Where else can you and your dog play catch in the snow in April? OK, there may be other places, but it’s unlikely the temps were in the 70s the day before.

Annie came to live with me in 1994 as a pup. Since then, we’ve experienced a lot of Iowa weather. Hot, humid, horribly humid summers: we spend the minimum amount of time outside and then dash back in. Annie rushes to the bathroom to spread out on the cool tile floor. I rush to the fridge. Crisp, fall days: We play catch until we’ve lost all of the tennis balls in the fallen leaves. Annie plays differently than most retrievers. I toss a ball to one end of the yard. She races to catch it. She releases it. I toss another ball. We repeat this until all balls are on her end of the yard. Then we swap sides. Our favorite, winter: we both love the cold. I’m concerned about her slowing down. My concern subsides when I see her romp in the snow just like the pup I brought home 12 years ago. And the stormy springs: we have spent many afternoons in the basement waiting out tornado warnings. When the siren sounds, Annie looks at me and we head to the basement.

In much the same way we’ve handled the ups and downs of Iowa's weather, we’ve handled the ups and downs of life: together. Annie, without question, is my all-weather friend.