  Was the cat using it as a litter box?  Did something die under there?  Did they have a secret Pet's Only clubhouse?

Last night after work, I finally decided I needed to know what was out there.  I wanted to be invited to the clubhouse!

I arrived home from work, made the dogs come out of the house, and headed down the snowy path to check it out.

The sight was beautiful.  Grass.  Yellowed grass but grass none the less.  I miss grass!  And so do my pets so they go visit the grass every chance they can get. 

I don't blame them!

Pig, in true Pig fashion, checked out the grass and then bolted back to the house.  Too bad no one was there to let the baby in.

Daisy, in true Daisy fashion, checked out the grass, sniffed, sniffed, sniffed, sniffed... then tried to exit the grassy clubhouse through the snowbank face planting right into the snow.  Since she never has been the brightest bulb in the box, she continued to hop forward into to the snow, instead of turning back.

Hop.  Face plant.  Huff, puff snow off face.  Hop.  Face plant.  Huff, puff snow off face.  Hop.  Face plant.  Huff, puff snow off face. 

I, on the other hand, was doubled over in laughter watching her.  I know.  I am not a very nice mom.  But if you can't find the humor in her situation, all you will do is cry.

Which is what Pig was doing on the steps.  Crying. 

So, I called her to come in and ran up to the house to let Pig back inside.  He had been outside for a total of three minutes so I understand why he was so upset.

Daisy finally came in about five minutes later, covered in snow, and exhausted from all that excitement, I finally know why the pets love the clubhouse, and I am realizing that it's not the end of the world to leave that trampoline out in the back yard all winter.  As long as it's shoveled off, that is.