Lead Dog Graphic Arts

Healing

2012-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick update to let everyone know that all humans and dogs are doing very well. The whole house, and the dog yard, had to go into a down time while all the humans in the house healed from one of the worst winter flu bugs we have seen in quite a while.

One by one we all got sick and took turns taking care of the dogs through -40 temperatures. It was very tough on all of us but the weather seems to be warming now and things are heading back to normal.

This set back has put us a bit behind on a few things but the health of all is the most important so we will be continuing to take it easy just a bit longer until we are fully certain we are completely through all of this and healed physically as well as mentally.

We have been working so hard and I think we all underestimated how much we needed the rest until the flu bug came and knocked us completely off our feet.

Our goals for the rest of the winter is to keep things as easy as possible, get out with the dogs and prepare for breaking ground at the new property this spring. Our minds are constantly wandering down south to the future we will be building there and the process of getting back to our roots so we can keep not only healing ourselves but those dogs who are in need of our care and rescue.

Thank you for your support and your continued thoughts of good will. Knowing every one of you is there helps us keep going through the toughest times and allows us emerge on the other side stronger than ever...

Big Changes

2011-12-19T11:11:00.000-08:00

Eddie, one of the rescues who stayed

As many Alaskans can relate, we are very much looking forward to Winter Solstice in three days. This means the return of the sun and a better sense of 'normal'.

After much thought I have to admit that this winter has been one of the toughest on me emotionally and physically. There is only one other that comes to mind that could possibly compete, that was way back in the 90's when I was stuck in a cabin that was falling apart and sick as dog most of the time cause I didn't realize I was drinking tainted water. That was after the heater went out and we were relying only on the wood stove, huddled together in a small back room to keep warm, but before break up when the sewage tank decided to give out and flood everything with the worst stink you could imagine. Ah yes, those were the days!

Living through something like that makes a 40 below winter seem like a walk in the park. But this winter Ive had MANY luxuries, constant heat, a loving husband, an amazing dog handler, a yard full of happy healthy dogs, warm clothes, a working dog truck and a wonderful Jeep that I still delight in driving so much. Its perfect for getting around town and handling the roads.

So why is the winter so bad? I really cant put my finger on it just yet but I have a few ideas. One theory is that Im getting overwhelmed... I know, you say, "Really? You? Naaa! Miriam the work-a-holic could never be overwhelmed!! Its not possible!"

Chalk it up to age, stress or life style (take your pick) I think that is what is happening. The property is a big part of this equation. My husband James, James L and I sit and talk about our plans, our ideas, what is in our future and we are all a bit overwhelmed by everything. It is really hard to admit not only to being overwhelmed but to take the time to admit that I must pull back in order to protect myself and be the best that I can be for all those around me. Ive gotten so caught up in everything that Ive lost track of just being me. It is clear now that I need to focus more on taking care of myself for a while and bolster up my surroundings so I can get back to helping others in the best way I possibly can. Over the past few years I have learned that taking care of those in need is one of my life's goals and may be a big part of my life's purpose here on this earth.

Our future is in the new property. That is our goal and our central focus. We are all clearly on the same page with that and it is wonderful to realize that our big dreams will be coming along, some slower than others. For one, the Sled Dog Sanctuary will definitely have its expansion there while Where Spirits Walk kennel will be taken out of the public eye for now while we focus on our fosters and building at the property. This does not mean that any of the dogs in the main kennel will go unloved, unwanted, sit at home doing nothing or leave us in any way (we could not bear the thought), but that you will not be hearing about them as much as we focus our public efforts into spotlighting those in foster care or those who have been adopted.

After January we will also no longer be giving dog sled rides to the general public. We will instead focus on doing only a few rides to those special donators of the Sanctuary or those we have already scheduled in for this season. This includes our Groupon certificate holders that are valid until their expiration on March 31, 2012.

Polar, one of our rescues who naturally belonged here

The Lead Dog Graphics business will still be operational and merchandise can be purchased at our usual outlets in Fairbanks or on line in our store at www.LeadDogGraphics.com, this blog will still be active as well for art updates and other musings of this crazy Alaskan artist. The only change here will be that updates will not be as frequent as I shift my focus more towards gaining inspiration from the dogs on the trail through our own personal adventures. Those in our teams will always be my absolute favorite subjects. I hope to also incorporate dogs from the Sanctuary into this medium... time will tell.

So even though those changes do not seem drastic on paper this is a huge step for us. I do see us offering sled rides in the distant future but on a limited basis and out of our new location on the property (mile 90 Parks Hwy) where lodging can be utilized and a more extensive package can be offered. Our main focus right now is getting down there and doing so in a healthy relaxed manner to all involved.

There is a real possibility we will have both locations (North Pole and Mile 90) for a while so we wont be gone too quickly from Fairbanks/North Pole, this transition will take some time and you can hear more about our building and the move in the Sled Dog Sanctuary blog we will be starting up in the near future or on the Sanctuary website at www.SledDogSanctuary.com.

What the future holds we never really know but in order to achieve a specific goal, especially one this big, we have found that a more refined focus is needed.

As always we would like to thank you for your help, your support, your kind thoughts and all the effort that has been put forward to help with this move. We have had so many come out to help us, from all corners of the globe, and we will always be eternally grateful for your support and well wishes.

Thank you so much for your patience and remember, when updates are fewer and farther between just think of all we are doing behind the scenes to make things better than ever. In due time we will not only be back with our usual public presence but have an even better place to welcome our wonderful guests at the new property on the Parks Hwy.

We love you all and will always be eternally grateful for your continued support...

Time has no meaning in the dark...

2011-11-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

Juno checking in on the progress

We are still stuck in a bitter cold snap (-40) and I have officially gone through my first phase (and hopefully my last this season) of cabin fever.

Its so frustrating to be so angry at something I cant control but I am glad that my loved ones are safe and warm thanks to a whole lot of extra construction to benefit both dogs and humans.

Our new furnace is working wonderfully and our wood stove is such a comfort at night, no longer the life saving necessity of last year. Is so nice to enjoy warmth for warmth's sake and see the flames of the fire burning as a comfort and not as a crisis of busted pipes or frozen sewer lines.

I am eternally in delight at the simple things, watching the toilet water go down on its own, running water from the tap... geez, I feel like Im fresh out of my old cabin! Even though Im not, that experience will always be close to the surface and the strength of survival remains very clearly in my mind.

I wont go through the obvious... why do I live here, why do I put up with this cold and how could anyone see the beauty in all of this... I hear it all the time from newcomers here and my brain tends to switch off after hearing the first question. The real answer that sums up all of this is that life here is a constant way of feeling alive, feeling a bit on the edge at times, but truly and honestly alive... and extremely grateful for everything, especially the very smallest of things.

Even though I complain and wish that the cold snap will break I am still generally happy with life as a whole. Things could be better, I could be out on the trail with the dogs, enjoying life to the utmost, going outside for long periods of time without every piece of winter gear draped over my body to keep warm... but that is not where I am at the moment and not where I was last night.

Last night was heaven, a tapping into my future and into the power within... yesterday, ALL day, was art day and I was so happily, blissfully and completely lost. I havent been there in a long time, and realisticly I didnt know if I would ever be there again.

But I was there, truly there in all my expressive power and it showed. It showed in the passing of time on the clock without my knowledge, with the calm center of my mind this morning and with the results left on paper. I hesitate to show all of the image but here is a sneak peek.

What I find I am enjoying most is the expansive progress that starts with a single idea and expands into something that I cant seem to imagine on my own.

What does this mean? In short it means more creativity and artistic output which leads to more art, more prints and more visual awe... I am looking forward to experiencing this process more than you can possibly understand... what a bright future awaits!! :)

Wow, whats next!?

2011-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Each time I come here to post updates its no secret that Im floored, simply floored by the speed and grace of the development of the 'project'.

If you are unfamiliar with this, here it is in a nut shell. We are planning on moving family (dogs and humans) to 40 acres of virgin forest to start all over with a new home, new kennel and to expand the Sled Dog Sanctuary to be available to visits from thousands of tourists all over the globe all summer long. Just a little project, no?

Some times I sit and am frankly overwhelmed, my knees get weak, my mind wanders and questions after questions run through my mind... how can we do this, is it possible, how did that happen, where did that come from, and how, how, how is all of this possible!?!?

I have been told I am living proof of a dream realized but I can only speak from my experience, my husband and our ever hard working handler (who has become so much like family) James Langston. All our dreams are coming true and I would like to say it is for the dogs as well but you would have to ask them yourself, they arent talking much at the moment since they literally have no idea where we are headed and how grand the journey will be! Do I dare tell them? Nah, I would rather they find out little by little as we break ground this summer and they get their first chance to visit the new place...

Yes, I did say THIS summer... it is already here, the plans are in place and incredibly the heavy equipment has materialized...

I know, I know... heavy equipment? I said the same thing... but James pulled out all the stops yet again and wheeled and dealed in the only way he knows how to secure us two big pieces of dirt moving equipment that will be delivered here shortly. Rental fee? Nah... Payments? Nah... that is how James works. He is a walking miracle as a friend of a friend found deals and offers he couldn't refuse to take hold of and make our dream possible.

A lot of it will be hard work, something we are actually looking forward to, but it will be our hard work, all ours!! There are a few very good friends who will be stepping up from time to time to help but mostly it will us working away and carving out a little, no a BIG, slice of heaven for ourselves and for those visitors we have yet to meet down the road who will be drawn to our little Sanctuary.

I could say that this winter is going to be hard to wait through but I think it will only be hard for James who doesnt thrive on winter like James L and I do. We will literally be flying through it on the back of our dog sleds, silently keeping the secret from our loving dogs but all the while giggling to ourselves with anticipation knowing what freedom awaits in their new home.

Just last week we took a day trip down to the property for a visit and to give James L his first look within the magic. He was more than excited as we ventured deep, deep within the property. It was wonderful to see another person connect to our vision with the exact same enthusiasm.

And on each visit I find new things that I hadnt seen before. This time I found a patch of spruce trees so rare in our parcel since most of the land is covered with beautiful straight birch. This patch was so special to me, smelled exactly the same and looked the same as our old dog yard we will soon leave behind. It will be nice to keep that connection to 'old ways' as we forge ahead to start new ones.

This new space may be home to a spirit cabin, a tiny retreat away from the main house for meditation and peace... time will tell...

While we were exploring the back of the property and walking along the railroad tracks that run right through the back of our parcel the train actually came by! This is pretty amazing since it only runs about twice a day and in all our brief visits we have never been there when it passed, much less having already hiked to the back of our fourty acres to be right there as it went by. It was a pretty monumental event for us and even more special that James L was there to experience it too.

With a little more searching we noticed that our little stream was still running and looking healthy, found two of the front property markers and realized that our parcel intersects more of the land than we previously realized! There is more to be found as we set up a day and time for the official survey crew to come in and cut our property lines. This is not required by law but it will be nice to know what is legally ours as we start pushing a road in and felling trees.

So much more to say but so little time to write at the moment. Ive been up to my ears with work all in good ways and am carried on the winds of all this excitement like never before. It is incredible, just incredible...

And dont forget to stop by the new Sled Dog Sanctuary site at www.SledDogSanctuary.com to see our updated pages and new layout. That was just one of the many projects that was wrapped up last month as we move on to many more things! :)

The Alaska Railroad caboose passing by

James L standing by one of the many old birches on the property

Myself and James standing by one of the front property markers. It looked pretty ancient, may be from the old homestead days when the land was parceled off to residents for next to nothing.

My small patch of spiritual spruce forest. What memories, inspirations and dreams will be discovered here in the years to come?

More Amazing Journeys

2011-09-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

After a few years of my schedule not working out I FINALLY found myself back in Denali traveling way back to the Kantishna Road House and picking up the pups from 'summer camp'. All other trips in and out are offered up to our best volunteers as thanks for the hard work they do for the dogs here at the kennel and within the Sled Dog Sanctuary.

Only six dogs go in (four of ours this time and two from Second Chance League) and when the four of ours left it always leaves a great hole in the yard but a great homecoming when they return. For those at the lodge it is always hard to see them come back home to us. Many of the dogs connected with the employees in ways only they can which makes the parting all that much harder when the lodge closes up for the season.

Emmitt Peters runs the dog operation there at the lodge and we have worked with him for many years. It is wonderful to send back dogs to him for the summer that he has grown to love and we are thrilled to have someone on the other end who we can trust so much to take good care of our best friends.

We have plans to meet up with him again once the snow flys so the 'summer dogs' can see him again this winter and he can get a chance to take them on the trail on a sled rather than a four wheeler.

I look forward to hearing more about his history in the sport, his travels with dogs, his well known father and maybe even get a chance to learn more about his grandfather who was also an amazing dog driver in his day.

Mushing history is what I thrive on and it is so very thrilling to see my life being led towards so many interesting facts, meeting interesting people and learning so much along the way. Of course the dogs teach me so much about their history just being themselves but I find that I still crave the language that exists within my own species and the tales of the past that still exist there.

On the way out of the park we made a quick stop into the Denali Kennels and I had the chance to meet up with Jen, the kennel manager, who I had only previously spoken to on the phone. It was wonderful to talk dogs and trails with her and the park staff. Looking at the map of Denali and the parks trails it was clear to me that this was a place that would lead to even more adventure! I was a firm believer for so long that I could only access the park in the summer but surprisingly the regulations are not as high as I expected and a musher with team is most welcome anywhere in the park!

We also talked to the rangers about commercial opportunities so things may open up where we could set up our ride packages to go directly into the park completely sustained by dog team travel... just when I thought I had wrapped my mind around the many adventures for the future I find that there are even more I hadn't even dreamed of!! How amazing!!

And of course, the dogs will be thrilled to go along with us on this experience. It is my utmost pleasure to have my best friends for company along with the many adventures that await. I'm sure there will also be some foster dogs who will cut their teeth on these trails as well. In my mind I am always setting up challenges and runs that will help us better understand what our rescues are capable of and what they can excel to. It helps us fill out their resumes to better match them into future homes.

But the highlight of visiting the park was not only establishing and sustaining our good relationships there but knowing that since the Sled Dog Sanctuary is now a 501c3 non profit that we are eligible for many items the park has need to dispose of such as old sleds, old camping gear, harnesses, you name it...

Since the Sanctuary will be open for all the world to see, and have so much land to use, it will be perfect to expand our teaching to the general public and have plenty of room for the display of old gear. Since we lean toward education of the public through our sport we are the perfect organization to receive these donations from the park service!!

While much of the gear may not be safe to use on the trail it will be PERFECT for teaching in so many ways. My love of the mushing history and the freighting dogs will come full circle as I can continue to teach others about the history of our sport not only with words but with authentic gear as well!!

Jen was so kind to load us up already on a surplus of gear by donating harnesses and booties that we stuffed in the truck for the ride home. We will have to sort through the gear to determine sizes and what exactly is there and once we figure out what we have it will be very easy to part with them over time as our foster dogs get adopted. What a better way than for one of our foster dogs to go into a home already wearing a harness that they are familiar with!

Overall the trip into the park was amazing, as always, but the wildlife sightings were dwarfed by the intensity of connections that were made over a very short, very fun filled two days in Denali. The big mountain was out as well but my mind has a hard time thinking on that when it seems so full with so many other details and future opportunities for the dogs!

Off we go, continuing on to the more exciting trails to come!!

Dreams

2011-09-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Life changes abound here at home. The kennel is undergoing its own changes as well but the changes here at home are overwhelming enough to keep hold of my focus quite strongly.

James and I have been foster parents for years and this month we are seeing an end to that era. Well, an end and a sort of beginning as well. He and I have decided that we will no longer take in foster children but instead focus more on foster dogs which leads us to focus on the Sled Dog Sanctuary and the new property.

The 'sort of beginning' part of this is that my mothers adopted son, James (Little James as we call him to keep all the other James' straight with minimal confusion) came to live with us a few weeks ago and is now a permanent member of the family. The transition is great, working well and it has been wonderful to see this boy thrive. Ive known him for so long and it feels pretty good to take up where my mother left off so she can have her own space and get back to who she is as her own person.

My mother started working with foster children shortly after we did and its had its ups and downs just as we have had. This type of work can take a lot out of you, other times you get lucky and its a breeze. But over all we all need our breaks and its nice to see my mother finally get hers.

Another change is that our good friend Mike, who has helped us with so many construction projects, has decided to move back to Louisiana to care for his family. It will be very, very hard to see him go. All of us here have grown quite attached and we all have seen why he and my husband James have been friends for so long. We hope he will come back soon, or at least visit often, only time will tell. Alaska is so wonderful in that it is so far removed from the 'real world' but when people move on it is hard for some to come all the way back.

But we are pleased to find that James Langston's passion of working with the dogs is still alive, strong and continues to grow. He will be continuing to stay here with us and work as my right hand. The correct term is 'handler' but he has become so much more to us than that. The nickname we have given him is the Alaskan Mule cause he works so hard and takes on what ever job needs doing. Having him here is like having two working on all the various projects we have going...

As Mike transitions out we are pleased to see that the garage project that he helped us get started is nearing completion. Once that is finished we will be free all next summer to camp at the property and get a lot of work done. In my mind the idea of calling it work sounds ridiculous cause camping out and building our future sounds so darn fun and certainly not anything like work.

I am more than excited to be finally building a home that will be ours for our future, instead of looking at it as just an investment, but part of me is more excited to put in the dog yard than the home we will actually be living in! Ive got so many ideas and plans. Most of which will be the same layout as we have here but on a much larger scale. Pens will be bigger, more of them, with options for dogs to have regular play groups without worrying about them bumping into others who are 'party poopers' in the main yard or who are jealous just enough to start a fight.

I'm sure there will be more improvements and changes along the way from what we have going on here and it will be very exciting to see and be a part of the evolution.

There is also a huge part of me looking forward to winter and running the home trails again this year. I'm sure we will have at least two more winters to enjoy before heading to the property but the writing is on the wall, our time here is drawing to a close. Before long it will be my time to say goodbye to our familiar paths so we can forge ahead to break new ones open.

But the biggest change out in the dog yard continues to be the pups and their growing stages. They are quickly turning into adults as well as developing their own unique personalities. Orion is getting quite large, though still the runt puppy at heart. His time inside being nursed back to health has clearly had an impact on him as we see that he still demands to have special treatment from time to time. Though he is growing out of this it is slow and often a frustration to his siblings to be around him through these tissy fits but it is a joy for us to see those moments when he finally 'gets it' and gos along with the flow.

So even though we are not on four wheelers yet, knee deep in fall training as we would like to be this time of year, we are still remaining extremely busy. Meat is coming in on a regular basis and the freezers are staying full. With hunting season happening right now we expect to be even busier stashing away much needed meat for the trail and supplements for the dogs regular diet. Right now every one is on a pretty regular meat and kibble ration and their bodies are showing all benefits of this ancient nutrition. Even though many of them are still in summer relaxation mode it is amazing to see how bulked up in muscle they already are.

We may see a few dogs fall into retirement this season but overall the main dogs are all looking super and ready to rock as soon as the weather can stay steady and cool. Once the final touches are put on the garage project James L and I will be headed back to the dog yard with our days bound up in training and last minute chores before the snow comes.

It has been absolutely wonderful to be out in the yard feeding, cleaning and caring after them as the sun sets. The chill comes on the air as they settle into their houses for the night and with the coming dark its clear, another day is complete.

The everlasting daylight is nice but it does get old after a while. As the nights darken we think of the snow covering the land reflecting what light remains so we are never fully in the dark...

Therapy

2011-08-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

This blog is a great place for sharing information that helps our friends keep up to date with the kennel and our life changes but for the most part I have found that these entries can be very therapeutic.

This month the therapy part is most important because while all the other dogs are doing super, thriving and looking forward to fall and an exciting winter season we were shocked to find that our foster/rescue dog (one of our first) was very sick. With no apparent symptoms she went in to the vet for her routine check up when it was clear that surgery was the next step that very day. When the vet opened her up the exploratory observations were not good at all and it was decided not to let her wake.

So on Friday we were forced to say goodbye to our dear beloved Mandy who touched so many lives in positive and negative ways. Her first was biting a rescue worker when they were trying to save her from a severe neglect situation which immediately landed her into a special category for euthanasia. It was then that Ronnie R stepped in (our guardian angel for so many foster and shelter dogs) and through her kind gesture and extension of love for this dog that nobody wanted Mandy was brought to us.

In reality Mandy was not just one of the first foster dogs but she gave us the courage to save even more dogs and to extend our help to the Fairbanks Animal Shelter which in turn inspired us to start and build the Sled Dog Sanctuary (a process that is still ongoing and growing).

There is so much more to Mandy's life that I want to touch on but wont for now since it looks like she may get more of a spot light in Mushing Magazine in an upcoming article centered around shy dogs and what they can teach us. I am still rolling around the ideas of what will be in that article, which shy dogs will be the focus, etc... but I am certain that Mandy will be there front and center.

Like all the dogs who pass through here into new homes (if they are fosters) or who pass away from old age (our own dogs and some fosters as well) seeing that empty house in the dog yard is so very hard. Its so hard not to hear her barking for food at dinner time, one of her all time favorite things, or sounding the alarm when one of her neighbors slipped their collar.

No matter what was going on we could always depend on her to tattle tale if anything was wrong. That made her an asset to the kennel but not always every dog's friend. No one liked to be called out but they accepted her quirks just the same...

As we go through the process of grief we continue to look at the positive and realize that her empty house is not something of sadness but a wonderful hole that can be filled with another dog who needs our help. Its hard to make that jump but where there is positive we must go.

God bless you Mandy and Dog speed...

Going Native

2011-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Many would argue Ive already gone native quite some time ago! But Ive never actually owned an anorak parka which is something every native Alaskan should own or have at least used once during their life in Alaska.

I did have the opportunity to borrow one from my friend Robert for a sled dog race a few years back. That one was small, form fitting and quite warm! You can see a bit of it in one of the photos I use for my artist biography info (on left).

That anorak was a very traditional type style, no zippers, form fitting and very hard to take on and off. I usually change out jackets, sweaters, gloves, face masks, etc while driving my dog sled but changing out a traditional anorak takes concentration. Even one with zippers requires full concentration to get it on and off which could easily lead to a lost dog team if this is tried while they are moving.

The one I have been creating is the traditional type but does have a zipper installed at the top for ventilation and easier removal over the head while wearing hats, scarves or face masks. It is based off a Siberian anorak pattern and changed along the way to be more what the native Alaskans have used.

I have learned a lot from this process and came to find that a traditional quilted type material is great for the lining that touches the body (shown here in dark green) while the middle lining (white) is a light weight material designed to keep body heat in.

The outer layer (brown) is a German wool army blanket cut into the shapes of the pattern and sewn over section by section to encase the white inner layer of the anorak to protect it and add a lot of extra warmth.

As you can see from the photos it is not quite finished yet, there are still more wool sections to add on and last night there was also a bit more length added as well when I realized that the original length I had cut would not be long enough. It seems a bit more like a dress now but will shorten up a bit when the seams are put in for the final hem.

But, even when this wool outer layer is complete there is still more work to do!

I am working on crafting an outer canvas layer that will not only provide more protection from the cold but from the dogs jumping up on me as well. The outer canvas layer will be the same pattern and will be removable so when I'm breaking trail in deep snow so I can still have protection and a lot of breathing room without the added heat of the wool layer underneath.

What is also nice about the outer canvas layer is that is where the style will be, our kennel patch a few other details that I will show once it comes along a bit more.

Do to the intensity of this project (since it is ALL hand sewn) I have put my diamond willow wood work on hold so this anorak can be complete. It was a good choice seeing as how fall seems to be coming a bit early and our snow may not be far behind! I may be putting this anorak to the test a lot sooner than I had planned! :)

I am looking forward to getting back to working with my knife. Salmon fishing is just around the corner and may be a good time to fit in some carving while waiting for the fish to come by. We will see, either way I am excited to have this anorak project finished and in use so I can get back to the diamond willow that will also have a HUGE impact on my life when it is finished. More details to come!

Freedom Isnt Free...

2011-07-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

James asked me before he left for his trip to Louisiana, "Why aren't you excited I'm leaving? You will be free from cleaning, cooking (and other miscellaneous wifely duties) wont that be fun?" Well, for the average person maybe but for me its agony. Its very, very hard to say the least. I am very attached to my husband, and he to me, so its incredibly hard to be away from each other... a fact I am grateful for especially since he is talking about retirement in a few years and working from home just like I have been.

The weeks leading up to his month long departure were a whirlwind of activity for us, long movie date nights and long date days (my favorite was the Fountain Head Hotel Car Museum, shown in the photo). It was like we were catching up on all the time we haven't had over the summer and trying to cram it into one very exciting week. That put us off on the garage project a bit but even that project was going well. The sides and walls are up, the roof is on and all that is left is a bit more paint, garage doors installed and insulation. The boiler room is being plumbed by someone else so its safe to say most of the hard work is done.

While my James is away James L and my moms adopted son James Mason (everyone here is named James!) are working hard doing what they can do on the garage and straightening things up before my James ('Big James' as they call him) comes back.

James Mason is working on the transition of moving here permanently so that is one of the big things we are working him through now. He is pretty happy about the arrangement but I can tell its still a bit stressful for him. Hes been run through the foster care system so much that any new arrangement is tough on his mind even though my mom is still right down the street.

I'm holding down the fort on desk work and James L is filling in a LOT in the dog yard. We both are extremely ready for fall training and a break from all this hard work. We have been working way too hard and taxing ourselves mentally far more than we are used to. The puppies have a lot to do with this as they still require quite a bit of training and a lot of paw dodging as they are now getting tall enough to jump up for affection. It is delightful to have them around and they are teaching James L so much! I myself have been through the puppy raising times before so Ive left most of the hard work for him so he can learn. He is quick to get things done and they are learning heaps.

As the days pass I am grateful they are going by so quickly but also trying to keep a cool head and be mindful of where I want my life to go. Its so easy to get caught up in paperwork of all kinds and push aside the artist within. This summer Ive really come to understand where my soul is and where it yearns to be. I believe that most of this artistic transition will come when we get to the new property in Talkeetna but there is still a lot of ground work that I need to do here.

What all this creativity means I really don't know but I'm sure I will look back on it with a better sense of ownership in time.

The creativity is what is holding me together the most at this moment. My hand made, hand sewn (no machine used at all) anorak parka is coming together nicely and is a labor not only of love but of spirit. I'm not sure what importance it will have but it feels pretty darn neat. It is taking a while to put together but I am almost done with the three layered liner. After that is complete I can move onto the outer canvas shell.

Along with my new 'Spock and Iris' fur hat I will be fully ready for winter! Now if we can get our sled bags sewn up as well we will really be set for winter!!

All this is time consuming because of the lack of a heavy duty sewing machine but in the end the things we produce here are much more important knowing how much work went into it. Kind of like the dog truck that was made from scratch entirely by me, funded by my husband then reworked and refurbished by James L and myself. Each one of those processes took quite a bit of time but it is so worth it knowing we didn't cut corners and have very reliable gear that we know we can depend on when our trails get tough.

Since my mom is moving we have been 'moving' too working hard to get her out of her old place and all her old furniture over here to keep in storage. Her old desk came over and was set up in the office with a new desk put up in the office to help James L work through some of these mounting piles of paperwork we have to go through. It can be quite overwhelming at times but we are doing our best to chip away at it all and get back to a sense of completion well before fall comes around.

We have big plans once the leaves start falling off the trees and with two four wheelers to work with we intend to have two teams out training at the same time. If ample snow comes or not we will be ready with strong well trained dogs!!

Catching Up

2011-07-05T14:38:00.000-07:00

Summer is flying by, just like I love it to... I am not a fan of summer (big surprise) and very ready for winter. Aside from the excitement that the new pups will surely bring there is much on the trail that I miss, so dearly miss... of course what I miss the most are those who cannot share the trail with me any longer. That has been the hardest part, but in sneaking some time here and there I have made sure their fur will be on the trail with me. It is all I have left but it is what I can treasure the most, something timeless, something soft, something so close to being them that I can touch and feel for the rest of my days until I can meet with them again...

Aside from their loss being so hard to bear there are things that I am finding I treasure the very most, coincidences for the most part, though I don't believe in the definition of coincidences... the latest event was a gift, a very, very special gift created for me by Mariska (who can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mariskas-Creations/224513622869). This is Lupricus, the wolf god of winter, and what a beautiful god he is!!

I have set him up on our memorial shrine, to honor all those who have passed on. He holds raven feathers (messengers to those who have passed) in his pocket and a knit patch of Iris' fur on his arm. Aquila's collar (Iris' mother) lays at his feet and a photo of Spock at his side.

Mariska said she liked to think he was sent to me to watch over the foster dogs and all that we do here with the Sanctuary. No words could be more fitting, or more meaningful to what we are doing here. Those who pass on have, and always will, help those who are still here...

But where is the coincidence you may ask? Well Ive always had a connection with the 'other side', its not something Ive chosen consciously but something that brings me peace every moment of every day. How could I not have a connection over the Rainbow Bridge if so many of my friends are living and loving their existence over there?

When Iris passed I stumbled across the meaning of her name again... 'rainbow'... first coincedence, the Rainbow Bridge. She is also related to Hermes in some way (she is genetically related to the Hermes we have here but in mythlogical ways she is also related) and Hermes is the messenger of the gods. In some circles Iris was the messenger of the gods as well, a messenger to the other side... second coincedence... I had no idea of these things when I named her when she was born.

Then one day many years ago (when she was still alive) I found a rare wild white Iris growing in our favorite field. Incredible, a memory that still shocks and comforts me to this day... my third coincidence...

When she passed I always considered her to be my white angel, my messenger to the others who have passed, my comfort, my best friend who had sprouted wings. Never did I imagine I would grow so attached to this girl, this little runt who almost didn't make it past puppyhood, much like another pup I know (Orion)...

Then the fourth and latest coincidence... Lupricus... the white wolf god... another messenger, so much like my Iris... what does this all mean?

It means that we are all connected, all loved, all thought of and living in the present tense even if we cannot touch those things we miss the most. All my 'signs' are bundled up and traced back to Iris but its more than that, its an expression of her love and a channel that the others who have gone can pass through and communicate with.

It is a belief that I have that she my messenger and my belief is strengthened by the signs that come to me, even so many years after she has been gone. So even though Spock has not contacted me as strongly as Iris, she continues to send signs to help me understand that he is still here. He may be reincarnated in Orion but I am still a bit skeptical of that. I need more 'coincidences', though there have been quite a few already.

And even though I know Iris is still here in spirit, and Patsy, and Beano, and Ursa, and Aquila, and Phoenix, and Bruin, and Spock it helps to have their fur with me as extra comfort especially while I am on the trail. So this year Ive made something very special, a connection of my wonderful messenger and my powerful protective guardian that Spock was, and has been, to me in this life. It is a new design that I may incorporate into the next husky hair hats that I make, along with the old designs, for the Yukon Quest but this one will obviously be staying with me.

The fur trim is beaver, the outer shell is made of Spock's spun dog hair and the inner lining (which I will be working on tonight) is going to be made from Iris' spun dog hair. It is an honor to have such a beautiful hat that has such an indescribable meaning. Winter cannot come soon enough!

What it looks like on... it is very warm, cozy and stylish! :)

A wider view of the shrine. The make up of the shrine changes from time to time. Fur garments are from Spock, Iris, Mercury (who is still here and doing very well), rocks are from various places around Alaska, railroad spikes are from the new property, photos of Spock, Ursa (Iris' sister) and Aquila (Iris and Ursa's mother) hang on the wall. Lupricus is at the center of it all tieing everything together and being a source of focus. Fairy statue states, "Death leaves a heartache no one an heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." A gift from my mother...

And last but not least, a beautiful piece from an artist I so admire that has described the energy of my life lately, it is called "I Am Here".
This piece, and other amazing work from the artist, can be found on-line here at http://my.deviantart.com/messages/#/d3dalpt

Hot Summer Days

2011-06-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

The days are flying by and not getting much cooler. Our high so far for the summer has been 85, in some areas of Fairbanks I heard it got up to 88... way too hot for Alaska standards!

With the rising temperatures its a good thing we got the pond in before the backhoe had to go back to the rental place. We originally had to rent it to put the foundation in for the garage but as long as it was here we found all kinds of work to do before it was sent back! :)

There is a nice area in the dog yard where there used to be a stream running through before all the development happened in North Pole. Since the dog yard was only developed for the yard it was not required to be leveled and still retained the old pathways of nature. We took advantage of this and dug out the old stream bed down to clay.

We had planned on putting in a plastic membrane to hold the water but found we didn't need to. The water found a comfortable level and stayed there just shallow enough for wading but not too deep that the dogs will get nervous if they had to swim.

The backhoe making short work of the pond digging process. You can see Boreas in the background very comfortable even though a big noisy machine was digging away next to his dog house.

Showing Thani that the water is shallow enough for wading.

Calypso's turn while Juno and Orion look on

Ymir checks out the steeper banks not too sure about the cool water just yet
(thanks to James Langston for being photographer that day!)

New Days...

2011-06-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here backing up photos and catching up on a hundred different things and thinking, oh crap! The BLOG!!

Every time I have that thought I figure I will get back to it once I'm more caught up, have my head straight or maybe the next full moon will organize everything while I sleep. No? I thought so...

Well, lets just get back into it. Its not perfect, I'm still not caught up with things but I guess I have to start again somewhere. In short, be patient with us, we all have a LOT on our plates lately, far too much to go into here but its ALL good and ALL more wonderful than many of us could have dreamed.

Never in my life did I figure I would be able to surround myself with so many people of the same dreams and visions as mine but here I am. Wow, what a trip... and its only just begun!! :)

I don't have time to let you in on all the excitement just yet but I will let it out over time as time allows. For now the most exciting thing in my personal life is a wood piece I'm working on. Never in my life have I been so completely consumed with a project. It is a fantastic feeling...

The wood for this project is diamond willow, hauled out by my dog team, carved and crafted by me (and mother nature of course) using only a pocket knife. I did incorporate a chain saw and electric sander along the way but the majority of the work was hand carved with my knife.

What will it be you may ask? Hmmm... you guessed it... its a secret!! :) :)

At least for now it will be a mystery. Its coming along quick so I should have the answer for you soon. For now enjoy the photos of this amazing and beautiful wood that grows wild along our sled dog trails.

It starts out covered in bark (seen in the top of the log in the photo). As the bark is pealed and carved away an amazing display of red patterns unique to each tree start to appear.

Deep red crevasses take shape as old pieces of the limb are hollowed out. These colors grow deeper after a coat of protective stain is applied. The limb on the right has been sanded, the one on the left only has the bark stripped off.

A closer view of one of these knots with my pocket knife as a size reference. This is the knife that Ive done all my carving with. It is a Gerber I bought on my first trip to Alaska about 16 years ago and still going strong!

Using the electric sander, one of the few electric tools I will use on this piece.

Since I'm working on this in the dog yard Ive had a LOT of help. Griffin shows me how to properly take strips of wood off this larger log.

Orion has been my constant helper. To say he and I are bonded would be quite the understatement. This little man is like a soul mate...

My Poor Neglected Blog

2011-05-19T16:27:00.001-07:00

Wow, time flys when we are slammed with work! A LOT has been going on around here and its been very tough to keep ahead of it all. Let me try to do a recap in 60 seconds or less!

- Litter of pups born (almost lost the runt of the litter but he is healthy now and AMAZING even at this young age)
- Home garage demolished, getting ready to start building the new one to repair the damage that happened this winter.
- House is being rewired and plumbed to fix broken heating pipes
- James started a new business (or more appropriately picked up where his old business left off many years ago)
- We got a new puppy car ('04 Jeep Grand Cherokee)
- New art completed (working on getting professional scans to make more prints available)
- Time line for moving to the new property has been moved up (very excited about this!!!!)
- James Langston moved in as our full time dog handler
- Fosters have come, gone out for adoption and a one actually stayed here at the kennel
- Dog truck is being sold, our newly refurbished box is getting ready to be installed on the new rig
- More logo work complete (looking for time to update the gallery)

Whew, I know Im forgetting a thing or two... but that is it in a nut shell... its been crazy, very crazy around here but I am finally getting a handle on things. As usual, all is falling into place nicely, working out well as we work out the minor kinks here and there. It is very exciting where all this is headed and as soon as I catch up with desk work I will be back on the blog doing updates and charting all the fun!

The Busiest Month of them All!!

2011-03-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates, been super busy here, as we expected to be. March always keeps us on our toes. There are too many things to get caught up on at the moment so this update will be brief.

We have been taking quite a few clients out these past few weeks and getting the dogs a rest when we can. They have been working very hard, actually we all have, and its been nice to catch breaks when and where we can.

James L's parents came up for a visit so we took them out for a dog sled ride yesterday. James took both of them in his sled while I ran ahead with a small team of six. Half way out on the trail I realized I hadnt run that few dogs in my team for about eight years!!! Im usually comfortable with 10 to 12 but six, wow, that was a total flashback to the old days!! :)

Even with such a small team my guys were FLYIN'! We had to slow down a bit for James to keep up but his team did very well. We can tell Maude is slowing down so we arent sure if she will be running all that much next year. Coyote is holding up very well though and James is loving having him in his team. Hes a trooper!

My small six dog team on the trapline trail that Ive grown to love so much.
Hermes and Calypso in lead, Zephyr in swing, Eli in team, Thani and Boreas in wheel.

It was a bit hard realizing that out of those I traveled this trail with so many years ago are gone but one, Griffin was still with me but not pulling in the team. Mercury of course is still here at home but its clear now that I am working solidly with the third generation.

On the way back my guys were still full of juice and not wanting to slow down through the most exciting part of the trail where all the moose are. I put Juno in the sled a few times for weight but since she doesn't weigh all that much it only slowed them a little. Then I put Griffin in the sled, now that did the trick! They slowed down nicely and Griffin got to have the royal treatment being pulled by his children! :)

It was a bit interesting seeing him up there, I had another flash back to carrying his mother, Aquila, the same way, down the same trail, when she started having trouble keeping up. It wasn't long after that that she passed away from health related complications... its hard to realize these guys are getting older but Griffin remains the picture of health and is still so spry that he can still keep up very well with the team. And considering that his father is doing so wonderfully at 13 years of age its a good bet neither will be leaving us any time soon...

This year I have also been looking in the mirror and seeing a change. My body is growing a bit older too and my face is changing. I can now officially say I have wrinkles! :)

Its things like these that are the way we mark the passage of time, it is a clear reminder of where we have been, what we have accomplished and what we have to look forward to. In our case, our future is in the pups that are on the ground here now. Eight in all mark the start of our fourth generation and the latest milestone in my 14 year mushing career.

What a life this has been... I'm looking forward to what is around the next bend!

Griffin rides in the sled being pulled by his faithful children! :)

Next entry we get back to my adventure with Mary Shields. Jon and Jona Van Zyle...

Long Road In

2011-02-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

Been super busy here lately. One day we are scheduling like mad, the next we are back on the trail working our butts off!

And then there is art, orders to fill, cleaning to do and general busy work to get things in order. This week the biggest most challenging thing has been the cleaning of 'the office'. This hasn't been done in I dont know how many years!

It was a huge ordeal that was just completed today... a big thanks to James for helping work through all the mess!! Now that the office is cleaned, organized and better maintained working in it will insure a nice calm energy to go along with our heavy work load. This is far better than the frantic energy that it had before, where things were thrown in the best places possible, combating that with our already hectic scheduling!

It will also be a better place of calm for my art which continues with great speed. I am working on a graphite piece (sneak peek can be seen above) as well as finishing up the Yukon Quest poster that was started on last year. It feels great to be finishing up the old while working on the new!!

This is all a great direction for us to head as we continue into this new year. And even though the cold weather has come again (the lowest has been -40) we are still fortunate to only expect it for a little while longer before it breaks into much milder temperatures. It will be perfect for our upcoming dog sled tours we have booked.

And now, part two of my Anchorage adventure with Mary Shields...

PART TWO: Snowstorm...

A snow storm came just as fast as the dark settled in on us. We had to slow way down to be safe on the highway. This was my first time driving in the snow on the Parks Highway but it wasn't as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. There wasn't much traffic and the lights on the cars that traveled with us we could see well and spaced ourselves safely.

I kept thinking of the caribou we had seen so many miles back and wondered if any moose were going to come out for a close encounter with our car. Thankfully all wildlife was waiting out the storm safe in the forest and we were safe on the road.

We got in a bit late to the VanZyles but they welcomed us warmly and showed us to a cozy little loft where we would be staying. Mary had been there many times before but since this was my first visit I could barely focus, there were far too many things to look at! It was a museum with so many wonderful creative pieces of art to look at, and when I was tired of looking at art (which is never!) there were even more pieces of history all around. From snowshoes, to an old mushing harness, to carvings and old posters of races gone by... I was in heaven and so distracted I felt I wasn't being the best guest... I was far too speechless at seeing all the history around me.

And in the kitchen were old photos of Leonhard Seppala and his team, one was even from the Chatanika area! A place I am very familiar with, I felt like I had been there only years ago, and even though the time had changed drastically the land was literally frozen in time. No collection would be complete without photos of Balto and Togo, they were both there.

Jon told us about the research he had done on the Seppala Siberians and how he had brought back some of that same bloodline to his own kennel. It was very interesting information and so wonderful to share a common passion.

Jona heated us up the most wonderful halibut and salmon soup. It was heavenly! As we ate Jon, Jona and Mary talked more as I sat in awe soaking up all the information and marveling at all the history they shared. Later we shared another similar passion, ice cream!! :)

I found out later that Jona has been buying my note cards to secretly help support me as an artist. This was VERY flattering considering I had only met them in person for the first time that day!

After dinner Jon and Jona showed us around the house in more detail. We were brought into his gallery and I was instantly in awe at the paintings that lined the walls, the extras that were stacked along the floor, the Iditarod poster that had just been completed and so many other piece of unique art I just couldn't take in all at once. It was a feast for the eyes and I lingered there in awe just a bit longer as Jon, Jona and Mary toured the next room.

When I could finally pull myself out of his gallery I was shown a white wolf painting he was working on. In it were two wolves, the white one stood out the most. It was beautiful just laying there in the snow by the stream. I was in the presence of a wonderful piece of work being created right before my eyes, a piece of history was in the making and I was fortunate enough to be there at its creation...

Since the evening was already getting so late Mary and I thought it was a good idea to head for bed even though my mind was reeling from so many questions about art, how it was marketed, how it felt to do so much art, how did Jon stay sane giving so much of himself into his work and how did he manage to make a full career out of it... on top of that I was inspired beyond belief, an intensity of inspiration that I had never felt before in my life!

Seeing Jon's work I wanted to create, not tomorrow, not next week, not a month from then but NOW!! Knowing I had to get some sleep I tried to stay calm and stifle that creative energy as long as I could but it was extremely hard to do...

Next time... 'Show Days/Work Days'

New Art

2011-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

The inspiration continues!!

My latest work... "Iris Dream"

Sketch completed last week... "Wise One"

Original given to the VanZyle's as a thank you for the wonderful time Mary Shields and I spent at their home.

Trip of a Lifetime

2011-02-01T12:04:00.001-08:00

For those of you who follow me on Facebook (at Miriam Cooper or Where Spirits Walk Kennel) you will already know that life was put on hold for a week so I could travel down to Anchorage with Mary Shields for a wholesale show where we set up to sell her books, my prints and note cards.

The show itself was a little slow but we made some good connections and had a great time. I had thought the reason for the journey was to expand my retail business but in reality life was showing me a far different view. The major impact of this trip was meeting and staying with Jon and Jona VanZyle (www.jonvanzyle.com). Never could I have imagined how much meeting them would change my life...

In the next few posts I will attempt to relive this amazing experience to share with you all this amazing journey I have been on. This is an inside glimpse at what has been the major driving point in the creative side of my life. This road trip has been a major turning point for the gifts Ive been given to share with the world... as Jon said to me, "Art is not to be kept, it is to be shared, sold or given away so the world can enjoy it with you."

Here begins my journey:

At -41 degrees I left the house and headed to Mary's Shields cabin, my Jeep too full of gear, hoping I didn't pack too much, my mind too full of details, what did I bring, what did I leave at home, how will the dogs do? I was already missed everyone so much and I hadn't even left yet!

I was in far too much of a hurry to get this journey started, the roads were icy and I took a curve too fast... my Jeep spun around and I could feel that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach as my mind raced wondering if I was going to hit a car, a snow berm or just go off the edge. But when I looked over my right shoulder I could see my lane, the one I was on just moments ago, I instantly got my bearings and had complete confidence wash over me. I knew where I wanted to get to, told myself, "Ive got this..." let the fear leave my body, took my foot off the break and put my focus back on where my Jeep should have been and not where I feared it was going.

A car was coming from the other direction and I bet my 360 spin looked quite impressive from the other lane! All was well though and by the time I passed the other vehicle I was on my way again, this time in the proper lane and heading forward, not backwards or sideways! :)

Once I made it to Mary's it was a bit warmer but not by much. I started loading gear into her car while she finished up some final details she needed to tend to. I had a bit of trouble strapping down the display racks to the top but we got it all taken care of without any frostbite. Before long we were on our way chatting about Alaska and mushing adventures. Once on the highway, just outside of town, Mary was able to point out landmarks of places she had been, places she thought of homesteading in the early days, where she had hiked or camped. It was an amazing thing to see this vast state through her eyes, it was a whole new perspective for me...

Before long caribou started showing up on the sides of the highway in ones and twos then tens and twenties. They were everywhere and calmly eating as we stopped along the road to take pictures.

We traveled for hours until the daylight started to fade and before long we were driving into darkness. My fear of driving the highway in the dark of night quickly vanished when I realized I could see, by the bright headlights, if wildlife were going to walk out in front of us. The state road crews had done a great job of cutting the vegetation back and there were hardly any travelers out but Mary and I.

Once we reached mile 90 of the Parks Highway (where our 40 acre property is) we figured it was a good place for a pee break. When I got out of the car all was silent, dark and so peaceful you could hear a pin drop. I thought of my husband James and how much I wanted him to be there at that moment to hear what I was hearing and to dream along with me about living at that very same place in only a few years time...

It was too short of a stay, Mary and I had to keep moving if we were going to make it to the VanZyle's by dinner time...

(next time... part two- snowstorm on the highway... )

Possible Puppies?

2011-01-12T18:08:00.000-08:00

Things are coming together again, as they always do. Downsides never last long, even though it feels that way some times. :)

The truck just came back from the mechanics and it looks like the problem was only a loose wire. Glad it was something simple, but it seems silly for it to be that easy. We are not out of the woods until I test it out tonight and make sure its going to start then we can be 100% sure. *fingers crossed*

In the meantime we are busy figuring out our schedule for the rest of the winter, making plans and possibly expecting PUPPIES!!

I would like to introduce you to a female named Moxi who is not related to our bloodline and will continue to increase the genetic diversity of our sled dogs. She is an AWESOME working dog, has a good coat and also has some leader potential. We are very excited to see how these pups are going to do with help of Thani's blood to the gene pool!

Thani is by far the best sled dog we have had at our kennel EVER and his siblings are also excellent stand outs. Boreas is extremely attentive, Hermes is a natural intuitive leader (the best Ive ever had) and Calypso is a very hard worker with leader potential also. Chronos is extremely special and would have been an amazing sled dog if not for his heart condition. But what he lacks in the working department he makes up with sweet cuteness. He is the caretaker and the remover of stress to us all. He seems to have a natural talent of healing and getting everyone back to the place of well being when we are out of alignment.

Moxi lives at another kennel so we will have to wait for updates from her owner as they come in. The latest news is that her appetite is WAY up and her heat cycle has ended earlier than normal, which may indicate that she is focusing on giving all her nutrients to the new babies growing inside her!

Keep her in your thoughts and prayers for a healthy litter of beautiful babies!!

Moose Attack!

2011-01-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

It was very hard going today but finally we had some work that was enjoyable!! We took a break from everything and got the dogs out for a trial run and to do some trail maintenance. We only took one sled, two mushers and ten dogs but it really felt like we had 20 pullers out there! The dogs worked seriously hard and both James and I did too. Lots of snowshoeing and LOTS of time trying to find the trail.

Janice was great when she came out today to run the foster dogs. Brooks (now called Abbie) did great for her and she pulled Janice all the way out to our first turn off before heading back to the parking area. We continued on to find the trail we hadn't been on all season and also to hit another trail that we had started breaking out last time but never finished.

I'm not sure how long the dogs broke trail but our total run was 14 miles and they really hit it hard, coming in looking super strong. James L took a lot of video and I broke it down into the best pieces so you can get an idea of how the trail was. You can see that we were only on groomed trails at the very beginning of the run, all the rest was breaking open the trail through some deep, deep snow.

If you look close you can see Hermes up front running loose showing the team where to go. He is our official trail finder and James L has given him a new nickname the 'Snow Cat'! Even though hes a dog I'm sure he wouldn't be offended to be called a cat since its a direct reference to some of the best, hardworking snowmobiles on the market.

To see video click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF3cgaiHDvQ

The dogs came in looking super strong but at the end I thought I saw a moose, James kept scanning with his light and I with mine but didnt see anything. We thought it was a fluke but a few minutes later she came charging out of the woods, right into the middle of the team, hit Reba hard, she went down but the moose still stayed there threatening to stomp again while James and I screamed at her until she finally wandered back into the woods.

I jumped out of the sled bag when I saw Reba went down. I didn't know at first who it was but as I was frantic I could hear James L saying it wasn't good to stay there. My mind was like oatmeal, I couldn't think even though I knew he was making sense. What if she came back? I tried to get Reba out of the team, she was in shock, and when it was clear that I couldn't lift her James told me to stand on the break so he could run up and put her in the sled bag.

She was bleeding from somewhere but we couldn't tell where, nor was it a concern since we were only about 2 minutes away from the dog truck. James had to jump in the sled and hold on to her as we sped back to parking lot, all she wanted to do was jump up and run but we knew better. If she was seriously injured that would only complicate things.

I kept looking for the moose the whole way back but she didn't show back up. My hands were wet and freezing from all the trail breaking but that was all forgotten when we got back to the truck and needed to unhook the dogs. Every one seemed fine as I unhooked them while James L looked over Reba for injury. We couldn't tell where she was bleeding from but later it appeared that she was hit right across her nose which may have been where the blood came from. There was blood also on her toes but that may have been the dripping from her nose since she was walking remarkably well.

We brought her in that night and set her up with a crate to rest in my office while her pain meds kicked in. Reba doesn't like to be isolated in a crate much but that night I saw no complaints and she slept the whole night.

Today she is looking fine as ever and it still amazes me how much power a moose can have but choose not to use it. Ive only been that close to a moose one other time in my life, this time I was riding in the sled basket! Much too close! Another encounter I had was when a momma moose had attacked Spock and slammed both front legs into his rib cage. I swore he should have broken ribs but never showed any sign of pain or injury, not even stiffness!

Either these dogs are super beings, the moose are kind to us or we just have a great streak of good fate that leads us into these situations without serious injury.

Walking away from that encounter leaves me shaken, to say the least, but also extremely grateful for what ever or who ever is watching out for our well being and safety. That trip could have ended so horribly wrong but it didn't. It tested James L and I in ways no one wants to be tested but in doing so has given us much more confidence in ourselves and our dogs than before.

Tough Trails

2011-01-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Every winter I find myself wondering what is to come, where will we go, what will we do and most importantly will we have good snow and temperatures to run dogs? And every year I cross my fingers and hope our dog truck will make it through another season. Since we are not able to depend on the new one (our friend has been borrowing it to get to work) we have to baby the old one in hopes that it will keep going for the rest of winter.

So what has this season brought to us? Busted pipes, too many repairs, a limping dog truck and a team and musher full of frustration at all the road blocks we seem to have along the way (which is part of the reason why our updates on this blog have been so late in coming). Ive been trying to stay positive and look to the bright side, look to the daylight coming back, look to more snow on the horizon, look for anything that will help my mind to stay sharp and focused but then my winter depression set in, and it set in hard.

I am extremely grateful for the support system I have around me, for my husband who tries his best to understand my depression, for the monumental efforts he has taken to make sure my truck is running and stays that way. For the dogs and their infinite patience with all the repairs that have been going on that have taken my time away from them and the trail. For James and Mike who have tirelessly kept moving, kept working, kept building and never once complained about any of it. It is simply incredible that through all we have been through this year that we are still going strong, living our dreams and looking ahead.

I have to admit that at times its been very hard for me to focus, to be the strong person I need to be to keep striving ahead, to live this dream. It just seems that one thing after another comes and wont let up, or when it does let up its only for a very brief moment before everything comes crashing down again.

The dog truck is still a factor we are not sure about, the last time we took it out we couldnt get it started again after our run was over. This was a huge frustration because I would really like to be on some sort of schedule, to have our volunteers come out and have the fun I was so hoping to show them with the team and so everyone can have some stress relief out on the trail where its peaceful and quiet.

But James came to rescue the truck again that day and towed us the short way home. It was so nice it was the holiday or he wouldn't have been home to do so and we would have been stuck for a very long time.

The other major blow was that Mercury got sick a few days ago. This is always bad timing since I dont want any of my kids to ever be sick or injured but it came at the worse time since I was so depressed already. Fortunately he is doing much better today though his back end is still a little weak. Hes getting on in years and its expected for him to not feel as young as he used to... but the reality of all the years gone by is still hard to comprehend.

Like Spock, Mercury and I have been together since he was so very young and we knew each other before my husband was a part of my life. Its hard to see the ties of what used to be fall away and all those emotions and my connection along with it. This is not to say that I expect Merk to die tomorrow but the writing is on the wall, none of us can live forever and I am forced to see that painful reality more so with him being under the weather rather than enjoying the days when hes bouncing around healthy and happy.

But there is good to all of this too for the night I found out he was sick, that next day a package of chocolates arrived from my good friend Kathy and was such a welcome hug. Kathy has known and loved Merk, and even though she didn't know he was sick it so fitting to get her gift right at that time.

It made me smile this morning when I found out last night that my husband James had to lay sideways in the bed just so he wouldn't disturb Mercury, who for the first time since he had gotten sick, was comfortable to climb up on the bed to sleep there the entire night.

And to keep focusing on the positive I would like to introduce a new 'member' to our family, the Black Beast!! James liked my Blue Beast so much that he decided to get one of his own from Laughing Husky (http://www.laughinghusky.com/) that has the same shape and size but is much longer. This sled makes mine look tiny!!

So take a look at the photo on the top of this blog post to see a sneak peek into this new piece of equipment. James is still working on getting used to driving it but already we have seen a great positives in its handling and how much we can haul on the trail. The dogs are pulling it effortlessly and its very exciting to see what trails this new sled will see in the future! :)

Still Cold

2010-12-22T11:05:00.001-08:00

Its been a long time since Ive seen it be this cold around Christmas. Usually I am enjoying an annual Christmas mush but this year things may be different. The cold has settled in early, with the highest temperature getting up to -20, but it is my hope that we can get the worst part of winter out of the way now to enjoy a warmer January later. Possible? Only time will tell...

Work continues on the dog truck with only painting left to do. All the construction has been taken care of and it feels so nice to slow way down and get back to the joy of painting. Even though I dont consider it fine art, painting the kennel name and all the dogs names has been very relaxing for me.

James L has been a big help, as always, and I am teaching him how I get all the necessary details painted on the truck so it looks top notch. Displaying the kennel name could be as easy as going to a printer and purchasing decals but its just not the same. Hand painting may take time but in the end it makes a HUGE difference in the quality.

I keep reminding myself that if it wasn't so cold we wouldn't be able to get so caught up on the truck repairs and painting. Even though I want to be out on the trail, and the dogs do too, it is best to focus on what I can do for now and how great it feels to be doing it. The last time the dog truck was in this good of shape was when it was built!

Let me try to run down a list of improvements to get a better perspective for all our hard work...
- New front 'nose' to replace the old sagging one (HUGE thanks to Mike for his help on that!)
- New hardware in 'nose' to better support the weight of gear and dogs
- Two new boxes in the 'nose' to house up to four medium sized dogs (these boxes will be designated for foster dogs)
- New latch hardware to eliminate the noise of snaps on latches (makes for a much quieter ride for our dogs, especially fosters who are nervous in their new surroundings after leaving the animal shelter)
- Repairs made to Hera's box to clean up Reba's custom wood chewing handiwork!
- Additional storage added to the bed of the truck on the inside to house extra boots, sleeping bags, ganglines, treats, etc...
- New paint inside and out
- New plywood for the roof and new rails to tie back the sleds
- Better sealant on all roof seams to prevent leaks from the rain (we had a lot of trouble with this last year which is why the roof was starting to rot away)
- New supports on the ladder to make it safer for mushers to climb on the roof to load sleds
- All dogs names painted on each one of their boxes, inside and out
- New kennel name painted to each side of the dog truck as well as the new kennel website address painted on the back.

I think that's everything though James L might be able to fill in a few more details as I am likely to forget some things for sure... its been a whirlwind of work and hard to remember all the details... :)

And here are a few snapshots from our recent completed work...

New 'nose'. Notice there are no holes to the outside for the two dog boxes that were built within. We arranged these boxes specifically for our foster dogs who train with us. Since most of the fosters who come from shelter are thin coated it is best for them not to have the cold wind coming in while they travel.

There is plenty of ventilation for them through the rest of the box since the main aisle is not closed. There are grates on their doors (see photos below) to let the warmer air come in from the inside of the truck.

A view of the 'nose' from the inside. This was before painting but shows the platform that our dogs can jump up onto to easily get into their boxes without us having to strain to lift them. Notice the new quieter hardware on each dogs door.

Zephyr shows how comfortable and spacious they are even without the straw added yet! :)
These boxes are longer than the regular ones and offer a bit more stretching out room or more room for two dogs to travel together.

Here Juno and Zephyr show how they can travel together in one box though a dog like Zephyr, who is so long, usually gets his own box for maximum comfort. Across the way neighbor Chronos relaxes on the other side.

After painting and the addition of a bit more hardware we are able to show our first new storage option for parkas and other goods that can be easily 'stuffed' into the new space. A long bungee cord holds everything back nicely.

The new dog box doors can still be opened and dogs loaded in and out without getting in the way of the items stored in the back.

And with the addition of four eye bolts to the front we are able to string up an X-pattern with more bungee cords to hold back larger gear to keep it in place while we drive out to the trail.

Last but not least is the new 'boot locker' storage areas under the boxes to take advantage of the extra room on the bed of the truck. There are six boxes total, one for boots, one for sleeping bags, one for treats, one for ganglines and two more for miscellaneous items.

And that concludes the walk through of our repairs on the dog truck! We will have updates on painting soon... that is the icing on the cake and we are saving the best for last! :) :)

HUGE thanks to James Cooper for the use of the heated shop and electricity, HUGE thanks to James Langston for helping so much with all the repairs and painting and a HUGE thanks to Mike Pawlak for helping us work the details of angles on the 'nose' of the dog truck. We couldn't have come this far without all your help!!

This Amazing Life

2010-12-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

Even though it was cold yesterday, and today, I am amazed how well I'm dealing with things this year. Winter is my absolute favorite time of year but parts of it can be challenging, the extreme cold and the dark being two of those factors. If it weren't for the dogs being here I actually think I would handle the extreme cold much better since my worries about them being happy and warm outside drive me over the top every season.

So this year we are trying something new, having our 'special' cases in side (Juno, Zephyr, Griffin, Ajax, Buddy and now Chronos) through the cold while the tougher younger generation works things out in their insulated houses with plenty of straw. So far everyone seems to be thriving and, as usual, I am the weak link left to worry about them for no reason.

Last night I let everyone run around and we all enjoyed the -40 degree temperature having fun and realizing that winter doesn't have to be a constant state of worry. There is so much in my life that has changed but my perspective is by far the most profound difference.

I realized we hit the cold temps when I saw James pull out his beaver hat and reached for my fox. Its amazing how warm good fur can keep you, synthetics pale in comparison. They may be good for the folks in the lower 48 states but in -40 and colder you have got to break out the fur or suffer the chill.

The pipes are still busted here in the house but the wood stove is going strong. Thanks to James L we picked up a load of spruce at Northland and are staying warm and toasty with some high quality stuff! It was so much fun loading up a full size truck bed in -35. Working in the cold definitely gives you an appreciation for how self sustaining one can be when moving. The only complaint he and I had at the end was our hands getting a little cold but overall we were thriving!!

We are making plans now for spring repairs on the house and wont know just what is involved until after break up has passed. That is a long ways off and as a musher Im not ready to think about the season ending just yet. There are still a lot of things I want to do with the dogs on our trails but at this present moment we are still working on repairs to the dog truck and getting closer to finishing up the final painting details (sneak peek photo at the top of this post). Once the warm weather comes again we will be ready to hit the trail in style with all repairs complete and our gear ready for LOTS of action!! :)

Challenging/Rewarding Times

2010-12-06T15:39:00.001-08:00

This last week has been a challenge, maybe that's an understatement... we had some really great things happen but when our heating pipes in the house busted after the big freeze up, well, that put things in a different light all together. Thank goodness we had our woodstove handy otherwise we would have been in a world of hurt. James is working through the insurance company to see what we can do but the damage is pretty extensive.

What has been best for us to do is to focus on the positive, what we still have and what we are grateful for. The dogs, humans and the big shop is still going strong and even the house is holding, its not perfect but its holding.

Things could be so much worse and I am so grateful to have James holding so strong, his friend Mike there to help him and James L to help me keep the dogs going and comfortable. We are really in a great place regardless of the recent mess with the pipes, there is so much still to be grateful for and so much more to look forward to. This is only a minor bump in the road, nothing more...

So before the pipes blew we had a minor issue with the dog truck, though at the time we didnt realize it was minor. I was trying not to stress about it and since the cold snap came it was sitting in the shop with no where to go anyway so James had plenty of time to work on it. The problem was a minor little part that was easy to fix and we were well on our way when the warmer weather came. We got on the trail this weekend, had a BLAST but had to get right back into the office today to catch up on office work. It was a bummer not to be able to run today but we are juggling quite a few things and making sure everything is tended to.

This last week has really been productive, James L and I got the roof changed out on the dog truck. We are working on new paint now and fixing a few minor things that needed mending on the inside of the dog boxes. Mike has been helping us get a new 'nose' on the beast and we will be on the road in style before we know it!!

I have been doing most of the detail painting to make sure all the boxes have the dogs names on them as well as putting up the new kennel name on the side. It feels really good to be 'official' and caught up on things like this. It may seem minor but its so much easier when the mushers know where the dogs are supposed to be so that the dogs can help us get them in their boxes efficiently.

It may not seem like it but after a few load ups they really get their routine down. For example Hermes and Boreas are side by side on the upper deck and even though Boreas always wants to load up first he knows to wait for Hermes to get in his box first. Every time I have to call up Hermes while Boreas waits at the bottom of the truck, knowing its about to be his turn to load up. He remembers the routine every time.

For the very first time we have every single box accounted for (16 total) with the dogs who are active in the team. Its strange to have a full dog yard and now a full dog box with having to double box dogs sometimes since we are bringing the foster dogs along. I never, ever thought my kennel would be this big, have this much to look forward to or be having this much fun. Its really awesome how lucky we all are to be living this life and helping so many others along the way!

We have also been working on dog houses these past few weeks and finally got our 'industrial' one complete for the big pen. The shelter houses are currently under construction and those will have insulation as well as flip top roofs like this one has for easy cleaning. Our kennel is shaping up so well and it is wonderful to be able to offer such great accommodations for our pups!

My next goal (one of many!) is to change the weather by getting down the Parks Highway where the temps tend to be a bit milder and the snow much more abundant. Not sure when exactly that will be but we are focusing on the details and laying the ground work now... first the Spock Shop, now with the repairs to the dog truck and this summer making a dog trailer so we can transport the entire kennel very easily. Its all coming together!!

I also have some other REALLY big news that I am just bursting at the seams to tell you all but as usual, I have to wait until things are more official before sharing. Its getting so close to reality that I can barely hold it in but I do have a very general hint... it has a whole lot to do with MUSHING!! :) :)

Stay warm everyone and keep smiling!!!

Poster Child

2010-11-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

Its been a busy fun weekend for us here. After taking a full week off to get some rest and get over a lingering cough it was too hard to stay home watching all the new snow fall. Day after day it came until I couldn't sit any longer and we headed out!

Turns out we had great timing cause its raining now and making things all slicked up and too dangerous to leave the house. Fortunately we had so much snow that this should only make a small dent in damage to our trails, especially since we are used to running on much less snow than this! Training in the rough has its advantages!

As Ive told James L at the start of this season, "It all gets easier from here." Once you master how we do things at the kennel under marginal snow conditions and rough trail it prepares you for anything mother nature has to throw at you on the sled or off! :)

The dogs have been doing super, holding strong and staying with the program even though we had a major jump onto the trails with minimal four wheeler training this fall. There was far too much work to do at the kennel and their fall training wasnt as heavy as it usually was. But so far they have settled into an amazing stride and only showed signs of fatigue yesterday when it was clear they should have had a bit more time off.

We had Leah and her mom come out to run the five mile loop with us so Leah could get a taste of what it will be like when she starts running her own sled with a few foster dogs following our main teams and so her mom could see up close and personal why we so love our lives here in Alaska.

It was a grand trip but when we turned the teams around for James L and I to head out for a second time the dogs were telling us it was a bit too much too soon. On the second trip we opted for no weight and just to have some fun but by the time we got started their speed was far too slow and we took the early turn back to run the 2 mile trail instead of another five.

This weekend they ran a total of about 22 miles (give or take), hauling weight of two passengers for 15 miles and hauling firewood for another three. Not too bad after having a full week off, and this early in the season!

We are planning another few days off for them and hopefully heading out Wednesday for another trail run. But as fluid as my schedule has been Im not setting anything in stone just yet. Best to let mother nature decide what she is going to do and go from there...

The other exciting news is that Gemini may be our next dog in the spot light! When Raymie Rushing (http://raymierushing.smugmug.com/) came out to take photos of the dog yard she caught this amazing shot of Gemini (see photo to the right) and it was picked up by the Tustumena 200 Dog Sled Race (http://www.tustumena200.com/) for their 2011 poster!

If all goes well she will end up framed on our wall for us to view as well as countless other mushers, and armchair mushers alike, to enjoy! So even though she never desired to be a 'house dog' she may end up as one in spirit! :)

She still hasn't chosen to work the trail with us again but I hold onto the hope that one day she may change her mind. She is still master of her own space and enjoys being pulled around by Boreas during free play time in the yard but puts her foot down when Lykos and Pandora try to do the same thing. She knows the difference between the teasing of boys and the dominance of upcoming females into the ranks.

Its nice to see that Hera and her have worked out their differences and I'm sure it wont be long before Lykos and Pandora realize they have to settle into their positions as well. Its all about life in the dog yard, never a dull moment and the patterns of whos on top and in charge constantly changing.

Changes on the wind...

2010-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I can spill the beans now about some of this stuff...

First, we are seriously thinking of having pups this season, possibly expecting them at the end of February if all goes right. We are still debating on the female but have chosen Thani as the definite sire. Ever since he could work in harness he has proven his strength to us over and over and we have come to realize that his genes should definitely be passed on through our kennel as we press forward helping the shelter dogs and our touring visitors looking to go on an adventure with our freighting huskies.

As always we are looking to have only a few in this next litter since all new life who we welcome into our kennel will be staying with us, as is our responsibility, especially in this time of over population of dogs in our animal shelters.

Every time we have a litter (which is rare) thoughts come to mind that it is a shame we didn't have more big dogs to choose from in our community and through the shelter system. The ones we take into foster care are great working dogs but almost all are far too small for our big adventures on the trail. Those tiny ones do what they can but nothing beats the raw power of a 75 to 100lb sled dog!!

And if we do end up with more than a handful of pups we will make due and welcome them all into the family... it wont be hard! :)

The other plans in the works are for building a dog trailer as an addition to the dog truck. Our kennel operation is expanding and our thoughts lead down to the Parks Hwy property and all the adventures we have planned there. What started as a tiny kennel operation is looking so much bigger these days, but we are still holding onto the unique bond we have with each member of our team and with the boys turning three this year its so amazing to realize what wonderful dogs they have become!!

The new trailer may have to stay on hold until spring, or at least until break up. We have a LOT of things to do around here and running dogs is taking up a BIG part of that schedule. Also, I want to make sure that this trailer is built right and not rushed so it can last another 7+ years as our original dog truck has done. Its amazing its held up so darn well all this time with only needing minimal repairs.

Also, the Spock Shop still needs tending to... thanks to the generous donation by Kiwanis we were able to get some much needed supplies for the insulation and the interior walls. We had a wonderful electrician come out to finish the wiring and we are so darn close to putting up the ceiling now!

Unfortunately we will have to wait to blow the ceiling insulation until it gets warmer. That may set us back a bit in the warmth department but as soon as the plywood is up on the ceiling (right now its only protected by the metal roof and a thin layer of plastic) we should be able to capture much more heat with our quaint little wood stove.

We have a few more exciting announcements! We are now retailing for Boomerang Tags (www.boomerangtags.com) and for Nordkyn Outfitters (www.Nordkyn.com). We just LOVE all their products and are very happy to be retailing for them!

We will be opening up ordering options soon on our kennel website but plan to take building our little store a bit slow. There are so many products needed in the mushing world that I can see how easily overwhelmed we could get in a very short time. So, as the Spock Shop nears completion we may end up starting there. And of course we will be shipping all around the world so you don't have to come out to the kennel directly to order from us... :)

That's about all I can think of for the moment... I'm sure its plenty of good news to last our loyal fans for a while with so much more still to come around the bend! Don't think Ive spilled ALL the beans in this post! There is even more to come!! :)

So many changes...

2010-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

So much has been going on here that its been hard to keep up... we have a lot of changes in the works, many ideas on the brain and a bright future ahead!

As usual I cant speak much of what we have planned just yet since we don't have anything set in stone but I will spill the beans soon. Its been a bit tough with everyone in the house getting sick at one time or another but we are pushing ahead slow but sure.

The new snow has been so awesome and its been tough to take a break to get well. The dogs are doing great, are as strong as ever and we are looking forward to doing some trail breaking, wood collection and lots of fun!

Snow is HERE!!

2010-10-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Possibly the earliest we have been on the sled yet! I usually cant get out before Halloween but this year has brought a refreshing change! The ground is still a bit tough in places, the holes and ruts still need some filling in with more snow but so far most of our trails are in great shape and off to a fabulous start for the season!

James L was a huge help driving the sled on this trip and providing break resistance when I need to fix the dogs. It was his first time driving 'the Beast' and he did an awesome job!

Dogs out were our main ones, those who know how to stop and stay without lunging into their harnesses: Hermes and Polar in lead, Calypso in swing, Juno, Gaea, Pandora and Reba in team with the big brothers Thani and Boreas in wheel.

It was really great to see Griffin's babies (now three years old) remember their previous years lessons and realize they have grown into dependable, reliable, strong, hard working dogs.

Pandora is doing a fabulous job with this being her first time in harness pulling the sled. Shes gotten to do a few four wheeler runs with us but nothing this long. She is a fast learner and very athletic! She is also coming into heat though so may have to sit out some very soon. Its kind of bad timing for her to start her cycles now but better to get it out of the way so she can keep training uninterrupted for the rest of the season.

Juno has been doing great as leader but is still a bit too hard on Hermes, who is still in training and also learning quite fast on his commands and drive to be up front. Polar is doing very well as his partner and its an absolute thrill knowing that she is staying with us instead of floating around as a foster where we would never know how long we would have to work with her.

On our next run we will have the same team set up, one sled, two mushers but adding in a few more dogs. Remus and Hera are due to come out and catch up on mileage while we wait for more snow to be able to run two teams safely. Once we are at two teams that will open up a lot more options for us to take some of our volunteers out for rides/training and also to get all the foster dogs out again and pulled into the main training roster.

Since we expanded the yard, and our foster program, it is very nice to have the many hands available that we have picked up this year to keep helping as we proceed into winter. Its making work here for myself very manageable and thrilling at the same time knowing that we have only just begun on our many adventures!!

Thank you to all who have helped get us to this point... our hard work is nearly finished and the fun has just begun!!

Waiting for Snow

2010-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

The time has flown by this month. Quite a lot going on lately... we are getting ready for winter and wrapping up summer chores. Our long list has gotten quite short but there are still some things to do as long as the snow holds off.

We are very anxious for all that beautiful white stuff to cover the ground but mother nature will decide exactly when we can play. Until then we will keep working here at the kennel...

So here I sit at the computer with Zephyr by my side, his nose resting on my arm as I type, his body stretched out the entire length of the couch completely at peace.

He has been an inside dog for quite a few days now. He is definitely a bed hog and settling in to spoiled life quite well. We were planning on having him outside permanently but, as the dog yard does, things changed so we evolved to meet that change and have enjoyed the process very much.

We've had some nice changes in the foster line up. Kenai was adopted just the other day while Hot Wire and Awol showed up as our new recruits. It was hard to see Kenai go but the match up was great, and even though we will miss her, our first priority is to make sure these guys go into new homes when their time comes.

We have been very fortunate to have Tanja Hymel www.t-h-art.com come out to the kennel on a regular basis to get updated photos of these fosters and our regular kennel dogs. Her talent with the camera is awesome and its been so great to get a record of these dogs especially with so many successful adoptions taking place this year. Its all we can do to keep up with it all! :)

We have also been so very fortunate to have Leah continue to come out to the kennel to help and without Serenity's help on the ground doing basic obedience with these guys we wouldn't be able to know what is going on in their heads. Ive been so wrapped up in basic kennel maintenance and paperwork that having this extra help has been a godsend. We wouldn't be able to continue and be so successful without the hard work of others.

And a huge continued thanks to James, James L and Mike for their continued work and support. There is so much fun to be had and we are just entering the best time of year where ALL our hard work is going to pay off.

More Construction and LOTS of fun!!!

2010-10-13T11:42:00.001-07:00

Snow is officially on the ground and the dogs are getting anxious!! The mushers are also jumping out of their skins... all too soon we will be back on the sleds training and having a BLAST!!

This week was all about trail maintenance and more kennel work. When James L and I got back from the trails with the four wheelers clearing the paths out there I was shocked to see a new wood stove in the Spock Shop AND a fire going strong! James and Mike were hard at work while we were away and it was a fantastic welcome to a cold hard day on the trail!!

We got a lot done out there though, still a bit more to clean up but with this new snow Im wondering if we will be doing the rest of the work on sleds or getting the four wheelers out again. Time will tell... either way its very exciting and I am very much looking forward to another wonderful winter!! :)

A quick pit stop to check the trails and also to see some small bear scat. A fitting place to park our Kodiak and Grizzly four wheelers!

Miriam taking a break on the way back, lots of tall grass here but the trail held up very nice.

James Langston on the way out. Trails were a bit slippery with the skiff of snow... we've gotten a bit more since this picture was taken.

James L taking a break on the GMC trail, named after this old abandoned truck.

Miriam warming up on the new stove in the Spock Shop

Ridge Pole

2010-09-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

After getting quotes on renting a crane to get the ridge pole up for the new entrance to the dog yard James decided it was way too expensive and decided to get it up there ourselves. I was pretty skeptical but as he always says, "Where there is a will, there is a way." That has seemed to be our motto ever since we brought our new property on the Parks Hwy. That was the pivotal time in our lives that has changed everything to this day...

So while I was busy cleaning up the meat shed after we put the last of the shelves up and cut all the meat we had been storing over the past few days... my three boys were hard at work at the front of the dog yard. I had no idea and was completely surprised when I came out to see the ridge pole up and looking amazing in the dying light of the evening. What amazing things they can do!

The crane on the tow truck was the key to their success...

But it wasn't high enough until they brought the ramps in AND the logs for even more height!

Mike and James making the final adjustments

Looking NICE

MY BOYS!! Very proud of these guys!!

Mike, James and James L after a very successful evening...

Me in the meat shed cleaning up. All the shelves are put in now and there is a place for everything. No more clutter!!

Meat in trays ready for the freezer.
After we freeze the flats we cut them up into blocks and substitute some of their evening kibble, other blocks are cut down smaller to use for trail snacks while the dogs are training on the trail.

Adjusting the new lighting in the meat shed.

Locking up for the night so the pups don't steal the spoils while we sleep

Early Snow?

2010-09-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Considering that we had snow on the ground this time last year makes me wonder just how many snow free days we have left. For the first time I find myself milking the very last days of fall wishing the snow would hold off just a bit longer. I know, its very bad for a musher to think this way but we still have a lot to do.

Fortunately most of the outside stuff is done, just have the log cabins to work on and finish in the entry way to the kennel before the snow falls. Everything else is either done or can be done inside and moved outside once its complete. But at +20 this morning its still very comfortable to work out in my light weight jacket and gloves, if I get chilled it just encourages me to move faster and warm up!!

It seems like the wind has stopped blowing for today, or will be at least a light breeze. These past few days its been a terrible wind storm and very hard to work in. If it were hotter out the wind wouldn't be so bad but its adding insult to injury working out in the cold AND the wind. Its testing the limits of all our patience. But, as all things do, the wind came to pass and we will have a much better working day today.

I'm still behind on a LOT of office stuff since Ive had to work so much outside. My mind is shifting to other desires like slowing down a bit or just having the time to set up foundation material before jumping into everything I'm working on 110% like I have been doing. At the moment its just a thought so I am waiting to see where that thought goes.

There have been so many changes this summer and so many things headed into the right direction for us that it really makes me believe that the sky is the limit and that ANYTHING is possible. Its kind of like how I create my art... I sit in front of a blank canvas, slightly envisioning what I want to create, then I let it all go and just draw. What it will be, good or bad, doesn't matter at the time I'm in that zone. What the final outcome is, and my over all happiness with it, is all that matters in the end.

While we didn't get the driveway put into the new property this year things are in the works for it to happen next year. It is almost set in stone at this point but we will see where that goes as well. I don't like pressure so that is one of those things I'm really focusing on, having a pressure free lifestyle. So far its coming together nicely and it feels really good...

Ive been having LOTS of dreams about the property... that is always good and a sure sign of my creativity at work. James is right on board with me on this and it is absolutely wonderful to have us going 100% in the same direction. To be honest, our marriage has never been this good in all the years we've been together (going on 11 now). What is amazing to me is that most couples fall apart, well, James and I have fallen together and are tighter than we have ever been. I can finish his sentences and he reads my mind more times than I like to admit. Try planning a surprise for a person like that! It ain't happenin'!

The kennel news updates are that we decided to adopt Polar from SCL (we are very excited about this!), she has been far too dear to us to let her move on to another home and we know her mushing skills will come in handy for our work this winter. The back pens are up and operational (thanks so much to James L and Leah for helping with these!). Reba and Salmon will soon be joined by Stripe in their large free run area.

We have another fenced pen next to Reba and Salmon's place, it is all positioned so the doors can be opened and all the foster dogs can play together. This is a HUGE benefit to all since we really needed to have two play groups operational to cut down on the stress of foster dogs coming and going within the main dog yard since our guys had to mentally readjust their kennel standing every time we welcomed a new comer.

The new dog truck is finally here and we have been driving it around like crazy!! Its been VERY fun to break in and get to know this new rig. The dog boxes are not on it yet but all the extra driving is great so we can tell if there are any bugs left to work out before winter comes.

Well that's about it from here... I cant stay on this blog too long or the days work wont get done so I will sign off for now. Just maybe our next update and photos will have snow in them!! :)

Reba welcomes you to her new pen (pallet is in place for now until the new chain link gate arrives) while Salmon peeks from behind.

Griffin hangs around behind Salmon's house as she comes around the front checking out her new area. The chain link wall is part of the original 'heat pen' where the three BIG girls (Lykos, Hera and Pandora) now share the area.

A view from Reba's 'pallet door' back down the run of their free run enclosure. The large pen made up of chain link panels (generously on loan from James L) currently house Eli and Kenai (our new foster dog) but will most likely be the home of other dogs as we shuffle everyone around into their permanent winter spots.

Early days, late days...

2010-09-14T11:01:00.000-07:00

... who the heck can tell the difference?

Its no secret that we've all been busting our tails around here. As James L appropriately put it, 'We need to get this stuff done as soon as possible, before the rain or our first snow when it will make everything wet and miserable to work with.' Its that transition into winter that is wonderful to watch but can be very tough to work in.

I'm trying to weigh everything out and prioritize the things left to do. Its a bit hard but makes more sense with it down on paper and realizing that we don't really have a whole lot more to finish up before winter hits us completely. The summer has gone by so fast and my mind is still in whirl of all we have accomplished and all those who have stepped up to help us through this journey. The idea that there is even more yet to come is really amazing... I just hope I have more time to enjoy the winter and the fruits of our labor without being so tied up in the whirlwind I have been in all summer long.

The show at the Yukon Quest took a lot more out of me than I realized but looking back on all we accomplished, all the labor and time was well worth it. Its a good bet we will be back again next year though this time I am planning on having a bit more help. Leah has been awesome as my helper and I hope she will be back again next summer as well as being on the trail with us this year. We have a few more helpers in the wings and I am anxious to see what they can do and what skills they are eager to put to the test for us and for the dogs.

Yesterday our dogs from Kantishna came home (it is soooo nice to have them back!), we gathered up more donated building materials for the Spock Shop from Scott and Maureen Chesney (thanks guys!!) and put away more building material for next years projects that helped us clean up the entrance to the dog yard. Just a few more sheets of plywood to remove staples from then the front area should be all set until we put up the spruce poles for the grand entrance.

The new dog truck is also on its way to the house very soon and is one of those things on our list to get done. The old box will need to be converted to the new rig, a bit more paint touched up and the roof fixed then we will be mobile again with a more reliable form of transportation.

For the first time, in I dont know how long, I sit here at a loss for words... sit here in the silence of all around me in my office gazing at the old railroad ties we took off the property on the Parks Hwy, thinking of all we have planned for down there, listening to Ajax chewing on his bone being so thankful that I have a moment to relax and enjoy the sound, watching the leaves fall from the trees outside as it slowly turns to fall... thinking of all the wonderful help we have had this summer and the realization that we have not only a building to show for it but a clean dog yard, happy dogs, meat in our freezer, good friends and a whole lot of hope to put towards the winter to come.

Just last night I was out watching the aurora dance in the night sky loving the shift of color waving its way across our property like waves on the ocean. It was so welcoming to watch it dance while it was so warm out. The dogs had just been fed, given their regular meat suppliment (thanks to the Home Grown Market!), cleaned and loved, all ready to turn in for the evening. What a great way to end the day...

A window rests on the outside of the Spock Shop waiting to be put in as the roof stands strong shinning in the sun.

James putting the window in from the outside while James L and Mike set it from the inside.

The meat shed looking NICE with our new freezer (generously donated by James L!) and new half doors put up (also thanks to James L!). We are in the process of getting a few more shelves put up and the upper part of the doors installed. So close to crossing this kennel project off our list! Very excited!

Juno keeps the ladder steady while we work on top of the conex storage container putting up another roof for more winter storage.

Juno and Calypso lead this group out on our fun training day in the rain. James L was a HUGE help with his heavy duty four wheeler. We are not on a solid running schedule yet since the heat of the day came back but we are very close to it. Looking forward to bringing Leah out for more of this kind of fun once we get a better schedule!

Another Month Comes to Pass

2010-09-11T00:43:00.001-07:00

Interesting how time flys by. Just the other day I was wondering how long we have lived here in our wonderful house with an even more wonderful dog yard. I was reminiscing on the few other places we have been and how far we have come. What an amazing journey, even though it seems to speed by like the wind...

The leaves are changing on the trees, its getting much colder in the morning and the dogs are getting quite anxious to get back to work. A lot of my art is out in the public and doing well while the Riverboat Discovery and the Yukon Quest are wrapping up on their bus loads of tourists. I have a few more shows to do with the tourists as well but am looking forward to getting back on my winter schedule and getting more of my personal time back. I cant tell you how many people Ive talked to this year, its most likely well into the thousands.

And next week we welcome our pups home from their summer camp at Kantishna. It will be good to have Salmon, Reba, Polar and Coyote home again. We have many runs ahead of us with our fall training and I know they all will want to be a part of where we are headed. Some wont be able to go the full distance but we are doing our best to fit every one in where we can so they all can work as much as their aging bodies will allow.

Of course the young ones wont have any problem with our work schedule but as the years pass we are having more and more older dogs to work into the team. Just another aspect of mushing that keeps us on our toes and keeps our sport interesting!! :)

The Spock Shop

2010-08-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

The kennel building has a new name! It will now be called the "Spock Shop" in honor of our beloved kennel founder Spock who passed away last year.

I still cant believe its been a year since hes been gone, honestly I'm still very much in shock and I'm not sure when I will be able to face the full truth of his passing. Even though he was peaceful when I found him, and I'm sure he is resting well watching over us, its so hard to realize that hes gone. It has helped being so busy this year but I still have a hard time talking about it...

His memorial will be up on the wall so everyone can read about his legacy and see his beautiful face. They can visit his cabin and see where he is buried on the property outside... all will know how deeply important his life is to us and how much we love him.

The building is a work of art. It is truly amazing what a wonderful job James and Mike have done on its construction. I am really excited to get it finished and am currently waiting on the windows to go in and the doors. The tin on the roof should be going up some time this week.

I want to thank everyone who played a part in getting it up so quickly. James, Mike, James L. and Leah have been awesome in so many ways. They have all worked so hard to see this dream become a reality. I also want to thank Gene Salzman for donating the windows, thanks Gene!! His generous donation will help bring a lot of light into the place and brighten everyones visit. He has also donated sections of boarder fence that will help spruce the outside area up and keep things looking very nice for our visitors.

We have so much to look forward to this winter and still so much to do! There isn't ice on the water bowls just yet but its not far off! We need to get a few more posts pounded for the new front fence and more pounded in the back before the ground freezes for the expansion of our foster yard. If funding comes in time we can have more fence put up in the back and have that area closed off before the snow flys.

Funding is coming in for insulated dog houses this week so our foster dogs can stay extra warm this winter. We are seeing quite a few pointer crosses come through the shelter and they don't have the best coats to keep them warm. But with these new insulated houses they will be nice and cozy.

So thank you to all who have donated, taken the time to see our foster dogs at the Yukon Quest show this summer or who are thinking of adopting a shelter dog. We and the dogs thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We would not be able to come as far as we have without EVERYONES help. Thank you sooooo much!!

Thankful

2010-08-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, this past week has been simply amazing! After being so close to loosing my mind over my crazy schedule, having to go to the ER from a bad case of heat stroke and with so many projects on my plate its been tough to stay sane.

But this week Ive seen so many wonderful things... my schedule has been so much more manageable through great help from our volunteers. At the show Johnny, and now our new volunteer Leah, have been a godsend. They watch the dogs while I continue to get things done behind the scenes and they are both getting better at talking with our visitors. I am looking forward to having them out at the kennel soon to continue their mushing education as far as they desire. It is our hope that they will continue with us on the trail to work with the same dogs they have put so much time into gaining their trust and love over the summer at our Yukon Quest show.

James Langston continues to be a real asset to us as well. Last week I was surprised to come home to a very generous donation that he put towards our kennel building fund. Not only did he donate funds but a considerable amount of his time as well. We both are hitting the dog yard hard and getting so much cleaned up and prepared for winter. I am very excited to see all these things fall into place. Its making all the hard work we have been putting ourselves through so worth it!

My James (Cooper) and his friend Mike have been amazing. James picked up ridge logs and posts for our new kennel entrance as part of our big plans to put a new face on the kennel and get things looking top notch. He and Mike dropped off most of our building materials yesterday for the new kennel 'school house'. We will be breaking ground next weekend to start the building. I'm not sure what this new place will be called since it will be serving as a school house, a gift shop, and a changing station for those who need to suit up in winter gear for their dog mushing adventures.

We are also working on another tiny little cabin just for Spock who is buried right at the front of the dog yard. I was originally going to have his grave covered in stones but hes right in way of the other dogs when they play in the yard. Its a little disturbing having them race over him during their free time. Our solution is to build a log dog house right over his grave site where he will always be remembered and always admired. We just about have all the logs cut for that part of the project, just need to do some sanding and put a roof on it. Not too much to do there but its high priority before the snow flys. I cant have my big boy be left out in the cold this winter...

The extra logs we are cutting will be for one or two more log dog houses in the front. Its my hope that Mercury and Griffin will take a liking to them when they spend their days out in the dog yard running loose and enjoying their retirement years. They will also double as great photo op places for our visitors. Who wouldnt want to get their photo taken in front of a log dog house with a fluffy husky on top? Chronos most likely will be our official poser for that job! Hes been so awesome as our kennel mascot and those floppy ears make him oh so lovable!

But the most pleasing aspect of this week has been seeing our projects finally take shape and form. Our hard work is paying off, we are starting to see progress in leaps and bounds and little things like finally having a kennel secretary and someone donating their website services to the Sled Dog Sanctuary has been awesome!! We are finally able to be in so many places at once thanks to all these wonderful helpful people with such HUGE hearts! Thank you so much to all!!

Oh, and the other big thing this week was the release of the 2011 Yukon Quest t-shirt that featured my fine art. The guys at Trademark did an AMAZING job with the layout and I was very pleased with all their color choices. Getting this work ready in time for the release was very tough but in three weeks, with a TON of help from all the people around me, I managed to pull it off and was very pleased with the result.

There is actually a bit more to the design that will be finished later when things slow down a bit. When finished it will be my biggest art piece to date. I will work on getting prints available once the full design is complete but as for when that will be I really don't know. Ive got a lot to catch up on and another big project to work on for the month of October, then it will be time to train dogs and be on the trail full time again. Everything will be finished in good time but for now you all can enjoy the t-shirts for this year and be on the look out for the full finished art piece in 2012! :)

Quick Note

2010-07-31T18:17:00.000-07:00

Thought I would take a quick moment to share some of the highlights these past few weeks. The Yukon Quest show continues to do extremely well and all the dogs are still THRILLED to come when it is their turn.

We received the single highest donation from a single person at $250.00 dollars!! We would like to thank all the people who continue to donate to our cause and to let them know that we are constantly striving to continue to make a difference in our community with our shelter sled dogs.

We also have some building materials stashed for our big project coming up. Not only has money been donated but we have received many donated goods as well!! We are so fortunate to have many hands available for the raising of this building. I will post more details about its cause and how important it is to our overall projects very soon.

_________________________________________

This summer I need to put the repairing of Hermes dog house on my list. When he cant come to the show with me he has a temper tantrum and chews anything in range. Poor boy, he really loves his job!!

If I'm running two teams on the four wheeler he usually has to go both times or I dread what I will find when I come back to the kennel. Ever since he decided he wanted to be a working dog he wont take no for an answer!

When its been cool enough I have been sneaking out at night with two teams taking them for a short loop and getting them tuned up. Pandora really enjoys pulling but needs to learn how to pace herself and relax knowing that her body can do what the big boys can and so much more.

At her stage its so critical to make sure she is learning more mentally than physically to be sure she has the chance to secure a good future as a solid working dog.

Zephyr and Hermes lead the way for the second teams run
(Zephyr and Hermes in lead, Calypso and Ichabod in swing, Boreas and Hera in wheel)

First teams four wheeler run. This trip we almost went the full distance before the dogs needed me to use the rig to help. Total miles for this loop is 2.7.
(Hermes and Juno in lead, Gaea and Pandora in swing, Thani and Remus in wheel)

Ajax takes his job of helping out at the Yukon Quest show a bit too seriously.

This never ending summer...

2010-07-25T00:52:00.000-07:00

There has literally been so much going on that I find myself staring at this blank screen really not knowing what to say. True, some of these things that are in process are time sensitive so I cant say much about them but the other things are not nearly as rigid... but still, I sit here with a blank gaze not really knowing where to start.

I guess cleaning my office the past two days was a monumental task worth mentioning. The dog yard has also been getting a cleaning overhaul and, thanks so much to my husband James!, we finally have a few rolls of chain link out of the way and stored in another area of our North Pole property ready to make the trip down to the Parks Highway property when the time is right to set up the future home of the Sled Dog Sanctuary.

But the whole office cleaning has been insane. So many papers and notes that I wasn't sure were important have been filed or thrown away and my mind is so much clearer now that I am able to enter a room so absent of clutter! It is amazing how our living arrangements reflect what is going on in our minds and how it can help or harm our well being.

And as every day passes I am more and more aware of the awesomeness that surrounds me and how much my hard work is paying off. Today was very hard to realize that though... today was Golden Days and along with the parade and the rubber ducky race it was nothing short of madness. I have never been in such a situation where I felt like the 'dog cop' as I directed every bite size toy dog away from the pen, not for my dogs safety but for theirs. It was so hard to keep on top of them all and so different from my regular tourist crowd who have left their young ones at home.

Now I certainly don't have anything against small dogs, Ajax is certainly a testament to that, but Ive come to realize that some people will never understand the prey drive present in most huskies. I cant possibly teach the entire world and so I took the only stand I could to protect not only other dogs, but mine as well. And for those dogs owners out there who I may have offended by turning them away, I do apologize... there was not nearly enough time, space or sanity in my day to explain my actions but I do so VERY much appreciate your willingness to walk around the front of the Quest building rather than behind it where we have the dogs set up.

I have never in my life felt I needed to be in charge of such a HUGE crowd and I give my incredible thanks to Marti, Abby, Tom and Johnny for your help today and acting as buffers to head off the dog owners before my crazy gang of ten huskies sounded off the alarm in their little pen. Thanks to those folks our day was so much more manageable, crazy but manageable!!

It was so taxing on me that I'm already dreading next years event... but I do have to remember that this is all for an excellent cause and I did make a couple really awesome connections today!

A huge thanks to my husband James for driving so much Thursday so we could meet up with a wonderful dog angel named Ericka who not only transported our shelter foster dogs Luigi and Thunder from Willow to Anchorage but all the way to the airport and down to the states where they met up with their new owners Mark and Denise. What an awesome success story for those two boys, a testament to the shelter, the shelter fund and to all our wonderful volunteers and adopters!!

At the end of the day, when my head finally crashes into the pillow, its those moments that make all this hard work so darn worth it...

And thank you so much to James L for being the 'dog wise' person in the house to make sure the pups were fed while I was gone and that all was well. We are fortunate to have many folks on hand to watch our house but not enough so reliable as James has been in working with the dogs and establishing that level of trust that allows me to leave town COMPLETELY at ease.

Busted!!

2010-07-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

The end of my week was rather lame, a pop in the head by a three legged dog and a full black eye to grace my face four hours later (as seen in the photo), another 12 and it spread and darkened even more. Not my idea of fun but the world does give you what you need when you need it.

Sometimes it takes a heavy blow to the head to let one know to slow down, other times it takes a nail being driven through a foot to force some rest. These things really aren't bad in the sense that most see them, they are gifts and answers to what we are secretly longing for.

For weeks Ive secretly wished for rest, knowing I couldn't have it until at least September. I pressed on, and on, and on... until this.

I went home early from the Quest show when my eye started to darken, hanging out in the dog pen was not the best PR with an ice pack on my face talking about sled dogs. Who the heck would believe me that the damage was dog inflicted? Only mushers would know... and its ironic that Ive been smacked in the head so many times by wild and crazy dogs but this one shot gives me my first black eye ever.

I'm a little ashamed to admit but I'm damn proud of this one! Its not just a little bruise, its IMPRESSIVE!! :) Its much darker today... Too bad I don't have a better story behind it like a horrific sledding accident where the dogs saved my life or a bar fight where 'you should have seen the other guy'. Nothing quite so grand, just a crazy dog so anxious to get to the show to receive attention from the public and showers of biscuits. Hard not to get excited over that...

With a few days rest under my belt, and feeling oh so good, I'm going to try and get back to work today on my last day off. Tomorrow I'm arming myself with sunglasses and a smile to get back to talking with the public and, most importantly, spending time with the dogs.

I know what your thinking, why not continue to take it easy? I certainly have a good reason too.. Well, this morning I was seriously achy, not in the body but in the soul. I miss my kids, I miss them more than words can possibly explain. Sure the show is a break in my day, it takes time to drive out and back and I could do without answering the same question over and over and over but Ive come to realize that those moments are actually the highlight of my week.

Barely interrupted I get to nuzzle, brush and fawn over my kids in a job where I'm required to do so. At home we still have office time but mostly its me at my desk and the dogs at my feet with a separation of our minds while I work that is hard to get around.

Its not like being on the trail where they are my world and I am theirs, summer in the office is mostly about work, getting things done and paying the bills. Its not too glorious, and even though there are dog heads to scratch when I'm interrupted by them, its nothing like being at the show. I never would have dreamed it would be so therapeutic to be there, not until this morning.

And so Zephyr continues to work his magic on us all. His therapy is wonderful to dogs, humans and now directly to myself. Without this black eye I would never have gotten the recharge I needed or felt the longing and importance of the summer Quest show.

That day I went home nearly killed me... it was so hard to load the boys into the Jeep early. They were enjoying themselves so much and behaving so well. They were on cloud nine in the sun eating cookies, as was I... not eating the cookies part but seeing and feeling them so happy and loving life... well, that's about as contagious as sunshine, you have no choice but to bask in its warmth...

I love these kids so very much... they have shown me the world many times over... without them I would be so lost...

If I keep learning I will never grow old...

2010-07-04T22:27:00.000-07:00

And so another day slowly passes and I thrill at the prospect of learning many more new things. What I have found over the past few days is too complicated to explain right now but it is shaping myself, the kennel and our various projects in new exciting ways.

The major step has been with the foster dogs and learning so much more about rehabilitation, mostly when these shy ones pass on to new homes with routines that aren't as familiar to them as my dog yard. Its an adjustment for most and the shy ones seem to be the most work for their new owners. They take a while to come around but the reward is so grand when they do.

That is the main reason why I like to work with the shy guys, they are little treasures just waiting to be found...

Through wonderful people like Carol Kleckner, Arna Dan Issacson and all the wonderful adopters who are giving these guys a new chance at life we are learning so much! We all have such brilliant knowledge to share through our experiences and its my absolute pleasure to be a part of it all!

And while Brooks ended her three week stay here to go back with her family and further her rehabilitation it was my pleasure to discover that Laya will also be a part of Brooks life as they work to form play groups with the girls and Laya's new roommate Yuri, who is also a very shy case!

It is so awesome that we are all so connected in this way. When Laya was adopted I never would have known that Laya's owners were renting a place from the couple who would later adopt Brooks and that Yuri, who Carol Kleckner has worked with for so long, would be adopted by Laya's owner who is working him through some tough shyness issues.

I just received a wonderful email about both Laya and Yuri with photos of both dogs living and loving life as contented house pets! What an absolute treat!!

I am also learning what therapy dogs can be for other dogs. The little momma dog we took in, now called Foxy, is such a wonderful little gem. She likes to relax her buddies and did wonders with Brooks while she was here. Even when we took Brooks into town to the Quest show Foxy displayed all the calming signals to encourage her to come out of her house and have some fun.

Zephyr also has been awesome therapy to both humans and animals. It is going to be my absolute pleasure to put him to work as a calming source for many of these shy and nervous animals.

There is so much to look forward to, so much still to share but the fireworks for the holidays are really kicking off and I have to turn my attention to my deadline and keep an ear out for the dogs to make sure they are holding up well through all this noise. Fortunately the 4th is only one day... here's hoping tomorrow will be quieter...

When will this tornado pass?

2010-07-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

Summer is supposed to be busy for me but in all my years here in Alaska Ive never been this swamped. I guess it comes from being ingrained the community for so long (15+ years now) and having the option of saying yes or no to just about every opportunity that Ive ever wanted.

My problem is that I have trouble saying no and that every opportunity that has come up has been so exciting that I would kick myself if I turned it down. Some of these things could be once in a life time chances... and who can say no to that?

So as the good fortune rolls in, and I put in far too many hours to count, I remain with my head held high and feeling higher on life than I ever have before... occasionally being tired isn't all that bad when I look at all the positives going on right now! :)

Through all of this I have learned to delegate, to accept help and to realize that help of any kind doesn't have to come from a single source all the time. I have learned that people have all kinds of strengths, all kinds of weaknesses and that to make everyone successful they have to be given the opportunity to succeed where they are strong and direct them away from the areas they are weak.

I guess what I'm learning here is management and even though I don't consider myself fluent in all this just yet, I am far closer to that fluidity than I was six months ago.

And probably the biggest lesson Ive learned is that putting my own hours into things really pays off in the long run. I have thought about taking out loans to get ahead, taking the easy way out, but in the end with a little patience I can look back on all of this and see the rewards free and clear. I took out loans for school many years ago and I am still paying for that decision wishing I would have taken life in my own hands instead of depending on someone else to do it for me.

The ultimate best lesson of all though is that nothing can stop someone who has rock solid determination. That has been the best talent I have ever possessed...

Without James none of this could have ever been possible. He has trusted me 100% from our very first discussion of how I wanted to quit college and venture out on my own. I still remember that talk we had over lunch, its one I am likely never to forget. He was so patient, so willing and so open to my crazy idea... what a rare person he is to be so trusting of this starry eyed bride...

And so I continue down this crazy road so grateful to all who have helped along the way, all the adopters who have given our foster dogs a chance, all the volunteers who have put in so many hours (especially James Langston who lately has been such a huge help!) and all those still to come who will continue to make this crazy dream of mine a solid reality.

Highlights of June have been the wonderful ice cream party Jamiell put on for the dogs and I at the Quest show. Our two brother huskies, Luigi and Thunder, who were just adopted out a few days ago and are waiting for their flight down to the states. Lilly who will be adopted after the holidays so we can speed along her journey to the lower 48 to meet up with Joan and her other two shelter rescues (also fostered here) Jasmine and Velvet. And all seven foster babies that grew up with us during the first weeks of the Quest show who have now all been adopted.

I'm sure I am forgetting a few key moments of this past month, its been hard to keep all these wonderful things straight. But I did get a nice surprise thank you gift for my help with the Caledonia Classic Sled Dog Race, a t-shirt, two patches and a nice thank you photo of one of the racers. You might recognize the design they used from our website. It was my pleasure to give them permission to use it for this year and I am looking forward to working with them the next.

Currently there are plans for the Yukon Quest t-shirt in the works and possibly a bit more this year. I cant go into details right now but I have been so thrilled they are keeping me so busy!

Our retail stock at Riverboat was moving very slow until last week so we were in kind of a bind there. Not sure what happened but they must have gotten packed the last few weeks of June and we are hoping that will continue into July to get us financially up to speed. This year they are showcasing more of my art and that is selling far better than I ever imagined. New prints just went in yesterday so we will see how those move as I get the Quest up to speed this week with the same variety of art work.

Its been hard to work in retail orders on top of everything else but we are managing well. A huge thanks to Ben for being my errand boy these past few days. He has saved me a TON of time doing things in town while I continue to work at home.

Ah, I hear thunder rolling in... I hope the rain is close behind and we get some cool breezes to bring the temperature down in my office. I have more hours to spend up here, the cooler the better...

Wonderful Show Today...

2010-06-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Today was an amazing day, started out slow but ended very nicely...

We have had so much support since we started the summer show and the fosters are loving all the new attention, opening up to strangers and desperate for it to be their day to enjoy the summer days with me. I have figured out how to get up to eight dogs in my Jeep at one time and, since everyone knows not to fight, they have enjoyed their rides into town very much. Its asking a lot of them in the morning when they are still so full of energy to relax on the way in but once we head home, with all their bellies full of biscuits, they nap until we get back to the kennel.

Some days are heavy bus days with over 300 people passing through. The buses drop them off for lunch, they mingle in town then come and see us at the Yukon Quest gift shop. Some visit, leave for lunch, then come back to hand out more biscuits and get their 'dog fix' before their bus comes to pick them up.

We hear a lot of stories about how people have rescued their own dogs or are homesick for their own waiting back at home. They tell us how wonderful their dog is, how much they miss them and some point out the ones we have and say how much they look alike.

I even had one couple that said their next destination was Denali National Park and when they said they had to leave for that part of their trip the next day they seemed almost sad, they didnt want to stop visiting with our dogs!! Never in a million years did I think our pups would be such a hit with strangers.

The donations have been awesome all summer! I am amazed at how generous people are and how willing they are to give to our cause of helping the shelter dogs. Every week we are steadily getting our bills paid off, our advertising purchased and all the little details that we need as we roll along with this Sled Dog Sanctuary project. There are so many details still to work out but seeing things get checked off our list one by one is so encouraging!!

Today I had the nicest surprise. It was a heavy traffic day, lots of people and I had to empty out the donation box early from all the one dollar bills that were donated. As I was tallying the sheet the tiniest lady bug landed on my counting sheet, stayed for a moment, then flew off to another destination. I have always seen lady bugs as good luck, and butterflies, especially when they land directly on me. Since this one landed on our donation sheet I thought it would bring us a bit of luck but didnt think much more of it.

We had a little more time to go in the day and since we had a new volunteer I let him stay out with the dogs while I brought some things inside the shop so we could wrap up and start getting ready to leave. I started talking to one of the ladies who has been working at the Quest for some time and she mentioned that she also wanted to give a donation. I watched the front desk while she went to get it and was shocked when she returned with a $50 bill in her hand!! Such generosity!!

I am so thankful to all the ladies who work at the Quest. Marti has been great, she brought us blueberry ice cream today, Trish and Barb have been such a great help with the dogs and Abby West (who was just recently hired) is wonderful as well. And the other merchandising manager has made my life so much easier. For some reason I always forget her name, forgive me, Im so great remembering the names of dogs but people take me a while to remember! :)

Everyone is always ready to help with the show when I have a need and they are so great talking with the many visitors that come into the store on a regular basis. Funds are always important and the more I can sell of my retail supply the more it helps everything, especially the Sanctuary.

We are looking forward to getting more help from volunteers. Johnny is the newest one to start helping out and he was super. I would like to get a few more folks who are interested in coming down to help walk some of the foster dogs around town and to get them even more used to the noises and cars. Its great advertising for them to show people they are available for adoption and also to direct other folks back to the Quest shop for shopping and more socializing with the rest of them.

And our last little baby left today to head off to her new home. It was bittersweet but now that she has her new owner to look after her we can focus on bringing in more of the adults. Maude, who is not the best with puppies, will be taking her first trip in to see the public tomorro w. After Stripe and Sassy have their vet check on Friday they will also start their own rotations to get used to public life and being spoiled by biscuits.

And if the weather stays nice and cool like it is I might sneak in an early run or two on the fourwheeler. It wont be a long run but I am itchin' for snow. It cant come soon enough and I have quite a few dogs who need a refresher course and dogs like Pandora who have never been in harness before. I am very excited to see how she will do, shes getting big enough to start learning the ropes and by the time fall rolls around she will have grown enough to do full runs with the big dogs.

And so my heart is so full of hope, so full of gratitude and excitement for all we have accomplished thus far. There is still so much more we have yet to do but it will all come in good time. I already have people wanting to schedule their dog sled rides with us and so much to look forward to this winter. This summer is flying by so darn fast and I am so grateful, it will seem like the blink of an eye before winter is here again and the dogs and I are once again explori ng the wide open country side. I can hardly wait!!

I also want to extend a HUGE thank you to Nita for the use of her portable garage. We just got it set up a few a few days ago and are gradually clearing out the inside to make way for all the sleds and winter gear we have to store during the summer. It will be so wonderful to have it all in the same place so we can do inventory on it and have it much more organized to see what we need and what needs to be repaired before training starts.

Mike and I also walked out the back side of the dog yard to pace out the area for the new foster yard. We will still have the old foster pen in use but it will most likely be converted to more of a free run pen than having dogs on individual houses. The old area has a few wet places but the new area is a bit higher and should offer some better drainage. Dogs like Stripe and Mad eline, who are not working dogs, will be able to enjoy free run time all year as compensation for the fun they will miss out on when not working. Madeline may work at some point, if she relaxes enough to be handled, but Stripe will be retired his whole life due to his lung condition. The steroids we have him on are working very well but he doesn't have enough lung function to comfortably pull a sled.

There are still so many things to be done before summer is over and even more plans we have for our new property on the Parks Hwy but it will all come in good time. Its exciting to see all that we have accomplished so far and all we still have to look forward to. Well, exciting is a bit of an understatement, its really far more than exciting but I don't think there is a word in the English dictionary to describe it... :)

My day off really isnt...

2010-06-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I admit Ive stacked a lot on my plate this summer... but looking at everything in hindsight as much as I can helps a whole lot.

I was just talking with Mike about the plans James and I have where all this hard work makes sense. Its similar to what I call my 'retirement plan' in that its best to get all this stuff done while I'm young and full of energy so that all the groundwork can be laid so I don't have to mess with it when I'm ready to take it easy... but the question remains, will I ever really want to take it easy? Hmmm, a question to ponder for another time perhaps...

Having great friends as sounding boards helps a lot... I am missing the time I can make available to talk with Tim and also to my father but the few spare moments I can grab with friends passing by are wonderful.

When I can verbalize my ideas outside my head it makes so much more sense, like when I was talking about this project with my mother the other day and it dawned on me that all this is so much more than what we realize. These projects are so much larger than any individual and will be, have been, so much grander as the result of so many helping out.

What I see in my mind is hard to describe... when I hold true to my vision it always comes to pass. So for those of you who I cannot possibly communicate the full impact of the program to, just stick around and see for yourself as it unfolds.

There is much good to be done here...

... and now, I must get back to work, wrestle with the computer and convince it to release its grip on a few photos I took for the upcoming article I wrote for Mushing Magazine on Mary Shields, then I have to sweet talk my printers into doing a bit more work for me before we hit the road for Kantishna tomorrow to deliver a handful of rescue dogs to the roadhouse for their working summer vacation.

I myself will be enjoying that mini-vacation and plan to take full advantage of the road trip to relax, unwind and get some much needed R&R in between the caribou, moose, sheep, bear, etc... sightings.

Thanks in advance to James and Ben for keeping an eye out on the house and pups while we are gone. Its a huge relief knowing they will be looked after for my short trip out...

Abner/Zephyr Update

2010-05-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, who have been following our posts here on this blog and also on Facebook, James Langston has been working and helping out at the kennel for some time now. His help has been so awesome and selfless that it has been an absolute joy to work with him, and the dogs love him too... that is always an extra bonus! :)

So when he proposed that his husky Abner come to live with us I was elated and didn't take long to tell him we would LOVE to have Abner here living with us.

Coming from James' home, being only one of two dogs, Abner didn't understand what all the quiet in the house was about. We see this a lot with foster dogs who come in from different places who have lived in a dog yard their entire lives. Some make the adjustment to house life easily, while others struggle and become destructive not quite able to understand why their life is so much more quiet.

It was clear to James that Abner needed an outlet for his energy, and even though he had his buddy Regime to pal around with, he really needed a yard full of dogs to get back to his working husky roots.

When we had first talked about the change in ownership James was clear that we include him in Abner's life as much as we could since he is still so connected with him. The feeling is mutual and I see it every time those two are together. Abner, who is normally quiet, wroo's a greeting when ever his buddy James comes to see him. Its a wonderful connection they still have and something I am very grateful to keep wide open for both of them.

After a bit more discussion we decided that since Abner has a new life here at the kennel that he should have a new name... and Zephyr was reborn...

His name comes from the Greek god of the west wind. It fits him well since we fully intend to allow him to work and feel the wind in his face when ever we can. Once fall begins and the weather cools we will be able to test his ability and the strength of his body to determine how much exercise he is willing to do.

I suppose a bit of 'basket training' will be in order since I don't like to leave anyone at home, especially Zephyr who LOVES to work and is thrilled to be on the trail in whatever capacity. If we can get him to ride then the team can continue training while he rests his rear leg and is ready to put on a few more miles.

But, as with all things, it will take some time before we can fully explore what hes up for and where we can fit him in. We have big plans for this guy, one of which is to get him registered as a therapy dog to talk to some of the amputee soldiers who have come back from the war. Zephyr's story is an inspiring one and I know many soldiers will delight in seeing that he was able to spring back to work even after suffering the loss of his leg. Nothing slows this boy down! :)

Zephyr was also seen in the Daily News Miner before he come to live with us. This is only one of many stories we will see him in as his future unfolds with us. His life is an inspiration and we will continue to spread that inspiration to others as we work the details out in our many projects...
http://www.newsminer.com/view/full_story/6867396/article-Abner--the-three-legged-sled-dog--gets-his-turn-on-the-race-trail?

If you would like to join us in making a difference in this world and the lives of others (human and canine) please join us! We welcome donations of food, time, funds and what ever you are open to providing to help us along with this journey.

Thank you to Scott Chesney at Loco-Lobo Photographic Arts (http://www.loco-lobo.com/) for donating photos of Zephyr at the races and for being there in the early stages of this program helping us to spread the word about this amazing sled dog!

Thanks also to Wayne and Lori Stiles for your help on the military side of things and also to Jamiell Domingez for her help through the medical branch at Fort Wainwright.

And finally, thanks so much to James Langston for allowing Zephyr to live with us and for continuing to be such a bright light in this dogs life! Zephyr and I continue to look forward to the times your able to help out at the kennel or even just coming by for a visit!

Our New Logo!

2010-05-30T02:31:00.000-07:00

Our new logo for the Sled Dog Sanctuary!

Downtime

2010-05-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

Downtime... what? Surely that is a mistake!

Its really an illusion... my sick days are considered downtime. Its kind of like being one of the walking dead. I'm half up and half down, good to write email but not enough to move around much. That means no yard work today but it really is good timing since its 80 degrees outside! Way too hot for working in the sun.

Good thing I have the day off from the Quest today but the dogs are a bit bummed they have to stay home. Missing out on all those biscuits! :)

Tomorrow is another day and its bound to be a busy one with up to 300 people expected! Yikes!! Better get some rest tonight...

James and Mike are still planning and being very busy. Its a sure bet those two aren't going to let one ounce of summer get by them!

Its so fun to watch them work and so fulfilling. I see things formed in their minds and around the house that I have the luxury of sitting back and enjoying. Its wonderful not to have my hand in everything and to be able to take a back seat while someone else 'drives'. I feel the same sort of freedom when we take our camping and fishing trips. Its wonderful to watch the scenery pass by and enjoy every moment without being in charge and having to watch where we are going.

Speaking of roads... next weekend is the dogs Kantishna trip. Reba and Salmon are both going again this year as well as Polar and Coyote. Two dogs from Nita's kennel are also going so it will be a nice mix up for Emmitt Peters Jr to run this year. He was wondering if Reba and Salmon will be returning so it was nice to pass along the message to expect them. Apparently they did rather well on their last trip down and I think he may have become particularly fond of those two.

Once the trip is done there will be four empty spaces in our yard and a bit of adjustment to be made. It may not seem like much to have four dogs leaving for a few months but its kind of a shock to me. I know they are in good hands since we have been leaving dogs in Emmitt's care for three years now but its still tough to see them go, even if its only for a short time. On the flip side its even more exciting to have them come home!!

Everything else continues to go very well here. The summer show is a great hit, the dogs love it and the day flys by quickly as I continue to do the things I love most, spinning my huskies hair, spending time with the dogs and being outside enjoying the summer. Even though the weather is too hot for my taste its still not too bad... how can any day be bad when I get to live in this great and wonderful state with my wonderful family, human and canine...

Still in a Whirlwind

2010-05-23T13:56:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it should come as no surprise to any of you that we are still very busy at the moment. Emails are stacking up in my inbox, stock is selling down in our retail outlets and summer presses on at an alarming rate...

We are having a great time at the Yukon Quest this year working their summer show and putting in about half a day depending on if our visitors keep us there longer. Its hard to turn away such nice people if they want to spend a few more moments with the dogs. The donations aren't the only reward for us to be there, shelter dogs are getting socialized, shelter puppies are getting adopted, more people are learning about our sport and my own kennel dogs are warming up to strangers. Hard not to when every outstretched hand has a biscuit! :)

With the increase of visitors and numerous handouts of treats I have been very cautious to rotate the dogs each day to make sure no one has too many days in a row and fattened up on cookies.

The shelter pups we have now are going in every day so they can get the maximum socialization and so their mom can come out of her shell. She is a shy one but since shes been coming out for the show shes been the first one to say hello and get her treat from everyone who wants to see her!

It has been very nice to sit by the Chena river, brush out my babies, enjoy the sun, talk to people and have an excuse to wind down a little bit. Its bound to get even crazier as the summer rolls on though, the buses arent completely full just yet. With the increased traffic we are bound to have even more donations that will help us get to our goal of purchasing a yurt and more supplies for the dogs and the upgrades we have in store.

But being there, in the sun, feeling the cool breeze and stray hornets being the only thing to worry about makes me wonder just how did I get to be so lucky. Truly I have one of the best jobs in the world!!

Its been really nice to focus on the Sled Dog Sanctuary side of our projects. There are many facets we are working on, all are related to each other and all benefit from their combined existence.

The winter was devoted primarily to running the team, doing tours and spreading the word about these projects. Now that summer has rolled around its nice to see that the Sanctuary has its own time of year and increased focus as we work the property in Talkeetna, generate donations and spread information about our cause and the need for homes for these abandoned sled dogs.

We just came back from a super quick trip to the property. Much to our delight we noticed that the state had brush cut the powerline in front of our parcel and did the work that James and I were planning to do! Now we are more than a few steps ahead of the game and it didn't cost us a thing!!

With the property cleared out in the front we have plenty of room to park the camper and get some work done!

With the camper in use it will save us a TON of money on lodging and food and with James' friend Mike up here we can also get a LOT done. James and Mike are already talking about plans and they spent most of the drive back home talking details while I slept in the backseat.

Did I ever mention how wonderful it is to have someone else taking care of the property details? Its a load off of my to do list... with them busy on the property stuff I can continue to work on the set up and the layout of the Sanctuary. All I need to know is how many acres will we have access to. The number currently is 7 to 10, plenty of space for ALL our needs! :)

What has also been great is the help that James Langston has been. What a great volunteer and helper!! Hes been making my life so much easier and its wonderful to have more bodies on hand to get things done. There is so much that needs doing on the computer that I have to focus on and still more outside in the dog yard and more set up at the Quest office for our show. Im learning how to deligate, though its taking some practise! Everyone who has helped has been so patient and ready and willing to help when I ask.

What we are doing has been so great... not only in principle but in the mind and body. It just feels good!!

New Work

2010-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been fitting in new work along with the other things I'm juggling at the moment. Enjoy!

There were some adjustments in the process of making this logo that will push its use to 2011

Logo for a local kennel
Made with reproduction in metal in mind

Logo for the International Sled Dog Racing Association

Crowds

2010-05-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

We handled our first crowd today at the Yukon Quest. Was kind of like a half show but ended up being an all day thing since we had even more work to do to the fencing to get things completely set up.

After today we shouldn't have to move anything around again. The only other set up we will need to arrange will be little details and not too much of the major stuff like moving fencing, straw bales and dog houses. Well, there are still log houses to build but that will come in time. Hopefully we can make some headway on that this weekend.

A huge thanks to James L and to Ben for helping out today. Its been so great having those two help and another thanks to the Yukon Quest of course. All the ladies who work there have been super and when we brought the pups out they were even more of a help... how could they resist! :)

Our next show will be next Friday then we have to find out the details of yet another show before we will be on all summer.

Our big backyard!

I was very surprised how much fun I had today. Ive been worried about the time constraints and all the extra hours I will be putting in but today pretty much broke the ice for me. I feel a lot better about doing this and the visitors we talked to today were super.

What pleased me the most is that we received our very first substantial donations out of the blue! We were talking about all the projects we had going on with the foster dogs, the military and the Sled Dog Sanctuary and when two people opened their wallets to us it was such a blessing. We didn't even have our donation box out yet!

The pups received a lot of interest of course and many wanted to adopt them on the spot. Its going to be hard to choose who goes where but that is what the Fairbanks Animal Shelter is for. They will cover the details of their fees and any requirements the adopter needs to fulfill. We will fill our role as the foster home to care and love them until they are adopted. We only have a tiny bit of say on where these pups go but once our Sled Dog Sanctuary has officially opened then we can be a bit more selective.

Pandora with one of the babies

Gaea, Pandora, Juno, Ajax and Chronos can barely keep their eyes open. They had a fun filled day meeting all sort of people and really loved being out in the big pens next to the river. This is really an ideal spot for our guys and will be fun to work outside most of the summer.

Very long tiring day... the sun is shining high in the sky but its nearly 8:00pm when this was taken. Our donation box in the forefront, donations already received before we had time to get our display paperwork up

James L works on the final details of the perimeter fence in the adult pen while our 'supervisor' Juno walks around inside checking things out.

(check out more photos on our Facebook page)

Brain on Fire

2010-05-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'm working late tonight, something I told myself I wouldn't get back to doing, but its so tempting to keep going with James working nights. There is no one for me to go downstairs too at the moment... :(

It has been nice though that we both get to go to bed at the same time and I get to have him in the mornings. That has been sooooo sweet. Hard to get out of bed, but sweet! :)

Riverboat is almost finished. Scott and I made short work of their inventory and had it on their shelves in record time. I am very grateful for his help and its always a pleasure sharing this part of my retail business with him.

We can both be struggling artists at times and when I can share part of my business opportunities it makes us both richer in the process, for Riverboat too in fact. Having two talented artists working for them offers their visitors so much more. Hard to believe some of the big retail companies still don't carry enough mushing merchandise for the buying public. No matter, Scott and I are happy to fill the void!

This year may be a very busy one for us since Lance Mackey will be making appearances at the Riverboat Discovery to sign his new book and take photos with visitors. We will have our stock all laid out where they have the line roped off for those waiting to meet him. It will be a great way to put the spot light on our work and we are sure to see a very large increase in sales this year though that placement.

And, an increase in sales means an increase in funds for us to put towards our various projects we have going on. It will be very nice to have some extra to 'grease' our wheels as things roll along! :)

When we set up our stock yesterday we realized our new print rack wasn't quite filled out. Another quick run through on stock from both of us should have things set right by tomorrow. Scott will handle the final details at Riverboat while I focus on the first Yukon Quest show tomorrow with the shelter babies. I will have some adults on hand as well but this will be the babies first public appearance. They are sure to be an absolute hit!

And I'm continuing to juggle everything... my motivation was a bit down today, my brain full to the brim and I'm working through handling a bit of stress with all of this. Over the years Ive decided not to sweat things. Everything happens in its own good time and me fretting over it doesn't do anyone any good.

But things do stack up in my brain so much so that meditation times are a must every now and then. Some times I can get my brain to clear, some times not. If I cant get it right I look forward to another day tomorrow and another chance to get it right.

So while James works his extra hours building up what we are calling our 'Talkeetna Money' I keep working away here finding ways I can get more done and continue to be extremely grateful for the help I have at hand though the many folks who Ive worked with and built a wonderful solid relationship.

It really makes me proud to walk into such a huge operation that is the Riverboat Discovery, present them with an idea and receive the same answer, "We trust you, do what you think is best."

This is a wonderful town we live in. There are so many helpful people that surround me, so many wonderful businesses like Riverboat and the Yukon Quest that have helped fuel my dreams and so many more volunteers ready and willing to make a difference right along side.

Even though I'm swamped, spent and dealing with a brain that is only half operational at the moment... there is always room for gratitude and love for those who strive along with me... from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to all!

Spent...

2010-05-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

Another day of hard work...

Trying to get merchandise ready for Riverboat before they open their doors for the summer. Hard to prep 2000 dollars worth of merchandise with all the other stuff Ive got going on but I am looking forward to another tourist season. Hopefully the crowds will be bigger this year and will bring us a nice revenue.

Fence is in at the Yukon Quest and just about ready for our first show on the 7th. The shelter babies are ready for visitors and there is one in particular that really needs to be held. Hes a bit shier than the rest and needs to be socialized before he gets any older. Socialization windows in pups can be short so the more attention they get the better, especially for him.

Juno and Pandora tested the fence today at the Quest and I was very impressed with how well it held up. They are pretty small dogs to be testing this but the real test will be when the big boys come to visit for the first time. We might have to make some adjustments but I'm very pleased with how it looks so far.

There is still more to prep for the outdoor show as we start to make our log dog houses, stake out lines, informational posters and other surprise giveaways that I will go into later when that part of the project is a bit more solid. For now its nice to know that the foster dogs will have a place to be and that is what the public will want to see first and foremost.

A huge thanks to James Langston for his help again today. Its so much easier to work with two than one...

And Pandora is finally getting over the bug shes been carrying around. I hope to have a full nights sleep tonight and not have to sleep on the couch like I did last night so I could let her outside quicker to avoid accidents in the house. So far shes had some good poops and has been able to hold it long enough to complete her digestion and keep the nutrients she needs. This is especially important at this time of her life when shes growing so much. Shes already as big as Juno and still has a long, long way to go before shes full grown.

Its been a bit hard to think of how busy this summer is going to be but its all for a good cause and I am so passionate about all of these programs that it should carry me through even the toughest of days. We will see, time will tell... :)

The adult pen where a few of my dogs will be along with the adult fosters we will have for the day.

James hands out chicken and french fries Marti (the Yukon Quest Executive Director) left for Juno and Pandora as a treat for being so patient today while we worked.
This will be the puppy pen where momma and her seven kids will spend the day. Its large enough for people to come in and visit or view the pups over the fence.

Pandora mingles with the public already.
Since the sun has been shining for most of the day and night we have had a lot of traffic downtown. Its nearly impossible to pass by the Quest without saying hello to our wonderful pups! :)

Tough to Stay Quiet

2010-04-24T22:07:00.001-07:00

It was very hard to only work a half day but when my foot started flaring up as I was cleaning and putting fence up in the dog yard I had to throw in the towel. Felt like I was working twice as hard keeping the weight off my other foot and my energy burned up real quick.

Thankfully James was on hand to run the chainsaw, it would have been very dangerous for me to do it being so off balance! We got a lot of trees down that Ive been meaning to get to for years and cleaned up some smaller ones so the dogs can have a clear track through the yard in some of the lower areas.

Now all I need to do is heal enough to haul out all the logs and branches and finish our fence gates. Not sure when that will be but tomorrow I'm going to try and stay off my feet and get this wound healed.

James really impressed me today with his tree felling skills. Check out these photos!

James after cutting the first and largest tree

The 'big one' James dropped exactly where he wanted it.
Good thing I opened the gate!!

The second tree in James' handiwork, dropped perfectly in the entrance of our small gate opening that was also removed before the trees were cut.
This was perfect practice for the work we need to do in Talkeetna to shape up our raw property! :)

And he kept impressing me today when he came home with news that we finally have a new motor for our new dog truck! It will be another project for him to get the motor in and another project for me to start working on plans for the new dog box. That will be exciting!

But I have to get some of these other details of summer worked out first. Thankfully I will have the shop to use this winter and if I'm sweet James will let me use a spot out there to work when it gets cold like we did with the trailer. My other box took almost four months so I imagine this one will be about the same, maybe quicker since I have a better idea on how I want to put it together.

Forced Rest

2010-04-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

Had a nice start to my day, got some logo work done for ISDRA this morning, played with Pandora and the girls then headed out to the dog yard for more clean up and free time with all the dogs while I worked. Lots of plans to go through and fun stuff to plan, enjoyed cleaning up and having my furry helpers all around until I stepped on that frickin' nail!!

My first thought was, "Thank God I stepped on it and not the dogs" my second though was, "Oh holy God that hurts!!" and a lot of other unmentionable words I really shouldn't mention here. Ive never had a nail go in this far before but thankfully it was firmly into the 2x4 and came out 'cleanly'.

Strange how the mind can push through... I didn't want to stop working but the idea of my dirty sock and shoe not being the best place for a healthy bleeding foot I figured I should go in and at least look at the damage. Darn it all for the 'I shoulds' in this world... it wasn't good and seemed to hurt worse after I looked at it. Why is that?

Then the other 'I should' told me to go to the ER. Three hours and a tetanus shot later I hobbled my butt back home and sat on the couch with ice. Watched a wonderful movie for the night while my foot swelled and reminded me of the pain every time I had to get up.

What a pain!! Oh well... its an obvious message that I need to slow down or I will be forced to slow down like I am now.

Tomorrow is another day and with more walking around I hope to have more 'practice' getting used to the pain. Unfortunately I refuse to completely stop, there is still way too much to do, but I will certainly be slower tomorrow.

Below is the video caught today, before the nail incident...

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

Finding some neat stuff as I get things cleaned up here in the office...

'Pathfinder'
Logo work available for purchase.
Contact us for pricing...

Amazing Photography

2010-04-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Asking for help is a new thing for me, its taken me a while to get comfortable accepting donations of money and time but as this project expands its become something I have to be at ease with.

Yesterday we had a shavings party, one of many this year... the snow load for the season was so slight that breakup is going by very fast. It was bad for our winter season but great for breakup! Still, the work needs doing and thanks to help from my mom yesterday we unloaded a huge pile of shavings into the yard, already our second load this season.

Its always a very fun time of year for the dogs to enjoy but some of our newer fosters have trouble with how shavings feel under their paws. Dogs like Brooks take a full 24 hours to get used to the comfort, having not known anything like it in their lives, but once at ease you will rarely see them seek the comfort of their dog houses.

After having a very rough night sleep (Pandora was up and down all morning) I was up early getting some more office work done. Thanks to the help of our foster son Ben I was able to be in two places at once to bring you beautiful snapshots of yesterdays hard work.

Special thanks to my mom and Ben for helping make this hard job of spring a lot easier!

Foster Dog - Sweet Maude rests on the outskirts of her shavings pile

Gemini takes full advantage of the sun coming through the trees to sunbathe on her stash

Calypso investigates the camera

Polar peeks out from her dog house, not sure about the shavings in her area

To see more, visit us on Facebook and look through the 'Shavings' album

Donations

2010-04-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Due to the generous contributions of our dog sled ride guests and watchers we have opened up an easy way to make donations or to support a specific dog you may have met and fell in love with. Any donation is greatly appreciated, no matter how small...

Visit our donation site at:
http://www.alaskaspiritwalk.com/DoggyDonor/index.html

Receive a free husky related gift when you sign up for our automatic monthly donation!!

Whirlwind of Work

2010-04-06T09:59:00.001-07:00

I will be taking a bit of a break from this blog and other media related venues than I planed after our snow season has come to a close. During these past few weeks we were handed a very important job that requires a lot of planning and focus. I cant say much about it now since its still so early in the planning but I will certainly get you all caught up when the time comes.

For now I must keep a solid focus on the details of this project since it will mean the world to the dogs and humans working along side them...

I also have to make room for the many graphic projects that need completion along with working the details of this new project. I will make time to share these new artsy items either here or on Facebook for your enjoyment.

I thank you all in advance for your patience and am grateful to those of you who follow along with us on this amazing journey down uncharted and exciting trails. There is so much excitement to come!!

Sled Dogs In Schools

2010-03-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Carol for taking this video and pictures from our Sled Dogs in Schools four week event!

Me and Minnie talking to the class while Maude gets maximum attention

Sasha gets LOTS of belly rubs from the girls

Dog sled ride day - Nita's team lined up and ready to go

Foster dogs Polar and Maude rest in the sun waiting for their next rider

Nita's leader Sookii resting on the trail

Hitting the Wall

2010-03-28T00:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get going so fast, have so much work and such a heavy schedule that I inevitably hit a wall. That happened today, but a two hour nap eventually put me back straight. I couldn't believe I slept for that long, or that deep but it sure was needed...

The house was a mess so James and I started our spring cleaning early and that pushed a lot of things back farther on my schedule. I will get caught up on everything in time and I hate to say it but I'm actually glad to see the snow going. We have one more tour tomorrow and another next week that may be our very last one for this season.

Once the trails are gone I will have a lot more time to be at my desk and get some of these things done and crossed off my list. Its an understatement to say the least to have some of these jobs off my shoulders. I welcome all the work and the financial gain that helps James, I and the pups live in comfort but its always nice to see these things done and our clients happily walking away with a once in a lifetime experience or the sled dog related goods they were looking for.

The foster dogs have been keeping me pretty busy as well. Brooks had another very successful visit and I think she may have a new home lined up. We should know more in a few weeks after she has her vet work up and spay.

And Sally, who is a newbie that we just picked up from the shelter already has some interest! There is another at the shelter who we are looking to pull but with Olive coming back for a few weeks stay while her new owner is out of town we are going to have our hands and dog houses full.

Polar went for a trial visit in a potential adopters home a few days ago and after a rocky start when she jumped the fence we are hoping she is settling in much better and getting to know her surroundings safely. We are holding her house open just to make sure she doesnt need to come back but even if we are full again with foster dogs we will always make room for our little Polar Bear!

The highlight of the day was our little visitors who came out with us for a dog sled ride at the beginning of our season. Their grandparents, Linda and Carl, were up for another visit and wanted to see the kennel this time. The tour was great, dogs were wonderful and Wyatt and Garret were so helpful feeding everyone.

The biggest hit was the dirt den that the dogs have been working on enlarging every year. Garret literally disappeared in the hole and it was very tough to get him away from that area, he was having such a good time. Again and again he wanted to try it out while Gaea looked on very concerned that he might get stuck. She is such a caring nanny not only to Pandora but enjoys looking after human pups as well.

The other bonus today was when Pandora headed out to the dog yard to play with the big dogs all by herself. Gaea was in charge of watching her but for the most part she was free to meet and greet everyone on her own. It was a huge relief having her out of the house for a while so we could clean but when she came back she stunk so bad I had to quickly fit in an emergency bath... her first one!

Of course I had to take a lot of pictures and even though there are so many more I have to pull off my camera and update I just had to post these now. They were far too cute to wait...

Fresh out of the tub and looking for trouble!

Our crazy baby rolling on the couch trying to get dry while Juno looks on wondering why our baby is so crazy!

Shifting position on the cough for another good rub.

Resting and ready for a nap

Snuggling in her blanket warm and drying

All dry, warm and fluffy!

Checking the Numbers

2010-03-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

With the recent addition of our little pup Pandora it got me thinking of dog numbers and the delicate balance we maintain here.

It is delicate mostly as a financial aspect but there is also the reality that I am the main caretaker for these guys and I need to make sure I don't stretch myself too far and keep enough of myself to go around to for all. At times I wish I had more hands to pet everyone but there is a nice balance here when we stay focused.

Years ago I realized that I could operate my kennel very well with 12-15 of my own personal dogs. Personal meaning that they are pups Ive raised from babies or those who were born here who will never leave. This allows the older dogs to pass through retirement and old age with no pressure to work within the team if they are unable and there is a much closer personal connection with these dogs compared to the foster dogs who pass through.

The logic is that I can allow foster dogs to go into new homes much easier without nearly as much heartbreak if I am not as personally connected. Of course there are a few fosters who get a bit too close to my heart who are harder to see move on but if every one of them were close we would never be able to rotate the new ones in when the other ones find new homes and help save more lives.

The arrival of Pandora has pushed our 'personal' numbers a bit over from 15 to 17. This isn't too terribly important but it does mean that we cant take in any more young pups to raise for a long while. The foster dogs though are a completely different group who's numbers can fluctuate up and down at any time. Currently we have seven fosters, soon to be eight with the arrival of Sally tomorrow.

The other group of dogs who live with us are our boarders who stay with us for as long as they need. Some have been here so long that they truly feel like family.

Hard to believe there are 30 dogs living here!

Here is the break down:

Personal dogs

House Dogs:
Mercury (retired)
Griffin (half retired)
Ajax (honorary lead dog)
Juno (coat too thin to live outside)
Gaea (coat too thin to live outside)
Pandora (puppy)
Buddy (retired)

Outside Dogs:
Chronos (medically retired)
Calypso (main team)
Boreas (main team)
Thanatos (main team)
Hermes (main team)
Salmon (retired)
Hera (main team)
Lykos (in training)
Remus (main team)
Shasha (in training)
Gemini (retired)

Foster Dogs
Second Chance League:
Polar (main team)
Coyote (half retired)

Fairbanks Animal Shelter:
Minnie (medically retired)
Stripe (medically retired)
Maude (retired)
Madeline (retired)
Sally (main team)
Brooks (main team)

Boarders
Reba (main team)
Ichabod (main team)
Mandy (retired)
Eli (main team)

You can see how the number of dogs in a kennel don't necessarily mean they will be part of the main team. Each dog is in a different stage of life both physically and mentally. In order for a kennel to keep a solid working team of healthy active dogs you inevitably end up with a few extras.

Since we are a life long kennel our older dogs, or those who have medical issues, do not leave the safety of the home they have grown to love. Many of our fosters also fall into this category. Since an older dog is less likely to be adopted, as is a dog with medical issues, they often stay here for the rest of their lives.

Pandora's Wild Ride

2010-03-22T22:37:00.000-07:00

Miles and miles of trail

2010-03-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Video from today, puppy videos still to come but I wanted to make sure I get this one uploaded since it was so recent.

This was taken after 20 miles of mushing clients around in the morning then we headed the dogs out to pick up diamond willow Josh had been cutting while we were working. We are hoping to use the wood to make furniture and will post more pictures of the process as we get the time. Right now our schedules are far too packed to think about another project but we had to get the wood out before our trails disappear back into swamp.

Very impressed with all of these guys. This was the team I was running all day, they held up so well and worked so very hard.

Lead - Juno
Swing - Hermes and Ichabod
Team - Gaea, Eli, Calypso
Wheel - Boreas and Thani

Repairs

2010-03-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Before I posted more trail videos I wanted to give you a little insight into what goes on behind the scenes...

Flyin'!

2010-03-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Check back tomorrow for more puppy footage!!

Burning off some steam from the dogs before the kids take their dog sled rides...

Trouble viewing the video? Check it out on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_WmyRLKs7g

Our day in video...

2010-03-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Had a loooong day of mushing today. Played with the camera a lot and took more videos than usual.

Today was ride day for the students to complete their fourth week of our Sled Dogs in Schools program. Carol Kleckner was along to help and took some great videos and photos that I hope to share with you soon. I have a lot of media still to catch up on and will be working on grouping it all together over the next few weeks so it makes sense.

The videos I took today are self explanatory so I will be posting some of those today and tomorrow night. Friday is our second day off from the trail so I will be busy catching up on work in the office. It will be nice to take a break!

The day begins...

Trouble viewing the video, try our link on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTLu6nysnqI

Slowly catching up,,,

2010-03-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

Just downloaded my camera. Geez! There has been a lot going on and so little time to document any of it!!

Here are just a few highlighted photos for you, for now. The dogs and I will be on the trail a full FIVE DAYS this week! Fortunately its not all back to back, there are two days spaced nicely apart that we will have off.

Ive never been on the trail this much in a season. Im really starting to like the idea of our second job, or would that be a third? I dont know... Ive been working so much I cant think straight! :)

Nita outfitting our Californian client while Griffin patiently waits his turn to greet our guest!

Pandora sound asleep on the couch enjoying her puppy dreams

Totally Spent

2010-03-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a great trail run today with Nita and Josh...

First we had a client come out and do our 30 minute run while her daughter skijored beside us. This trip was super special since the one skijoring was Beth who adopted Laya some time ago!!

It was so great to see those two again and even better when I hooked up Brooks along side Laya to give Beth some more power. Seeing those two run side by side was amazing and it was so wonderful to reflect on the connection that was made, not only with a wonderful woman, but with amazing dogs who were considered throw aways after they were dropped off at the animal shelter.

Once we got back to the truck we turned the dogs around and headed back out for the slough trail to collect some diamond willow for Nita. The dogs hauled quite a bit of weight and did amazingly well for the whole trip.

I'm not sure what the total miles were today and I'm too pooped to figure it out. That trail really kicked my butt and there is still more wood out there to collect later on.

It will be good work for the dogs and I cant think of anything more fun than hauling heavy loads in this wonderfuly warm March weather... it was only zero today! Such great weather to run dogs in and the light snow that was falling added to the wonderful journey.

Late, late, late...

2010-03-10T10:56:00.001-08:00

I apologize for the lack of updates here. I have been posting little notes on our Facebook page to try and keep somewhat up to date but Ive been falling behind on all things media related. Work has swamped us and dog sled riders are coming out of our ears!!

This week got off to a slow start but we just booked another short ride for tomorrow and have more planned for this weekend. Its nice to work on the trails at the end of the week and get some desk work done on the weekdays but it still feels there isn't enough time in my day!

As it gets even warmer and if the trails hold we will be expecting lots more trail work before our season is complete. We've even had requests for a ride in late May! Crazy!!

I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to Mary Shields for all her recommendations and to the Quest for recommending us as well. Without your help we wouldn't have been so busy this early. It is greatly, greatly appreciated!

And a HUGE thanks also to our military contacts who have been working behind the scenes so hard (especially Jamielle!) to get our other sled dog project off the ground. Cant say more about that now since its still in the early stages of production but I can report that our foster dogs will be a HUGE part of this program as well as our own dogs of course.

Very, very exciting stuff keeping us all busy and extremely productive... though Im still trying to find a way to stop and enjoy it fully without being whisked away off on another aspect of these plans... practice, practice!

And on top of that I have to find some more time to get back to my logo work which will require more desk time and the Riverboat Discovery will be starting up soon (along with our other retail outlets) so I will have to keep my focus there as well, making sure everyone has enough stock to get through the season.

I like to think I'm developing a knack for balancing this all out but I would seriously be kidding myself. There is a LOT I still have to learn about pacing this work and not letting it overwhelm myself or others. I'm sure I will figure it out before too long... the only way to master something is to do it repeatedly!

In other kennel news our new pup has a name... we are calling her Pandora and have great expectations for this little wonder. Of course, she is welcome to be who ever she needs to be and we will love her just the same but I have noticed a strong personality within that may lead to her being as strong of an asset to us as Juno has! And at only eight weeks weighing 17lbs shes going to be a BIG girl!!

She has already potty trained herself and is nearly sleeping completely through the night. I had to get up once last night to make sure she got the chance to pee then it was back to sleep with barely a peep out of her! She has been a VERY easy baby!!

I have so many photos of our dog sled riders, our sled dogs in schools and more of Pandora but you will have to wait until I can sneak away a few more moments to get them off my camera. My computer is choking from all the data Ive put on it and Ive got to find the time to clean up and file these things away so it can handle even more!

That's it for now... keep checking our Facebook page for our most recent updates and I will try to get back here again very soon...

Meet the Next Generation!!

2010-03-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

Our new little one, who doesnt have a name yet, but has already captured our hearts! Mercury approves and all the other dogs are very anxious to meet her.

We've got so much still to do over the next few weeks so its been a major blessing that she is so good at entertaining herself. Ajax is very happy to have a new playmate his size again. The other boys grew up far too fast, Calypso is still small enough to play with but now that shes older she doesnt have nearly as much time for puppy games.

Gaea has already shown herself to be a fun playmate and our little pup is more than welcome to bounce around with her.

So much to catch up on!

2010-03-01T13:31:00.001-08:00

This weekend was SUPER busy but Ive got a lot of exciting updates for you all and some neat new photos!!

Our biggest event of the week is that Chewy was adopted!!!! Go Chew!!

We were very fortunate that he found a wonderful lady who loves to work with shy dogs so he will be in very good hands and well on his way to rehabilitation as he eases into adulthood. He is one lucky pup!!

Since Chewy wasn't here long we don't have many photos of him. He was still very skittish and we didn't want to push him past his comfort zone with camera flashes. I will be sure to catch some shots of him before he leaves so we can update our records and add Chewy as another adoption success story.

That means that the search for a new foster dog is now underway and we will have details soon as to who the new lucky one will be... its always very exciting for us to welcome a newcomer into our kennel and start the rehabilitation process all over again!

More updates coming... stay tuned!!

Mouthy

2010-02-27T00:28:00.000-08:00

A quick video from our run today. An example of what Juno does on her 'time off'. Ive let her run loose these past few times so Hermes can lead without being so harassed by her. Juno is pretty impatient even when her partner is doing the right things. As you can see I try to do the right thing on the back of the sled by helping the dogs up the hill but Juno is still not pleased! :)

Tough Run

2010-02-24T23:41:00.000-08:00

Had a tough run today, not the whole run but on the way back my body started shutting down and I didn't have food handy to prevent a complete crash.

Thankfully the dogs didnt need too much help on the way back and were very patient when I had to take extra time unharnessing them. It was tough slowly watching my body shut down but thankfully James and Ben were both home and available to come out to the trail head and help me load up the sled and gear.

I wasn't much help and even after getting home, soaking in a hot bath, trying to eat something and taking a rest it was a full two hours before I could get up the energy to feed and drop the dogs. They were snug in their boxes so were in no discomfort but I really hated to be incapacitated like that.

It was totally my fault for not seeing the warning signs earlier, paying attention to them and packing food for myself like I always do. The dogs had snacks but since Ive been running the new sled its been a bit difficult to pack my usual stuff in the new bag. I miss all my pockets and ways I could organize. It will all come with time but I absolutely have to bring food with me any time I leave the house. It could have been a much more serious issue if we had gone on a longer trek.

The dogs worked very hard today. I had extra weight in the sled and brought back out the firewood I dropped off earlier in the season. The dogs also broke lots of trail which was completely different than running on the slick hard track we have everywhere else.

They hadnt broken trail in so long and I think Boreas took his job a bit too seriously today. He pooped out before anyone else did. I have to watch that boy. He works 110% and could get in trouble if he doesnt pace himself.

Eli, Reba and Polar all got out today filling the team out to 12 for our 13 mile run. Chewy is next to try his paws on the trail but he needs to wait until we are back down to slower miles. Hes doing much better coming around and now gets right up to his house when its time for feeding instead of being at the end of his tie out.

My view of a 12 dog team as we crest a small hill.
Big Blue is so big that I have to wait until we get over the ledge before I can see the dogs again!

Birthday Hat!

2010-02-23T11:40:00.001-08:00

Thani tries on James' new birthday hat I made to check the fit...

After all these years I think I finally found something he couldn't buy for himself but that will be extra special since I made it myself.

Now, if the weather would get cold again he could start wearing it! Even if we have to wait until next year it will still be worth it.

The beaver pelt I used was amazing and full. It will be super warm for any temperature he has to be out in.

Adjusting the Aerodynamics

2010-02-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

Had a quick run today, just for Bonnie. She is slow to mature and even though she was doing great running previously with the main team putting on the miles her mind was starting to stress under the slight pressure she was running through.

The runs we were doing were pretty short and easy but in her mind it was scary at times and that is what is still playing over and over in her memory. Now its my job to change all that, slow things down, offer more encouragement one on one and get her mentally to a place that we can build on.

This means that not only will we continue our nightly walks, which is helping her train as well, but I will be setting up slower team runs for her once a week. These trips are a little bit of a strain on my schedule since we are only out for about an hour or so, very short miles and lots of stops and starts. It can be tedious to a point but getting out there is always worth it and Bonnie is definitely worth the effort.

She is a special one and its not only her that is getting trained... she is forcing me to slow down, reassess my training tactics and take some time to reflect and focus on being an even better trainer to her and to any other special sled dogs who cross my path.

As with every situation in life things can be seen in a good or bad light... I prefer to see it all good even though some things end up taking more effort in the end, its all good stuff especially if I become a better person working through this adversity. I wish more people felt like that about their dogs instead of being so quick to give up on them. There is so much good to be had if we give the time and patience to see everything through.

The run today was touch and go for her but that is to be expected. Its only our first trip getting her back to the comfortable place she needs to be. Seeing her relax on the front seat of the truck when we were done was priceless. We had a few quiet moments on the way back home and it was really nice to slow down and connect with such a special girl.

I have to say that there is nothing better than having a great front end on my sled dog team. Hermes and Juno have done so much for me and learned so much working last year breaking out trails and toughing out those deep snowy paths. Today we took a detour through a brushy area that I thought someone had already broken through only to find we were the first to make tracks. We really couldn't tell with as little snow as we've gotten this year.

It was so easy to go where ever we wanted and was beautiful to watch my leaders weave through the willows effortlessly. They barely stopped or slowed down, just thread through as if they were swimming in an ocean while I followed up with the Blue Beast and dodged trees as best I could.

It was tough but so fun... once I ducked around one tree I would look up and there was another right in our path. The sled bounced nicely off all the trees and Bonnie handled things pretty well but had a few hangups. I walked her through the first two and after that she handled every pass like a pro. She is a quick learner!

We stumbled across some old moose bones, most likely from a wolf kill, loaded them up in the sled for the dogs to enjoy when we got back home, banged around some more, effectively making our first major scraps and custom tweaks to the sled (aerodynamic adjustments!), found our old trail again and headed for the turn that would take us back to the truck so Bonnie wouldn't have to go too far and stress out.

It was a bit easier than I thought to head back early. With Bonnie in mind the decision was easy and thoughts of running again with the main team on Wednesday for a longer run was a very nice thing to look forward to. Hopefully I will be able to get even more dogs out then (ten dogs headed out today) so Polar, Eli and Coyote can come with us. We also have to start focusing on our training again to get the guys up to speed for our new half day client this weekend.

What was really nice was when I turned Juno loose to run ahead and let Hermes take over lead by himself while I was able to direct both of them individually. I was really pleased to see Hermes taking my commands on cue instead of following Juno blindly. We took a couple of turns that Juno missed and it was a delight to see Hermes turn away from her, take control and show the great leader he has grown up to be!

Sunlight

2010-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

The only thing nice about this warmer weather is having the sun back. Not so great for running dogs but great for pictures! To see more check out our Facebook page...

Our clients were great today, enjoyed their ride and stayed nice and warm. There was plenty of time for giving the dogs snow breaks, cool downs and photo ops. The forecast says it might cool down in the next few days and there is even a chance of snow, but only north of Fairbanks.

The dogs did much better on the trail than I thought they would. I was watching Hera close to see if her heavy coat was going to give her trouble but she pulled through really well. The boys are not as heavily coated and didn't suffer with the heat as much as I thought they would. All of them did very well.

Feels Like Summer

2010-02-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Crazy weather this week. We are barely getting to the end of February and are experiencing warm weather that we shouldnt be having for at least another month.

Every year its something different, one season we had rain right in the middle of winter and we do have thawing periods occassionally but this is pretty extreme. I think its more frustrating to see after being spoiled for so long with extended winters and the ability to mush on into April.

There isn't much we can do about it but go along with the flow and hope for the best. We have another ride tomorrow and the temperature is going to be well above freezing. The dogs may have trouble with the warmer weather but we will take lots of breaks and make sure they get lots of snow to cool them down.

We also have another ride coming up this next weekend where we hope to take advantage of the hilly trails out where Nita lives but with the daytime temperature being 60+ in those higher elevations we will have to play it by ear.

Along with the rides we have been working on our Sled Dogs in Schools program to get our foster dogs in the classroom and encourage children to look to rescuing a dog from a shelter rather than a pet store.

We have also been teaching them that if they arent ready to adopt that volunteering and donating to a shelter organization is still a wonderful step in the right direction.

Coyote and Polar were the first dogs to meet the kids and Carol Kleckner was a huge help talking to the kids. Sasha and Maude will probably be next to go in for our second week though Minnie is looking like she may want to try a group setting.

Being in the classroom for these guys is priceless. Its a great way for them to make new friends, for us to evaluate how they may work with children and, for those who cant enjoy the trail as much as the younger fosters, it gives the older guys a fun new place to be.

Dog Sled Riders

2010-02-16T23:06:00.000-08:00

Another client trip today on our ten mile loop. I left a few dogs at home since it doesn't take more than a ten dog team to do the route even with two people in the sled bag, plus me driving. These guys are strong and handle the full load with complete ease! :)

Ben was on hand to take photos and record the day... the shots he caught were great and really showed the dogs interaction with our clients very well.

I am getting quite comfortable on this new sled, though I really need to make a new sled bag no later than the start of our next season. The one Im using works, especially for hauling gear, but when we get our clients in they have to sit on top of the bag and have to use a parka to keep the wind off. It works but its ideal to have enough room for them to cover up under the canvas for a nice comfy ride.

Polar keeps growing on me... over these past few runs she has really opened up and formed a connection. Like many of our fosters I don't mind if they stay for a while, especially if they are this sweet, but I would like to see her get into a nice home too.

She will have a lot to do while shes here and seems to be enjoying herself but we always like to see a foster move on to a new home since an empty house means we could save and rehabilitate another life.

Client Trip to Mary Shields Cabin

2010-02-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterdays trip out to Mary's was great! Wonderful weather, great clients who were a wonderful help harnessing dogs, handling gear and driving the team. We love it when active people come out to run with us!

We had thought the trip out would only be a half day but since we have a policy of 'throwing our watches away' we were having so much fun that time quickly got away with us. Fortunately we had just enough daylight to get in and out safely but headlamps were stored in the sled bag just in case.

I was really pleased to see our most active rider request to take the challenge of the overflow on his own. With a bit less dog power he did great and with a few quick steps he never lost control of the sled and handled everything beautifully!

All the dogs did great and Josh was a great help to us talking to the clients while we were arranging gear or dropping the dogs. Hes turning out to be a real asset with his eagerness to learn about the sport and now able to work with his own dogs that Nita brought up from Eagle last fall.

Mary was great, as always, and it was a blast to catch a quick bite of her moose stew and bread before Nita and I headed back down to the dogs to make sure they were doing okay.

My guys had a bit of trouble seeing Mary's team in their own yard beside the cabin and I'm sure there was a bit of, "This is my place...", "No, this is my place..." conversation going on.

They got it sorted out quickly enough and realized that the command to stay by the truck applied at the cabin as well and gave respect to Mary's dogs and their space. Well, all except Gaea who was quite the flirt to a few of Mary's male dogs and I think she even sweet talked one of them out of a tasty moose hide! She is a sly one!

Having dogs loose also gave everyone a chance to get to know each other, who is grouchy with who and where my big boys need to be while Nita is leading us out. They were pretty confused to see the trail blocked not only by her sled but a full team of 'big boys' claiming their path! Its good for them to know they wont always be the biggest ones in the forest! :)

_______________________________

I have been struggling to catch up on my work load this season and running full speed really catches up to me when I stop. Today was supposed to be a work catch up day but I quickly felt the energy draining from me a few hours into it. And since James had the day off it was hard to be 'serious' about anything.

I miss him when I get so busy out on the trail. The adventures are a blast, keep me occupied and put my mind in a euphoric state like nothing else but when I come home it quickly becomes apparent how long Ive been away. The lap top has been wonderful in that I can get quite a bit done along side of him while he relaxes watching TV.

Mary Shields Cabin

2010-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

We had another training run today to prepare for our clients showing up early tomorrow in the morning to take the same trip. We took the bulk of our load out today, dog snacks, human food, straw, water, etc... now we will have plenty of room for our guests in the sled bags and not as much weight to haul in.

There are a few hills to climb and some overflow to negotiate but Im sure the dogs and mushers will handle everything well. Its always fun to go on an adventure and even more enjoyable to share it with folks new to the sport.

With todays run being only the second time the team and I have headed out to her place I was extremely pleased to see our little Calypso remember where our turns were the whole way out. She even took a turn before I saw it coming that the leaders had missed!

And since we had so much dog power (even though my sled had over 200lbs in it!) Calypso got to run loose most of the time and show me how great she was staying on the trail and waiting for us to catch up. She used to do that when she was a pup and its nice to see shes still doing it as an adult.

On the way back out her and Juno were our crossing guards of sorts. Since a large part of the run takes place on a logging road there is always a chance we will have to pass by a truck hauling wood. There are a few tight turns that the team are able to see around before I can. Having Calypso out front, and later Juno as well, helped give any drivers an advance warning of our team coming up from behind. Those girls did a great job and the rest of the team were able to come around the truck really easy.

Tomorrow is going to be a early and long day so I have to cut this short. Got to get to bed to get up in time for packing and meeting our clients at the trailhead.

Always use spellcheck

2010-02-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

I had to repost the poll, blogger wont let me change it after someone has voted. So vote away! I shouldn't have to fix it again. I was pretty late when I created it last night...

Took run with the dogs today up some hills and back. Wasn't too long and they all worked their little butts off. I think I had about 250 to 300lbs in the sled. Heavy, heavy load but they handled it with ease and most importantly the sled did AMAZING! There was barely a creak or a groan out of it. I'm not sure how far I can push it but it feels like its asking for at least a hundred more pounds before it starts complaining, maybe even more.

Today was the first time this season that I had all 12 dogs on the line. Was a lot of power to work with but we did alright. Was negotiating the trail most of the time so I didn't get any pictures. Should have though, at least on the way back, but it was unfamiliar terrain for me and I was pretty focused on our path.

Sun was hot and high today starting to melt snow in places, especially the roads. Why is it so warm already?

If we don't get any more snow I'm really not sure how long the trails will last...

Musher Poll

2010-02-11T01:06:00.001-08:00

I was just thinking about sleds and things when working on our new sled today. Putting a drag pad on is a pain in the butt but a critical piece of equipment to have handy on any sled. Looking at the old and busted snow machine track I cut the piece from I was a little frustrated to have to add rusted up old rubber to this fine work of art, but some times the old and busted stuff works the best, or at least works for now...

So I thought I would give the ol' poll a spin and see what is old and 'old and busted' on your sled. And if you don't own a sled, give your imagination a try. What do you think would take a heavy beating out on the Alaskan trail?

Place your vote by clicking on the options at the right hand side of your screen...

Trail Run!

2010-02-09T22:24:00.001-08:00

Why does our nine mile trail seem so short now?

The trip was great today but seems to go by so quickly with these speedy puppies, or maybe its because weve had longer treks these last times out?

We will be having another one (24 miles) on Thursday to test a new start trail to Mary's cabin and finish up the rest of the season with day trips out to her place for our clients.

Both Nita and my teams could probably have gone for longer but we were getting Eli, Polar and Coyote back up to speed today. We didn't want to push them too hard especially since no one wanted to ride in the basket or gave any indication of needing to do so. It amazes me how athletic and strong these guys are even after so much time off!

Eli was THRILLED to be on the trail again but her lump has started to come back on her side. Not sure what that means but since it was tested not to be cancerous it may just be a quirk she has to live with.

Coyote did great back in the slower four dog team and Polar actually ran lead some today! I was so impressed with her and it certainly made up for the little tiff she had with Calypso when we were on the trail.

It was more of a grouchy moment from Polar than a fight but I hope to get her around all kinds of dogs who will be patient with her so she knows shes not in danger or has to be on the offensive all the time.

This was my first time out on our new sled! Its official name is the Big Blue Beast or just the Blue Beast. Did I mention how much I LOVE this sled?! Wow, its construction is truly amazing and I was thrilled to find out that it drives even better than it looks! How is that possible? Dave makes some amazing sleds (www.LaughingHusky.com)!

I have never run a toboggan that I can pivot so easily, it only took a slight shift of my weight to go from one side of the trail to the other. It was really weird, where ever I wanted to go, there it went and the wheel dogs didnt have much to do with it. Most sleds rely on the wheel dogs to pull the front end around turns and aid with the steering but I really didnt need them to do much of anything at all. It was so weird!

I just need to get a drag pad on it now and later I will be working on sewing up a sled bag that will fit. The one I'm using now is much too small for it but it is making due quite well for now.

I also need to make up new snow hook lines and a safety back up bridle for the front. My old snow hook went up to the middle of this sled and was a bit difficult to pull, but manageable. It made me laugh thinking how well it fits my other sled and what a contrast this one is in length. The photos are a bit deceiving. You really have to see it in person to get an idea of how big it really is.

Busy Week

2010-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

When is it not busy around here?!

Anyway, I'm a bit late with updates so I thought I would catch up before I hit the trail handling for Scott Chesney during the Yukon Quest 300. Going to be an interesting trip and I'm sure by the end of it I will be very glad hes not doing the full race!

Handling for a team can be rewarding and challenging at the same time and I'm up for the adventure but its always hard to break away from James and the pups even if its only for a few days.

Our very latest news is that this winter may not be so bad after all! The weather has been very mild and this morning it is only a few degrees above zero. No new snow but it sure is nice not to have to pile all the pups inside at -50. So far only a few have had to come in (aside from their usual office time) though I think Griffin may have graduated to a permanent house dog along with Mercury. James is such a softy and hes not helping me follow the 'rules' very well.

Ironically these were rules put down by James many, many years ago but it appears things have changed quite a bit since then. He is now leaning towards letting Chronos stay inside now too! I do have to put my foot down to that just a little bit though... I want to be absolutely positive that James is okay with everything 100%. He has given far too much to me and the dogs for any of us to take his hospitality for granted. We are all incredibly grateful for what he has allowed our lives to be today.

The other HUGE news is that we got our brand new sled from Dave Klumb (Laughing Husky) a few days ago. I seriously need to get out there and take some photos of this wonderful HUGE sled! Its a beautiful beast and Dave made everything perfectly to our specs!

The runners curve so high in the front that it looks almost like the old sleds they used way back in history with the curved front ends. Dave brought everything together in that curve based on the height of our dogs so they will be pulling from a straight angle without the added, unwanted pressure on their hips.

I cant wait to get it out to try but it will have to wait just a bit until I can get back home, get a few clients out for rides on our old sled before I can get back to our regular training schedule where I can get used to driving this new one. This is the time of year when tourists really start to show up so we may continue to be busier than usual with rides. We shall see...

But, I did want to quickly get caught up on our past White Mountains trip before I head out for the Quest trail...

The trailer was about half done when we set out but were able to get all my guys in with a few of Nita's up in the cab of the truck. Two sleds fit nicely down the aisle and we still had room for two more kennels up front for the two extra dogs who didn't have room for in the boxes that were complete.

The trip into Moose Creek cabin was a delight. We barely saw anyone, just a few skiers and the dogs did some really nice passes by even if the person had a dog with them.

We traveled on into the night and watched the full moon rise as we mushed on in, lighting our way. The hills were challenging but we all made it through even with our sleds heavily loaded with gear.

It was tough going though since we only had a team and a half to divide up between three people. All the mushers had to help a lot on the hills and at one point one team only had four dogs while I tried to keep the main core up with me since we were carrying most of the weight. It would have been far tougher if we had little dogs in our team but with all these big boys we made some really good time.

Hera impressed me especially. I was really thrilled to see her come into her own that trip. She worked hard and I was so impressed by her ease taking to the trail. She is probably the most sensitive dog I have in the yard but even with the ride in a foreign dog box, staying overnight out in the woods and traveling with strangers, she did fantastic!

But the way in wasn't flawless. I had only been to the Whites a handful of times but even then its extremely hard to get lost out there. Once we passed by a turn that wasn't marked we checked the map and continued on straight. Once we crested a few more hills we began to wonder if we had taken the right way. After a quick assessment of the trail, mushers and dogs we decided to head back up the hills and try the passed turn.

Back we went, as tired as we all were, down the turn, only to find that it was a radio tower of some sort. No cabin anywhere... after another assessment we decided to head back the way we came, trusting the trails, hoping we didn't miss a signpost, and head into Moose Creek cabin or what ever cabin beyond it. It was either that or head for the truck and none of us were ready to tackle those hills without a decent rest.

On we went, slowly getting mentally spent, while I tried my best to keep my thoughts purely positive. The dogs can sense EVERYTHING and if I remained positive, so did they...

Once we were up on another crest the wind whipped through and all I wanted to do was get back into the tree line. Camping in the wind was not an option for any of us... but if it were daylight I would have been able to see the cabin on the trail straight ahead of us. It wasn't until we were nearly on top of it that I was able to see and give the command to Juno to head straight in.

Who ever had been there before us was so considerate to leave dry wood and tinder ready for a quick fire in the wood stove, and I have to tell you, that fire never felt so good!

While all the pups were outside running around we secured the ones who couldn't be loose and set about the business of getting the sleds unpacked and our bodies slowed down to rest.

As I looked around it dawned on me that this had been the same cabin I had been to with a group of friends as Tim and I came up the rear with our slower teams. The memories of that place came flooding back and as I set up the drop lines in the sheltered area for the dogs the ghosts of those passed came into mind...

I could see Aquila there resting, so content and so quiet, regal like the queen she always was... I could see Iris there sharing a bed next to Sue and Ursa off in her own nest completely comfortable to curl up by herself. I could see Canis at the end of the line still ready to go, his old face reminding me that his memories hadn't faded a bit.

And I could see all the dogs in Tim's team... Wolf resting so quietly, Berries curled up, Ras always asking for attention. Toby and Mojo wild and crazy as ever so full of life and love, as the sun set and cast a halo around Toby's dark fur.

Most of those dogs are gone now, though the memories remain and I still have wonderful photos that are so fresh in my mind. I barely need to take them out to remember what each of them looks like and how special that trip was...

This song and painting really touches on the same feelings of that moment...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUezYWE5tj8

Hera and Remus were the only ones who needed to stay outside on the drop line. Hera does not like being indoors (she barely tolerates her dog house at home) and since her and Remus are such good friends it was best for him to stay out there with her for company. For hours I could hear those two restlessly moving about before they finally settled into their straw and slept.

The others all piled into the cabin with most of my guys jockeying for bed space next to me. Oh, what I would have done to have those puppy days back again, if not for their sweet breath at least we could have all fit on the bed together! We just barely managed with Hermes and Boreas taking to the floor under my bunk.

There is nothing better than being part of the pack on the trail and off. I often refer to these guys as being part of my life with no end or beginning... that really is no exaggeration...

Thanks to the wood we hauled in we didn't need to make another trip to cut firewood and we could all rest and sleep. I was envious of Calypso who laid at my head practically snoring. She was clearly getting a great nights rest along with the others. I tossed and turned a bit but did manage to dream of James a few times to be with him while he was also restless back at home.

When the dawn slowly came to our window I rose and started the fire again, sat on the table and watched the light flood onto the land.

The fog continued to roll in on the distant hills like a slow meditation as my pups settled in again at my feet for another nap. Sitting there in my sleeping bag while everyone else slept, watching the land that I love wake from its sleep... well, there is nothing quite as heavenly as that. It is a feeling that I am reluctant to put into words and perhaps there truly are no words for it...

The way out was tough. The dogs were looking great, we had fed most of the food we brought to them and ate some ourselves. That really helped lessen our loads but those hills still remained. On and on we climbed into the fog never knowing when we would reach the top of each hill but so grateful when we did.

The dogs started struggling so we put a few extras in my team and hooked Nita with the little sled back to mine while Josh continued on with his small team.

Running a tandem sled really helped the guys on the hills but it was still a struggle... and its funny but I greatly enjoyed being able to help again. Ever since this last litter there has been little for me to do. I welcomed the bruises and sore muscles it gave me afterwards.

We passed quite a few large teams on the way out and I found a few dogs who need a bit more correction with passing. I made a few mental notes to focus on them for future training runs and headed on.

For the last few miles the sun came out brightly and burned off all the fog opening the landscape and frosted trees to our weary eyes. It was a welcome sight all around and seeing the sunlight dance halos on all the dogs, especially Griffin who ran ahead, it was nothing short of angelic.

More photos can be seen on our Facebook page... follow the link on the right hand side of the screen...

Road Warriors!

2010-02-02T13:25:00.000-08:00

Video taken on the road/trail to Mary's Cabin

Cabin in the Woods

2010-02-01T01:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend was so busy and full of work on the trail with the dogs. We worked in two trips out to two different cabins and both adventures are worth talking about so I will start with our trip out to Mary Shields cabin first and save our White Mountains adventure for another blog entry.

We didn't have to drive far to hit the trail to Mary's cabin. It was very nice to have trail access right from Nita's house even though we quickly found ourselves on the 'hill of death'!

It was a tricky trail that dropped in elevation pretty quickly. The scenery was very beautiful and the trail looked great but once I thought I had control the hill grew stepper quickly and I almost lost control a few times. Had a nice smack into the brushy willow trees that lined the path and I thought for the thousandth time that I really should pack a set of rough locks for my sled runners! They sure would have come in handy!

I went from eight dogs to seven, to six, to five, to four before I felt like we were able to travel safely. We also had a bunch of weight on the sled and that certainly kicked our downhill momentum up a notch!

Mary was expecting a skier out to her cabin and asked us to help out by bringing out his backpack and a large container of kerosene. I was very happy to do it since we have been heavily focusing on weight training with the dogs but flying down that hill barely in control of my sled had me wondering if it was wise for me to be packing a drum of flammable material!

As soon as we hit the logging road everything leveled out and we were all able to enjoy the trip in a more relaxed manner. I plugged the big boys back in but let Hermes run ahead for a little while longer.

Nita was following behind with Josh on the same sled. We thought they would be able to run that way since they weren't packing any weight in their sled but her four dogs hadn't been on the 20 miler trips we had were doing and were out of shape. We left Josh to run the second team after we came down the hill while Nita and I shared the sled runners on the lead team.

Heading in the trail got better and better and it was so nice to see the trees heavy with snow. Thanks to Nita's observation of the trail and Mary's directions we only had to turn around once. It was a pretty simple turn but there were some minor complications that caused me to bang up my knee pretty bad. Its silly how one minor fall can cause so much pain.

I think I must have hit my knee on the runner just right, came away with a pretty good bruse and a minor ache still present this morning deep in my knee cap that reminds me it will be a few more days before Im physically back to 100%.

Once we came closer to the cabin things started looking very familiar. It was wild traveling the exact same trail I had seen in Mary's video so many years ago. I remember renting it from the library and watching it over and over to pick up tips and tricks on how she ran her dogs.

When we came into the cabin and saw the little details of the inside it was just as exciting as seeing the familiar trail on the way in. The old trap door was still there in the floor, the old cooking stove, the chairs that had been carved out of a single log... it was all so amazing.

Since our trip was only an in and out we didnt stay long but after getting there I wished we could have at least spent the night. Im sure there will be more time for that later on. Our initial intent was to study the trail and check out the property to see if any repairs were needed to the main cabin or the guest house. With Mary's help we hope to set up a few overnights for our out of town clients to have a special journey by dog sled and enjoy a bit of personal history with Mary Shields herself.

The trip out was much harder than the trip in. The dogs still looked great and were ready to head out but when we hit the same hill that we took on the way in it was a lot for all of us to work through. Even though we left most of the weight at the cabin the dogs were struggling with the weight of three people.

We hit that hill hard and most of the time we were half off the sleds or running beside the team. Josh and I took to the runners on the lead team since we had most of the dogs still up front. His tall stride really helped the sled move and I did what I could with my shorter legs pushing or running beside the sled.

The sun quickly went down as we continued our struggle up the hill and even though none of us thought to bring headlamps we worked well through the dark. It wasn't long before a huge full moon was showing on the horizon and in no time it was shining bright over our heads.

The team mushed on and as we leveled out back on the top of the hill Josh took ontrol of the second team while Nita and I rode the lead team back to her place.

The night was so beautiful, the sky so clear and the only images we could see of the dogs were the outlines of their shapes running in the moonlight. The scene was serine and amazingly beautiful...

Overnighter

2010-02-01T00:49:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a three day mushing weekend with Nita and Josh. I'm spent... dogs and humans worked very hard... first we went out to Mary Shields cabin then to Moose Creek cabin in the White Mountains. Lots of hills and the dogs looked GREAT!!

I will catch up more when I'm not so dog tired...

Josh and 'Princess Sookii' headed out to Mary's cabin

Griffin checks out the smells at the base of Mary's cache

My sled at Moose Creek cabin as the morning fog rolls in the White Mountains

A beautiful white tree spotted on the way out from the whites glowing in the afternoon sun

Logo Update from Client

2010-01-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Got this from a past client of mine. I worked up a kennel logo for them a while back and I've been extremely pleased how much they have done with it. It gives me some ideas for our own kennel logo presentation and our new dog trailer! :)

Griffin and Juno on the World Wide Web!

2010-01-26T17:19:00.000-08:00

I was wondering when these photos were going to pop up. We ran into a photographer a few years ago while doing demo's with the foster dogs and other sled dogs at Pioneer Park (formerly AlaskaLand) in Fairbanks.

James found these while surfing through the internet... there was no mistaking Juno's cute face!

I'm standing just off frame trying to get them to smile for the camera (that's not me in the pink dress! :) )...

http://www.alaskastock.com/resultsframe.asp?inline=true&image=002AC+BF0020D001&wwwflag=3&imagepos=12

http://www.alaskastock.com/resultsframe.asp?inline=true&image=002AC+BF0019D001&wwwflag=3&imagepos=36

Running Video

2010-01-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Back from a 20 mile run with the dogs. Everyone did great and came in looking strong. Running some moose off at the end really helped the dogs come in nicely!

We did some exploring, I destroyed my runner plastic on the road but we had a GREAT time! The sun is coming up higher every day and its great to be out there...

Dog Trailer!!

2010-01-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

We've been working hard and heavy on the dog trailer these past few weeks. We are hoping it will be road ready by this weekend for our White Mountain trip. We may be testing it Tuesday since my dog truck will be in the shop.

Hopefully the weather will hold. Its been getting cool again at night, still not as extreme as it should be this time of year but cold enough to think about staying home and waiting it out.

It has been excellent to have an extra hand to help us. Josh is great with construction and making our job so much easier...

Photos of the trailer can be seen here...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3230160&id=184055093330#/album.php?aid=142938&id=184055093330&ref=mf

The Real Boss

2010-01-23T17:33:00.000-08:00

A summer flashback...

Momentum!

2010-01-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

Id like to take a moment to point out the wonderful key people we have working with us this year...

JAMES!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660145855&ref=ts

ANITA!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1172476383&ref=ts

HEATHER!!

http://www.facebook.com/heather.angeloff?ref=sgm

... and our newest recruit...
JOSH!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1178617707&ref=ts

My eternal thanks to these folks (and to those still to come on board) for helping us with the kennel and building the new Sled Dog Sanctuary!!

Both jobs that could never be as grand as I see them in my own mind if not for their gracious help!!

Run Today

2010-01-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

Its been trying to snow today, not much accumulation but it sure is nice to see something falling from the sky, especially while mushing! The weather was great, the dogs were wonderful and I think I barely touched the surface working these guys.

The trail I took was one that we needed to break out again since we hadn't been on it for a while but taking that section of the run doesn't leave many options for adding on the miles. Bonnie came with us so I didn't want to push her too far but when we got back and I checked the miles I wish we could have done more. Twelve miles is a good place to build from so our next trip out will be at least 15 or 20 depending on what trail we take and if we need to break the route out again.

Nita couldn't come out this time but the main team needed to get their miles in if we hope to make it to the cabin next week. We are hoping the weather holds so we can have a nice relaxing trip in the wilds.

Since Bonnie is still learning the ropes I wasn't sure how she would do with just me running her and not having a second handler in case there was trouble. It wasn't as bad as I thought and with each run shes getting better.

Shes been having a bit of trouble with the neck line so I took it off her shortly after we got started but when we passed our first field she dashed flat out across it and pulled the sled way off the trail. It wasn't too bad and an easy fix after I got to the team stopped... but the next field was the worst.

Right before we were about to pass a group of brushy trees she leaped over to the field again and everything went in slow motion. She dashed to the left, the sled turned hard with her and I leaned hard to ditch the sled into the trees before the team could pull her out of her harness. After I ditched the sled and got up I was happy to see that it was lodged into the trees enough for me to let go and handle Bonnie and the rest safely. I got them lined back out again, everyone untangled, and we took off with Bonnie firmly attached to the neck line this time!

She didn't mind being fully hooked in and I could still see her wanting to dash off every time she saw an opening but with her neckline in place it was a great tool to teach her that dashing off is fine during free time but when we are working we have to be safe and 'serious'.

The dogs were all looking great for the entire run and as I came down the hill on the other side of the parking lot it was neat to see three teams getting ready to take off. Robert, Kathy and Keith were both there just getting ready to head out on their own adventure and looked very surprised to see me coming from the opposite end of the trail! We needed a change of scenery and it was very fun to take a completely different route for a change.

On our next trip I might take that route again and head to the Yukon Quest trail just for fun. That would be a nice way to get a few extra miles and mush a historic route for a while...

I got lots of photos and video on this trip but uploading it will have to wait until tomorrow. I need to update the programs on my laptop so I can process them on this machine...

Just One...

2010-01-19T01:22:00.000-08:00

... for now. I'm too tired from the days activities to post more just yet but here is one to wet your appetite!

Heather rode along in Nita's sled today and got some FANTASTIC shots of the whole days events. Was just a short nine mile trail but we did a lot out there, felt like at least 15 miles, a few too many dogs to watch today and train for a different routine and one was a total newbie. He had never been in a dog team before but did great!

I will explain more about the days events later after Im not so tired...

Thanks again Heather for a great day of photographs! :)

Non-Stop

2010-01-17T22:32:00.000-08:00

We had a dog sled ride booked for today and we had another run follow right after that we weren't expecting. We made it back to the house after the first one but fortunately the dogs were still resting in their boxes when we got the second call so we didn't have to do too much extra work to get them back out there. After popping in a few snacks to the humans and dogs we were headed back down the road.

Our first trip was a ten miler and they came in looking great but tired. Josh arrived yesterday so we really wanted him to get out on the trails and see how he liked running the dogs. So while Nita was dropping our clients back off at their place in Fairbanks Josh and I took the younger less tired pups and put in a few more miles while switching driving and riding along the way. They came in looking tired again but were holding up very well. But if we had known we had another ride coming we would have saved all of our energy! :)

When we got the call for the next ride I was uncertain about going out again. Since it was a mother and son we planned on taking a large single team out and doing their five mile trip in one shot but when they arrived the 'son' wasn't quite as young as we thought! It was a full load but the two of them preferred to ride together and they fit well in the sled bag.

All of our riders today were a tremendous joy. The last pair was especially fun. Most of our visitors are from out of town and many speak english only as a second language but even though I may not know their native tongue they giggled and laughed so much that it almost felt like I knew what they were saying. They were all so much fun!

Boreas, Thani and Remus really surprised me (as they always do!). Those three boys are sooooo strong! I know we would never be able to do half as many miles and pulling the heavy loads if it weren't for those boys. The rest break between rides really did them good...

And since we have had a break in the weather its nice to take advantage and get in some good trail time. We aren't sure when the next cold snap will come but its due at any time. We have plans to head out to the White Mountains to do some more rides and make some more great connections so I'm hoping the weather will hold for a while. I really want to get out there and I know the pups would LOVE the adventure!

But for now, we are all resting hard and getting ready for another trip on the trail tomorrow. We have a very important client to take out for a short trip and I am anxious to show her the ropes. It will be her first dog sled ride and her siberian's first real time in harness. Its going to be a fun trip!

Lots of photos to come later. Nita got a few shots today and I'm sure there will be many more tomorrow but it will be a little while before I can get them on the computer. I'm pretty spent and ready to hit the pillow...

Custom Hat Order Complete

2010-01-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

Finished this up a few days ago and Chronos was nice enough to model it for me. Seemed fitting to have a husky model a Husky Hair Hat! :)

This was created for a client based on the pattern of another hat she sent along for reference. The top and bottom colors are from two different dogs even though they look the same. The middle and the inside of the hat are from another one of her dogs.

This was a lot of fun to make and challenging since I had to come up with my own stitches to get the new pattern made. This design will be available upon request but I haven't decided the pricing on it since it is much more complicated than my other hat designs.

Made entirely of hand spun dog hair provided by our client.

Chronos models the new hat quite well! :)

A good view of the ear flaps

New Art

2010-01-12T13:14:00.001-08:00

I have been able to finalize a few jobs this week but since the designs have not been officially released I wont be able to post the full image here just yet. And considering how much I have going on it may be a bit longer before I can update the gallery (http://www.leaddoggraphics.com/FineArtGal/main.php).

But I can tell you to keep watch on the Race to the Sky website (http://www.racetothesky.org/) for when they area ready to announce the full design to the public and release it on their merchandise.

Here is a tiny sneak peak...

Cold Climate

2010-01-11T23:11:00.000-08:00

Was hoping to get the team out today but the temperature kept dropping. Seemed like every time I checked it had dropped a degree. Its tough to predict what the weather is going to do this time of year and there is a real possibility of finding ourselves out in the middle of nowhere with temperatures in the extremes.

For the last few days it seemed that everywhere else has been colder than it was here which is odd for North Pole. But I guess its caught up with us... should reach -40 by tomorrow, its about -37 right now.

The dogs are looking very good and enjoyed their dinner of kibble, tripe snacks (stinky!) and water heavily baited with poultry fat and salmon. Everyone loved it... and now I can go to sleep with the wonderful feeling that Hermes has his nice insulated dog house (that he loves to sleep in most of the day) and that everyone has a belly full of good food, houses full of straw and nice hot water loaded with fat to stoke their little furnaces to keep warm.

Chronos also has his straw cart that he loves! He wont sleep in his house if its near by... and I didn't see any reason for him to be hooked up to his house since hes always so sweet.

So now he has full run of the kennel! First Griffin, now Chronos... are we advancing to a free run kennel 24/7? Maybe, it certainly will be a consideration once we get to Talkeetna. I am certainly planning to have a few play pens built there off of the main yard. Lots and lots of plans...

As long as the cold stays Nita and I will be focusing our work on the dog trailer and doing our best to get that wrapped up. The walls are done, the ceiling over half way complete and we just started on the framework for the bottom boxes. There are many ideas and neat features we are building into this project. We hope to share this with you all very soon!

Here are a few photos from one of our runs that Ive been too busy to put up here. Check out our Facebook page for more (click on the link to the right of your screen)...

Meditation

2010-01-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Had a great walk with Bonnie and Chronos again this morning. Its so nice to take time out for myself, it makes the rest of my day so much more enjoyable and relaxing!

Laya went home today and yard is a bit empty with her gone. Hard to believe that one tiny dog can mean so much. She has touched every one she comes in contact with so much love that we are all incredibly blessed by her presence.

It was so touching to see her so excited to see her owner again and to see her so eager to get in her car back to her home and dog bed. She is a spoiled little girl and well deserving of such treatment!

We are still waiting on Mohawk to get to Kodiak. The weather and the flight schedules haven't been matching up too well but we will try again on Monday. He is a another little fellow we don't mind keeping around here for just a bit longer! :)

Still behind on posting new photos to here and Facebook. I'm having a bit of trouble transferring files from the lap top to the main computer so it will be a bit longer before I can share photos on the trail and from our dog sled rides yesterday. All in good time...

Going to try and head out this weekend for another run. Most likely will end up doing a bit more work on our five mile trail since the snow we received a while back pulled in the willow branches over the trail. Hard to tell any work was done to clean it up previously but maybe another trimming will keep it clean for the rest of the year.