LEOMINSTER — The latest snow creation in the front yard of Lee Kosiewski’s home replicates an iconic character in a beloved animated movie franchise.
The longtime city resident created Slinky Dog after the last blizzard, channeling the wooden toy dachshund with the slinky body who is a supporting character in Pixar’s “Toy Story” series. At 36 feet long, 6 feet tall at the head, and about 3 ½ feet tall at the slinky, the attraction visited by many people for photos is hanging in there despite temps warming up in recent days.
“It’s a block of ice mostly in shade so it’s not melting as fast as I thought,” said Kosiewski of his latest sculpture.
He has constructed a colossal snowman every year for the last several winters in front of his 36 Ringer St. home along with other snow sculptures, including two last month — the New England Patriots Flying Elvis logo in honor of the NFL team going to the Super Bowl and a big red heart to mark Valentine’s Day and his dog Gus’ 10th birthday.
He said winters like this season “are rare,” with massive snowfalls recorded compared to previous winters — so it’s working well for his cold creations.
“Usually, we don’t get enough snow or enough time between warm-ups to create even one snow sculpture, let alone four,” Kosiewski said. “This time I wanted to make something different than the traditional snowman. I already had a long row of snow in the yard from the other three creations melting away, and that shape sparked the idea — Slinky Dog.”
Once the light bulb went off in his head, it made perfect sense — and fitting for how the colder months have seemed to drag on.
“The winter felt extra-long and Slinky Dog is famously long, so it felt like a fun play on words that could bring a lot of smiles,” Kosiewski said. “Slinky Dog is also one of our favorite rides at Disney World, which made the idea even more meaningful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dachshund snow sculpture before and since we love dogs, it all just came together naturally.”
Spreading joy through his snow sculptures has become an annual tradition for him and his handiwork has been featured in the Sentinel & Enterprise many times. He enjoys sharing them with the public and invites people to take a look at them and snap photos alongside them — and relayed he didn’t realize before building Slinky Dog “was how massive the ‘Toy Story’ fan base is but as soon as I posted the picture, it became obvious.”
“Dozens of visitors of all ages stopped by, proof that Slinky Dog really is loved by everyone. And with the fifth ‘Toy Story’ sequel coming out June, the timing was perfect,” Kosiewski said. “Visitors just love the connection to something they enjoy as a family at home and it’s also huge so that’s fun to see.”
One young visitor in particular tugged at his heart strings. A young boy in a wheelchair came by to see Slinky Dog and posed for a picture by him with a big smile on his face.
“I thought Slinky Dog was going to be fun and almost didn’t post pictures because I didn’t have a lot of time to refine my sculpture, but I did and the children who love ‘Toy Story’ came to see and the parents explicitly thanked me for bringing them joy,” Kosiewski disclosed. “I truly did not realize the impact this was going to have on me or others. This one moved us in ways unexpected.”
Often pictured beside the snow creations is his loyal canine companion Gus, who travels all over the country with his humans who have been married for four years and together for over a decade — Lee and his wife Lexi Kosiewski.
“Gus turned 10 this February and the giant heart was not only for Valentine’s day but symbolic of what he means to us,” Lee Kosiewski said. “The day after this photo was taken, he had his fifth surgery to remove a small mast cell tumor near his left ear. It’s scary for us to even say the word cancer. This time though it had been two years since we last found a tumor, the longest stretch since the first one. That felt like a small victory.”
He reported that Gus is “always such a trooper during recovery” and as disheartening as it is that his medical issues have become part of their routine, “he handles it with the same steady spirit that makes him so special to us.”
One of the most recent photos Kosiewski took of Gus was early in the morning before the adventurous trio headed up north to Lake Winnipesaukee, the scenic Kancamagus Highway, and Ice Castles.
“We’re always on the road with him.”
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