Confessions of a Hoarder

I have to admit that I have done something this winter that I have none before.  I have become a hoarder.  Now, I am not sure the reason for this or who to blame.  I suppose I have to take full responsibility for this shameful behavior or I could blame it on Cabin Fever. 

My toys are usually kept in a box.  Mom comes in from work and tidies up.  When she does, she places all of my toys, except for the one I am playing with that day, in the Toy Box.  My usual mode of greeting her when she comes in is to run and grab a toy and run to the door.  When she puts the key in the lock I start shaking my toy like a crazed dog and wait for her to come inside.  Once inside I run all over the kitchen shaking and playing with it.  This is the way I have greeted her for 4 years 228 days, until two weeks ago. 

I suppose I should explain that we have had an inordinate amount of snow where I live this year.  It has gotten so deep that I can barely wade through it now, and I am a big boy. 

Mom came home one evening and I was not doing my usual toy shaking routine.  Mom thought this was odd, but the oddest thing when she started looking was   THERE WERE NO TOYS ANYWHERE.       I had emptied my toy box of every single last stuffie in there.  All my balls were gone, Ms. Wiggles and Mr. Wiggly Giggly were gone, E V E R Y T H I N G.  Mom was stumped, until the next morning.

She peeked out my doggy door and there under the cover of last  night's snowfall was:

MY TOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I had taken every last one of them outside in the snow.  There was Mr. Fox, Ms. Manatee, a coffee cup???,  Mr. Hedgehog, Mr. Santy Paws . . . they were all out there . . . all frozen to the ground.  They are still there because I won't bring them in, and Mom can't crawl through the doggy door to get them.  She can't open the gate to get to them because of the snow.  She said, "you put them there, you bring them in".

I go out and look at them every day.  They are now frozen and covered with at least two more deep layers of snow.  19" from last weekend and 4" from yesterday.  ~shakes my head~  I don't know why I have begun hoarding my toys outside in the frozen tundra.  They may never squeak again and that would be sad.  I love my squeaky stuffies. 

I can't explain this aberrant behavior.  If anyone has any insight I would appreciate it.  I keep begging Mom for a new toy to play with, but she says "no, not until you go outside and get the ones you have".  Hmmmpfff.  From the looks of the weather it may be June before they unthaw.