Cold comes and goes...

Its been -20 to -30 around here. A nice temperature for Alaskan life but marginal for running dogs. My schedule has gotten in the way again but we did manage to get the dogs out for a run with a passenger on Wednesday.

We took a small foster team out for two miles before the main run. Juno was leading that team with Maude and Coyote in swing, Laya and Polar in wheel. All of them did very well but it was struggle for these little guys to pull two people in our light weight sled. I am spoiled by my big boys who can pull so much more and are conditioned to work through all kinds of conditions.

This troop slowed down every time we bogged in the snow and needed a lot of encouragement to get going but once we did they were fine. Its all a training issue, getting them all to pull at the same time, listen to my commands and not to depend on the trail conditions for their stopping and starting. Hills are to be tackled with strength and focus, even if we have to take baby steps. Most of these foster dogs are only used to sprint racing with little or no troubles in the trail.

After we got back we put the fosters up and got the main team out for a run of 11.5 miles, with our passenger again so they were working well. They looked a bit tired on the way back but we are still getting everyone back up to speed so that didn't surprise me too much.

Gaea is doing much better being back in my team. She has been overly snippy and loud at the start of our season and since Nita has needed extra dogs to fill out her team its been easier for me to hand her over to someone else. But dogs are smart and they know when they can act up around someone who will let them get away with it.

Gaea knows I don't take a lot of nasty behavior from any of them, especially when they are venting on another dog, and she knows Nita is a softy so I think she was taking advantage of the situation. It was my fault for passing along my troubles to her but now that Gaea is back in my team again we are back at work on these issues.

I think the break did us both very good cause Gaea is coming around much quicker than before and getting her not to chew lines or scream to go the whole time is getting a bit easier for both of us. I even trusted her to lead with Hermes on the way back (about 2.5 miles) and she did great. She is still learning her commands but Hermes is a gentle, calm teacher and guided her through most of it.

Now if Gaea can maintain her mind to be calm she might learn a few things instead of getting frustrated, biting her partner and ignoring what can be learned just by observing those around her. Its all about maturity and most of this will come in time...

Tomorrow is a day of planning so no trail time for us. I am also going to try and catch up on some more work. We have many irons in the fire right now and its been wearing on my brain.

What has been troubling the most is that I have been giving away so much of my time to these projects and to things outside my personal life that Ive felt more drained than usual. All this work is personal to me and very dear to my soul but there are things that are even closer that help nourish my mind and body that I have been longing for.

At the top of my list is my art... there is so much I want to create, and while all of this is a creation in itself, there is a special place I am able to go to while creating my fine art works that no one can touch and where I can feel fulfilled and complete. I thought this winter would leave more time for that but things have gotten in the way and the spirit of these new projects have taken such tight hold on me that they have my complete attention and it seems to remain that way until they are complete. Its almost like a drug addiction but fortunately this addiction will have an end, or at least a slowing down of sorts once the main body of work is complete.

It tires me just thinking about it but I am completely driven by the thoughts and actions of this new world I have created in my head. This all seems so much more real since the papers came in the mail for our new land and knowing that we are the official owners of that property.

Every bit of my life and the dogs lives are tied into this and together in such a way that one cannot exist without the other but I think we are all feeling the effects of such hard work put into play. I truly wouldn't be able to do this without the wonderful help of Nita and her limitless ideas and enthusiasm and for James who keeps me going in ways far too numerous to mention.

Just tonight we were talking about how we were going to find the funds for punching a road in and I think James found our solution. He has many, many cars that he has been thinking of selling for quite some time and that may be our way to get the road in. The road is the first thing that must happen and it is a hefty expense. But once its in everything else will be able to fall into place, and quickly.

So, as always, keep in tune to this blog and to our Facebook page (find us at Where Spirits Walk Kennel) for updates to our progress as we continue on this wonderful journey and strive to not only enrich the lives of the dogs who surround us but also the lives of the people we meet everyday.

Thank you all for your continued support as we continue heading on...

Video footage in the dog yard filmed on Wednesday after our sled run with the foster dogs