How Henry The Weather Dog Endured His First Winter, Was Unimpressed By It, But Came Out Victorious

Henry the Weather Dog, with a "What am I doing here?"
look on his face in early December, the start of the first
Vermont winter. He gradually grew accustomed to it, sort of.

Time for a little fun. And a cute little video at the bottom of the post to illustrate everything. 

I'm sure people who have seen this blog thingy have seen images of my co-worker and close friend, Henry the Weather Dog.

He took on the weather watching job here in St. Albans last May, not long after Jackson the Weather Dog passed away after 14 years of exemplary service. 

Henry proved very much up to the task even though he, like Jackson, hated rain. I guess rain messed with both their hairdos. Or their aura. Or something. 

Henry is a South Texas dog, hailing from San Antonio He was used to hot weather and sunshine. 

He was in luck not long after he moved to Vermont. His favorite weather is warm sunshine. Actually hot sunshine.  He could spend hours basking in sun, As Henry soaked up the sun's heat, I told myself he was helping me study how the sun's intensity changed, how it affected our temperature, and humidity. And whether it would help produce thunderstorms, which are my favorite kind of weather. 

The thunderstorm never really came. During the summer and fall, a severe drought took hold. So did unusually high temperatures. Sometimes record highs. While his humans wilted in the heat, Henry thrived in it. He must have thought Vermont's climate was just like what he experience in the torrid San Antonio summers.  

Boy, was Henry in for a surprise! It abruptly turned colder toward Halloween. Henry had never seen snow before. How would he handle a Vermont winter?

The answer came in November and the answer was: Not great. It was bad enough when we had a dusting of snow on November 9. His reaction, like mine, frankly, was "What is this shit?" Except he'd never seen it before. If the snow as a movie, he'd give it a zero on Rotten Tomatoes. Given a chance, Henry would literally throw rotten tomatoes if it would make the snow go awy. 

Henry is a little guy, so a couple days after that his introduction to snow flurries, we got our first big snowstorm of the season. Nearly a foot of snow fell. Henry was not having it. 

Henry never came around to really love the snow in our long, cold winter. It seemed the snow would never melt. But ever the trooper, he found the bright side of it. 

He discovered critters hid under the snow. He could hunt! That was his favorite winter activity. Twice this winter he dug his snout into the snow and murdered two voles (I sanctioned the crimes, so all is good). I dug paths through the snow, so he can follow his nose and track where everything has gone. 

As the winter cold deepened, his visits outdoors shortened. He spend a few seconds to confirm it was below zero outside, and then he scooted right back inside to burrow into his cozy blankets. 

Even so, Henry has been productive. He ate ice off of the driveway, doing his part to make the pavement safer. He kept predators away. Deer and rabbits, desperate for food because of icy snow covering the ground for so long, decimated some of my hydrangeas. 

It was only 20 degrees or so today, but the March sun
is feeling warmer. So Henry the Weather Dog is 
lingering outside a little longer now that the
sun and the pavement feel warmer 

Henry is trying to save the hydrangeas by peeing around them to provide a deterring scent.

 On several occasions, most recently yesterday, he saw deer approaching the house and barked and snarled them back deeper into the woods. Don't worry, he was on a leash, he doesn't chase deer into exhaustion.

Both Henry and I have noticed the sun getting stronger as we head into March. 

It was only 20 degrees or so this afternoon, but the March sun actually felt kind of warm. Henry sat down, lingered on a dry spot in the driveway, sat down, closed his eyes....and basked. 

Spring is coming. Eventually.  

The deer will go away like they do every spring, to be replaced by hordes rabbits, which he will gleefully flush from the gardens. 

Henry has found his home. Despite its drawbacks, he tells me he's going to continue on as my weather dog for quite some time yet. He deserves a raise. 

Video: Henry's journey through his first Vermont winter. He wasn't always happy about it, but he persevered. Click on this link to see the video, or if you see the image below, click on that.

 

Meet Henry, Our New Weather Dog

Meet Henry, the newest addition to our St. Albans,
Vermont family. He has taken over duties as 
the Weather Dog to assist with this blog.

 Back in April, you read here in this here blog thingy that Jackson, our loyal weather dog for 14 years passed away.  

Nearly two weeks ago though,  we welcomed our brand new weather dog. Meet Henry.    

No dog can replace Jackson, of course, But in the short time he's lived with us, Henry has proved himself a more than worthy successor. 

He's settled right into our household, loving the belly rubs, exploring the outdoors and helping me with my daily weather routines. 

Obviously Henry doesn't exist just to help me with the weather. Jackson didn't either. 

There's just something about caring for a dog, being responsible for its well being, and keeping both the dog and I entertained is what it's all about. 

Henry, age 4,  a chihuahua and terrier mix, has already proven himself a supremely happy dog, despite his rough beginnings. 

He was found in San Antonio, Texas, having been hit by a car. He had a broken pelvis and leg. He was brought to an animal shelter for care, but nobody claimed him. No tags. No microchip. 

Henry was actually put on a euthanasia list before a rescue organization saved him. He got the medical care he needed to heal his pelvis and leg.  Judging how Henry now runs around at full speed, I guess the recovery went well.

An extremely kind woman named Bonnie fostered Henry and nursed Henry back to health, and taught him how to live, love and experience joy again. Bonnie had become quite attached to Henry and wanted to keep him with her as a forever home .But she had bigger dogs that weren't not so enthusiastic about Henry .

Bonnie's big heart knew that Henry needed a safer home, So she flew to fly to Vermont with Henry, where she tearfully said goodbye to him and kindly turned him over to Jeff and me. 

Henry was understandably nervous in his new Vermont house with us for the first couple of days. But he quickly warmed to the occasion, and now he's right at home. He's not afraid of jumping up on the couch for a neck scratch or even turning over on his back to enjoy a bely rub  Announcements that it's time for dinner or do go outside are met with him literally jumping for joy, as if he'd won Mega Millions.

Being our Weather Dog, Henry does have some preferences  He does not like being out in the rain. He's not a fan of cold weather.  This being a Texas dog, we'll have to wait and see how he reacts to snow, but I'm not optimistic. He likes basking in sunshine, and loves breezy days as they are filled with scents to keep him entertained,

Henry has also already proven himself adept and removing pesky birds and rabbits from our yard.

So say a warm welcome to Henry.  You'll see him off and on in this weather blog, and we'll of course keep you posted on how he's doing. 

Jackson The Weather Dog, Faithful Companion For 14 Years, Passes Away, Leaves Loving, Joyful Legacy

Jackson as a puppy, spending his first full day living
with his dads in St. Albans, Vermont, July, 2011.

Jackson Ebenezer Modereger Sutkoski, loving companion, best friend, terrorizer of lawn mowers connoisseur of carrots and an all around Good Boy, passed away Monday, April 21 at the age of 14. 

Also known as Jackson the Weather Dog, he was instrumental at helping me with morning weather observations and supervising the work.
  

Born in southeastern Vermont in the spring of 2011, he came to live with us in St. Albans on July 26, 2011, quickly becoming our happy go lucky partner in crime.

Jackson's likes and dislikes quickly became apparent, though his likes far outweighed everything else.  His super power was finding absolute joy in the simplest of thing, and encouraging us humans to do the same.

Even though Jackson didn't love cold winter weather,
he was willing to ignore the chill if it meant
playing games with sticks he found in the yard. 

His joys included rolling in the cool grass during the summer, or, in the winter, rolling in the snow, eating the snow, or chasing snowballs around the yard. 

However, he hated snowmen, and demanded they be knocked over if one should appear. 

Jackson also loved taking walks around the property with his dad Jeff, as they checked out the plants, the trees, and what animals have bee around. 

Jackson also always looked forward to his daily excursions outside with Jeff to go get the mail. 

He also loved hanging close by his sister Tonks, who came to live with us in 2014 until her passing in May, 2023. 

In the evenings, Jackson would watch TV with us,  getting his well-deserved neck scratches and scrounging for any crumbs on the floor Matt or Jeff happened to drop.  Later at night, he'd sleep peacefully on our bed, safe between his two dads. 

He loved to eat, and the big events for Jackson each day was when Jeff fed him his breakfast and dinner.

Jackson always encouraged us all to roll in the grass
under shade trees on hot summer days. 

His favorite food was carrots. One of Jackson's most thrilling tasks was helping his dad Matt thin the carrot crop growing in the raised beds during the summer. 

He'd quickly dispose of the too-small carrots that Matt pulled out by quickly eating them. 

Jackson also helped Matt with various garden work, like planting zinnias, weeding garden beds and warding off hungry rabbits. 

With a low, menacing growl and a quick chase, Jackson would scatter the rabbits, forcing them to flee into the woods,    thus saving Matt's perennials from being eaten away. 

The rabbit thing was part of Jackson's efforts to make sure everything was in the proper place in his world.   He'd bark his disapproval if dad Matt parked his truck in the "wrong" place or untidily left a pile of sticks or brush in the yard, or some errant birds trespassed on his lawn. 

A boy's boy, Jackson was fascinated by trucks and lawn mowers. Especially lawn mowers. In one dangerous incident, he crossed a busy highway to guard a lawn mower a neighbor had left near his front stoop. (We installed invisible dog fencing right after that incident).

Jackson on patrol, keeping hungry rabbits out of the
gardens around his St. Albans, home, as seen here
in July, 2021. 

One of his favorite pastimes was having Matt repeatedly push a lawnmower (with its engine off) down a hill so he could chase and bark at it. 

He loved people, especially children, and could always melt the coldest of hearts with his soulful brown eyes and furiously wagging tail.  

He didn't like being alone. Jackson  howled in disapproval if we had to leave him only for a short time. 

When Jeff or Matt returned, it was all kisses and hugs and neck rubs. He would even make his dad Matt lie down on the floor when he returned home so he could rub against him, and the canvas bag that Matt always carried. The canvas bag was Jackson's "girlfriend." 

Jackson was always helpful and patient as dad Matt went outside to check the morning weather. Jackson hated being rained on, but tolerated it for the few minutes he had to go outside. Like his dads, Jackson was also not a fan of winter cold, and liked to stay in his warm and cozy house. 

He was always an optimistic dog, bouncing back from injuries and health crises with aplomb. In his older years, he couldn't run and jump like he used to, so he'd go out on the deck to watch the world around him, like his late sister Tonks taught him to do. 

Jackson doing his best to try and melt an unseasonable
late season snowfall in April, 2022. 

He was still a happy pup to the end.  This morning, Jackson told us it was time to say goodbye.  He died peacefully, painlessly and quietly, with his dads by his side, bidding him a loving farewell.

Jackson is survived by his dads, Jeff Modereger and Matt Sutkoski of St. Albans, Vermont; aunts and uncles Lynn and David Jenne of West Rutland, Vermont; Laurie and Bennie Carrara of Shrewsbury, Vermont; and Brian and Michelle Modereger of DeSoto, Kansas. 

Jackson was pre-deceased by his sister Tonks back in 2013. He was also pre-deceased by his grandparents,  Red and Pauline Sutkoski of West Rutland, Vermont; Don and Lois Modereger of Yankton, South Dakota and aunt Donna Stengle of Yankton, South Dakota.

In lieu of flowers, Jackson asked that, if possible, consider adopting a pet from your local shelter.  Or if adopting is not possible,  he suggested donating money, material or time to your favorite animal shelter. 

Jackson also asked that you do what he did in life: Just find joy and friendship anywhere you can find it, and always be friendly and gentle. 

Pupdate: Trooper The Dog Famously Abandoned In Hurricane Milton, Has Found A Happy Forever Home

Trooper, the bull terrier left to die in a flooded field
as Hurricane Milton approached, but rescued by a Florida
State Trooper, is now living his best life with his new
mom and dad, Frank and Carla Spinner, and his 
sister dog Dallas. 

 Since I'm a sucker for happy dog stories, or at least ones with happy endings, I have to update you on Trooper.  

Trooper was the dog found tied to a fence in floodwaters as Hurricane Milton approached Florida back in October. 

An eagle-eyed motorist spotted them, call the cops, who came and rescued the terrified bull terrier. The dog's owner, Giovanny Aldama Garcia, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated cruelty to animals.  In addition to his legal trouble, he can never see the dog he abused ever again. 

After his rescue, Trooper was housed at Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee, where he recuperated and prepared to eventually meet a forever family

To nobody's surprise, there was a ton of interest in adopting Trooper. But Amy Raddar of that humane society said they were looking for a specific type of adopter, given the bull terrier''s rough history with his former owner.

Trooper didn't like men, given that previous owner was a creepy guy. The Humane Society were a bit wary of Frank and Carla Spina, because Frank is obviously a man, as CBS News reports.   

 The Spinas, however, had been raising and giving homes to bull terriers for more than three decades. The couple drove seven hours from their home in Parkland, Florida for a meet and greet with Trooper.,

The couple sat down, and Trooper came over to the couple. The dog got under Frank Spina legs, Frank gave Trooper and nice scratch and that was it, they were fast friends. 

The couple have another bull terrier named Dallas. Trooper and Dallas got along immediately, too. 

The papers were signed, and Trooper became part of the Spina family. "We will take good care of him," Carla Spina said. "We just want everyone to know we are going to give him the best life."

CBS continues:

"For the Spinas, it feels like their family's missing piece was found. "We are like living in a dream,' said Frank Spina. 'We just can't believe that a month ago we saw a news report and now a month later he's in my bedroom.'"

Here's the happy CBS News video to completely fill you in. As always, click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that. 

Pupdate: Owner Of Dog Abandoned Near Highway In Hurricane Faces Charges

The horrible person who allegedly abandoned this
dog tied to a fence near Tampa, Florida as
Hurricane Milton approached has been arrested.
The dog, as we noted last week, was rescued by
a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper.

 Remember that dog I wrote about recently that was abandoned near Interstate 75 outside of Tampa, Florida in floodwaters as Hurricane Milton approached?  

As we wrote, the dog was rescued. And there was the predictable outrage over this. Now, the person who allegedly left the pooch there to almost certainly die in the hurricane has been arrested.

The Tampa Bay Times tell us: 

Giovanny Aldama Garcia, 23 was booked into jail Monday on a charge of aggravated cruelty to animals, which is a felony. 

The Tampa Bay Times continues the story by telling us Garcia called an animal shelter in Hillsborough, County, Florida that he was the dog's owner but would give it up if someone would love and care for it.

Which is the opposite of what he did, but there you go.

Offices later talked to Garcia at his home in Ruskin, Florida, who said he had the dog since it was a puppy but could no longer care for it. 

That's when a normal person might turn the dog into a reputable animal shelter but that's not Garcia, apparently. 

Garcia said he was with this mother on Interstate 75 during the mass evacuation ahead of Hurricane Milton when his mother let the dog out of the car. The narrative doesn't say why, or details how it ended up tied to that fence in floodwater.

Apparently, Garcia saw social media posts about the dog's rescue and try to reclaim the pooch.

Not happening, by the way. 

Garcia will not be allowed to have the dog, which has since been renamed Trooper. A foster family is caring for Trooper for now, until he's ready for an adoption into a forever home. 

More details emerged over how the dog was found. He was tied to a fence quite a distance from the roadway, in a flooded low spot difficult for passing motorists to notice.

However, in rainy weather hours before ferocious Hurricane Milton arrived, an eagle-eyed woman in a car traveling on Interstate 75 that day spotted the dog and called police, the Tampa Bay Times reported.  

Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales drove to the area and initially couldn't see the dog. However, he began calling the dog over a portable speaker and the dog poked his head up above the brush. Rescue was at hand. 

Hillsborough County State Attorney Suzy Lopez said some crimes can get enhanced charges if they are committed during a state of emergency, as this case was. However, animal cruelty is not one of those crimes, and she urged the Florida legislature to change the law so enhanced charges could be filed if something like this ever happens again. 

Meanwhile, Garcia was released from jail Tuesday on $2,500 cash bond.  He could face up to five years in jail if found guilty. 

A Vile Horrible Person Left A Dog To Die In Hurricane Milton: Spoiler: Dog Rescued

Florida Highway Patrol troopers found this dog in
this situation, abandoned, tied to a fence amid
flood waters as Hurricane Milton approached
on Wednesday.  The troopers rescued the dog and
its safe and doing well now. I really hope
whoever did this is NOT safe and doing well now. 

 There is a special place in hell for whoever did the following.

As Hurricane Milton approached Florida Wednesday, somebody tied a dog to a fence in for what for the pooch was chest deep water off Interstate 75 near Tampa in a spot virtually invisible to passing motorists.  

Thankfully, either an eagle-eyed motorist called police, or a very alert Florida Highway Patrol Trooper spotted the dog and rescued it. 

Body cam video taken by the trooper who rescued the dog shows the officer under rainy skies wading into a soggy, puddle-strewn field next to the highway to reach what appears to be an English bull terrier. 

As the trooper approaches the frightened dog, it growled and barked at the trooper, who replied to the dog, "It's OK, I don't blame you."

Florida Highway Patrol posted the body cam video on social media with the caption, "Do NOT do this to your pets, please."

Yeah, no kidding!

The dog was taken to a veterinarian who gave the pooch a clean bill of health. The Highway Patrol posted a followup photo of the dog, looking understandably happier, safe in the police cruiser on a blanket, being taken to the vet.

Since it was a highway patrolman that rescued the dog, it has been named Trooper. 

The dog will probably be put up for adoption, though at this point, the Leon County Florida Humane Society, where Trooper is staying, says he is not up for adoption now.  Given the publicity this incident has received, I imagine this dog will find a loving forever home. 

Trooper needs time to de-stress and recover, the Humane Society said on social media: "We can't imagine the situation that ended with him tied to this pole and left him without any hope. It's hard even to think about how scared he must have been as cars raced by, the water rose to his belly and the storm clouds darkened."  

The Humane Society also said, contrary to false reports circulating on line, Trooper has not been reunited with family or anybody else. If whoever left Trooper tied up like that, they will certainly face charges. 

Quite predictably, this incident sparked outrage everywhere. 

One example: Readers of this blog know I don't exactly love Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, but I'm 100 percent in agreement when he said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference:

"I hope they find the person who did it, and that person should have the book thrown at them. We've got very good laws against animal cruelty....we don't have tolerance for that in Florida. I thought it was outrageous that somebody would do that."

Whenever whoever did this to the poor dog, name them and shame them for sure!  

Tonks, Our Gracious, Zen-Like Loyal Companion And Weather Watching Dog, Dies At 16

The late, great Tonks in her St. Albans, Vermont yard on
a breezy winter day in 2017, enjoying the scents in the air.

Tonks Modereger Sutkoski, our gorgeous furry sweetheart, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today, May 31, 2023. She was 16.   

Tonks was a gracious, zen-like presence who taught us all to savor the simple things in life, like a comfortable bed and the smells and sounds of nature outdoors. And meal time. Don't forget that. 

She was the beneficiary of great genes, making her a stunningly beautiful pup.  She was a Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel mix.  That gave her luscious blonde hair, soulful eyes, fun floppy ears and a cute button nose. 

Tonks came into our lives when she was seven years old. In the first chapter of her life, she lived with a Vermont couple, who eventually formed a family that included two very active, very young children. The couple knew the kids were probably too much for Tonk's gentle, calm nature. 

The family generously and selflessly let us adopt Tonks, who quickly settled into a new life with goofy brother Jackson and her new parents Jeff and Matt. 

Tonks in the foreground enjoys a laugh while her 
brother Jackson in the background not getting the
joke on a sunny autumn day in 2015. 

Tonk's new household had gardens, lawns and decks where she was free to roam. She quickly got in the habit of sitting down, facing the wind, closing her eyes and enjoying all the aromas that passed her way. Sometimes Jeff or Matt would join her in this activity.  

 She also enjoyed laying down on the deck and watching the cars on the road zip by, and the birds flutter around overhead. 

Tonks was no loner, though. She loved visiting people when they stopped by, accepting with pleasure a little neck scratch and just the companionship she enjoyed when human friends were around. 

 Every day, breakfast and dinner were cause for big celebration. After these daily feasts, she'd settle down in the soft bed she loved for comfortable naps. 

Another particular joy for Tonks came in the summer, when it was time for dad Matt to thin the carrot crop in the raised beds. She and brother Jackson would safely dispose of the delicious mini-carrots Matt would dig up by immediately chowing them down. The carrots were her favorite food.

Tonks enjoying a rest on her comfortable bed, 2019.

She, accompanied by her brother, would also always help Matt measure whichever weather event came our way, so that Matt could do a more accurate write-up in this blog. 

She especially loved weather watching with Matt on sunny, windy days.  However, Tonks was not a particular fan of snow, especially if it was deep.  

Tonks, always the helpful pup, was our early warning system for any truck deliveries that appeared in our driveway. She'd hear the beep-beep-beep of the truck backing up, and start barking loudly to announce the delivery arrival.  

She was also a  bit of a prankster. As her dad Jeff settled into his easy chair to watch TV in the evenings, Tonks would quietly slip into the hallway behind him. After awhile, she'd let out a single loud bark, propelling Jeff to the ceiling.

In Tonks' later years, her hearing diminished and her hind legs grew weak and unstable. But she never gave up her curiosity, and that zen-like life of smelling the aromas in the air continued until the end. 

Tonks, left, and her brother Jackson, help dad Matt
with his weather blog by sniffing the air for clues as to
when the snow would stop during a
large 2018 winter storm

Tonks is survived her her brother Jackson, dads Jeff Modereger and Matt Sutkoski of St. Albans, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. 

She was predeceased by her loving grandparents Don and Lois Modereger of Yankton, South Dakota and Henry and Pauline Sutkoski of West Rutland, Vermont. 

In lieu of flowers, Tonks asked that you make a contribution or volunteer at your local Humane Society. She also said that if you want to add another doggo to your family, please consider adoption. 

Tonks passed away in late spring, probably the most fragrant time of year for many of us. She asks that you go outside, sit down facing the wind, close your eyes and breathe in the wonderful aromas of nature.

 It was Tonks' way of doing things and being happy, and this works for humans, too.