The rest is left unwritten

Well, after a sad and busy week, the final countdown to Juneau is on. There are just a few days left here in Homer before Rich and I pack up all the dogs (minus the pups and Roy) and hit the open road. We're taking three days to get to Haines before we hop on a ferry to Juneau and then I'll helicopter to my new home on the Mendenhall Glacier for FIVE MONTHS! On the way we'll stop in Willow at Russ Bybee's place to pick up 10 more dogs that I will care for on the glacier. Our friend Joe is making the trip with us and he and Rich will drive the truck back to Homer. We bought a large trailer and Rich and Joe build a new dog box on it so the dogs can ride in style and comfort. I will do my best to update the blog whilst in Juneau but I will only come down from the glacier for one day a week and that's if the weather cooperates. I am really excited about this new adventure. I can't wait to get started. I've got my sunscreen and glacier glasses packed, that's for sure! The weather here has turned warm and rainy but we squeezed one more run in with the dogs on Saturday and it was bliss. The snow is melting quickly but there is still about three feet and it's very slushy. I just finished writing dog bios for the Bear Creek Winery website and will post them on the blog, too. I'll try to post again from the road but connections may be scarce. Here are some photos from our last run.
Peace.

Bully in single lead cooling off.

Strider rolling in the snow to cool off.

Our yearlings Ruby and Alice. They trot just like their dad!

Beautiful scenery.

Hazel Ashwell Rogers 1921-2010

My Gran passed away this morning. She was loved and will be missed very, very much.
She was born on October 8, 1921 in North Croydon, near London, England, of Arthur Henry Ashwell and Victoria Maude Ashwell (nee Eveleigh).
In her 20s, she worked as a switchboard operator for various establishments including the Savoy Hotel in London where she once connected a call from Frank Sinatra to Ava Gardner. She was in London during World War II, where she survived several close calls. In one such close call, Gran was walking down the street when a Messerschmitt flew low and began strafing the boulevard. Someone in a doorway grabbed my Gran and pulled her into the building as the bullets went whizzing by. Another time, my Gran was in the middle of heavy bombing when a building near her blew up and a man in a bathtub landed in the street. The bathtub saved his life and decades later my Gran would tell my sister and I that story and laugh.
In 1948, when my dad was just three months old, my Gran, Grampa and father immigrated to Canada from England on the Queen Elizabeth. They landed in Toronto and moved to Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory, where my grandfather worked communications on the Alaska Highway. My Gran had her hands full with my father, who was just a baby, but she made time to learn and live off the land. She learned how to shoot and won medals in target shooting. She learned how to make bread and other food from the Native people. She meet and befriended Babe Southwick who was a pioneer for women dog mushers. She would ride in Babe’s sled while Babe trained for the Rendezvous races. My uncle was born in Whitehorse and still my Gran embraced the adventures that the wild Northwest had to offer. She was the one they would call when a man was cut up in a bar fight and needed to be stitched up as there was no doctor there.
Sadly, my grandfather fell out of love with Gran and moved away with his new love. Gran followed him with the two boys to Brockville, Ontario. When Gran, my father and my uncle got there, they had nothing. They lived in the Capital Hotel. Gran hired a lawyer to help with the divorce. His name was John Matheson. The same John Matheson who is now known as the Father of the Flag in Canada as he designed the Canadian Flag which was adopted in 1964 soon after Matheson was elected as a Member of Parliament.
Soon after arriving in Brockville, my Gran met Josef Sidorowicz. He became uncle Joe to us and he my Gran were together for nearly 50 years.
By the time I came around, Gran worked the switchboard at Brockville General Hospital. I can remember going in to visit her in her little booth. I also remember her house on Pearl Street in Brockville: a red brick, two-story duplex with a raised garden behind the garage where Gran grew cherry tomatoes. I remember that house and her old cat Frisky who was just plain mean. Gran used to have little cans of apple juice in the fridge for us and sometimes we’d get to stay overnight. Each December, my sister and I would perch on the stoop outside Gran’s house waiting for the Santa Claus parade to pass. It was a primo spot to watch because it was near the launching point of the parade so none of the people in the parade were bored or tired yet. She moved to a smaller house on Park Street when I was a teenager and that was great for us because Cowan’s Dairy was right across the street whenever we needed an ice cream fix.
Though over the past dozen years or so, her body had started to fail, she was as sharp as a tack. She spoke her mind freely and had a wit that I like to think I inherited. Before I left for the Yukon after college I helped take care of Gran when she was unable to care for herself. She confided in me then about her life and I saw her cry for the first time. By the time she moved into a room at Sherwood Park Manor, she had lost the lower half of a leg after an infection caused by an injured ankle. It didn’t stop Gran. Though she was in her 80s, she learned how to walk with a prosthetic leg. She also learned how to use a computer and would regularly read my blog to see how I was doing. We talked via Skype every Thursday morning until November when Gran had a stroke that robbed her of some of her functions, although if you really looked in her eyes, you could see she was still there. I went to visit her in November after her stroke and that was the last time I saw her in person.
Gran loved my parents’ dog Buddy and she loved being British. She had a Union Jack on the back of her electric wheel chair. She loved me and loved that I am doing what I’m doing way up North. She loved that I named Hazel after her and that my kennel is Spitfire Kennels. The Spitfire was a small British fighter plane in WWII.
My father, my sister and her best friend Inger were with her when she died. I wish I would have been, but I’m sure she knows that I was always with her even though we were so far apart.
I love you, Gran.



Me and my Gran.

Here's Gran in the Yukon.

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

We're flying through April busy getting plans finalized for my summer adventure on the glacier. We bought a trailer (gulp) and Rich is going to build a giant dog box so we can haul 30 dogs more than 900 miles to Juneau. The dogs will ride in comfort by road to Haines where we'll catch a ferry to Juneau then we'll load the dogs up on a helicopter for the final stretch up to the glacier. Should be interesting to say the least! I'll be snapping lots of photos for you all to witness the madness. We still have a lot of snow here and the trails are in excellent shape. I was hoping for a little bit of spring before heading to my home of ice and snow for the summer, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Spring mushing is fun, though. Photos of all our recent misadventures coming soon.
Peace

No need to be coy, Roy

I'll be on the move again in a few weeks. I'm heading to the Medenhall Glacier in Juneau to work for Alaska Icefield Expeditions taking guests out on dog team across the glacier. I'm taking 20 of our dogs and borrowing 10 more from a friend in Willow. I'm really excited about this opportunity to have the dogs running, even if just a little, in the off-season. I'll miss the winery (saying that they've been good to me is the understatement of the century) but working with the dogs on a glacier is a chance I don't want to pass up. Rich will hold down the fort here and get our ducks in a row for next season. Roy, Audrey, Linus and Ty will stay here with Rich. This season is winding down but we still have tons of snow and we still have tours booked into April. Even though I couldn't get it together to race at all this year, I feel like we accomplished a lot with the dogs. They ran a lot with no pressure or stress and our little tour business has been more successful than we anticipated. We're excited to expand next season and get back into racing. Both Rich and I have a few races we want to do next winter and hopefully I can save enough money on glacier so I won't have to work much during the training/racing season.
More details to come.
Peace

Dye my eyes and call me pretty

Rich's parents have been here for a week and we've had a great time. They needed to de-stress and simply relax so we hung around Homer and went dogsledding up at our place. The time went too fast as usual and they are heading out today. Thanks for everything Bob and Lou Ann!
I've got some news but I'll wait to share that. Meanwhile, here are a whole lot of photos from the past couple days. We've got some big tours coming up this weekend and we're looking forward to them. The snow is plentiful and the weather has been beautiful. I love spring mushing!
Peace


I call this one 'Bob with puppies.' The weather was so warm yesterday, we just sat outside all afternoon.

Bob took this one of Lou Ann during a puppy attack.

Flying puppy! Our puppies are jumping for joy!

Omar cooling off during a run.

Lou driving her mini-team with Lahey and Bully in lead. Bob's close behind with his own team.

Bob working the trail with Capiche and Drake in lead.

Dog butts.

This is my attempt at a Yummy Chummy sponsorship. 'Even sled dogs will do stupid pet tricks for a Yummy Chummy!'

Lou dumped Rich on the trail.

I gave the dogs a break and hooked up Rich. Hup, hup, Rich!

Heelllloooooo....Bob took this cute one of Mr. Lahey.

Bully doesn't need a Yummy Chummy to high five Rich. Bob took this one, too.

Snuggling with Audrey who looks absolutely terrified.

I made it down the coast in 17 hours

It's calm. Clear and calm. We've been enveloped in a crazy blizzard since we arrived home from Anchorage Sunday night. The storm actually started Thursday night, we dug out Friday morning and hit the road for Iditarod start. The storm took a break Sunday and then started up again Sunday night. As much as I complain about the weather here (it's so easy) the blizzard was actually a little bit fun. Rich and I have been digging dogs out constantly, picking up their houses and setting them atop the huge drifts. Within hours, the houses would be completely buried and we head out to rescue them again. The most interesting thing about it to me, was that the dogs didn't seem to care. They were out with wagging tails, playing with each other never fazed by the gusting winds and huge drifts building up around them. Of course Roy and Bully were inside for the entirety (they also came to Anchorage with us) and we brought Capiche in as she is located at the end of the dog lot and her house was getting buried the fastest. She's good in the house unless you leave her in unsupervised and then she tries to jump on the counters/tables. She knocked the computer off the 'table' when we were outside and now we're missing the ':' key.
The Iditarod start was a lot of fun and it was nice to see friends and fellow mushers that we haven't talked to in over a year.
Last week, before we left for the big city, we were hired to help with a three-day tour hosted by Adventure Alaska based out of Hope. Because of the weather moving in and at the risk of getting stuck out at the remote lodge we were using, we made a decision to cut the tour short by a day. We were all disappointed, but the safety of clients and dogs must come first and in the end, we made a great choice. Mine and Rich's people were amazing and I think they had a great time running dogs. Actually, all seven clients were really nice and very understanding of the situation. Rich and I are looking forward to doing more multi-day trips in the future.
Anyway, I think that's all the news that isn't, so here are some photos from the past week or so.
Peace.

Digging to the outhouse...hurry! hurry!




My peeps: Larry and Jeannie from California. They drove their own teams and were fantastic!



Rich and his peeps: Diane and Bob, a very kind and generous couple also from California.

Our friend and Rich's running mate in the 2008 Iditarod, Trent Herbst is back for another 1,000-miler to Nome. Go Trent!!

High-fives all around at the ceremonial start in downtown Anchorage. That's Ken and Gwen over to the far right.


The one, the only, Jeff King. King has had a great season thus far and has said this will be his last Iditarod. I think he has the momentum to pull off a fifth win. Here he is at the ceremonial start on skis with a G-pole sled. I wonder how his Iditarider felt about staring at King's butt for 11 miles...

Iditarod veteran Karen Ramstead is from Alberta. She is awesome and as tough as nails. We love our Maple Leaf mittens!

Schnuelle for governor? Absolutely! Sebastian also has the drive and motivation to pull off a win this year...it's heating up to be a great race!


The man: Sebastian Schnuelle from Whitehorse.

Home sweet Homer.

The true North strong and free

I worked a little late last night and met some friends at the Down East Saloon for a beer afterwards. I had received a parcel from my parents over there in Canuckistan earlier in the day and was wearing my new spoils: a pair of red, Canada Flag Olympic mittens. I walked into the bar wearing the mittens and doing the 'raising the roof' motion while clucking like a wounded bird. I immediately regretted my obnoxious actions. All the gnarled locals at the bar were giving me death stares and Patty, my 'friend', threw one behind the bar. (I got it back) An irate drunk woman in the corner, who was wearing a rainbow hat and sorting through a deck of playing cards adorned with naked men (I am not making this up), stated yelling at me to go back to Canada. I actually feared for my safety for a second. Then I took the sarcastic high road which again, nearly resulted in me getting my ass kicked, and told the inebriate that we are a kind and gentle people and that maybe she should go spend some time in Canada so that she too could become kind and gentle. She didn't like that one bit. I eventually put the mittens away for fear of my physical well being.
The gold medal women's hockey game is today. I'm wearing my mittens and really, really hoping for a win. Mostly so I can tell Patty to stuff it. Oop-oop!
Peace.

When the bottom drops, my life won't change a bit

I got a new headlamp the other day. I know it doesn't sound that exciting, but it really, really was. Rarely do I have the opportunity the buy new gear, but when I do, it makes my day. This one is bright. Really bright. It makes a huge difference on my night runs as I can see the entire team and down the trail a bit. I haven't posted in a while because there's really nothing new. Still running dogs, still working. That's about it. We've booked a few tours for March and April and I even got an email this morning about doing a tour in May, but I think that's a bit too late in the season, even for here where the snow seems to stick around forever. We've had some really nasty wind storms with warm temps (35 to 40) rain and lots of heavy, wet snow, so once again, training slowed a little. I'm wondering about racing at all this season, but we'll see. I took the 'race' team out last night and hit wind in the high country. The trail had blown in and neither the dogs or I were very confident in which direction to go. The result was me trying set my hooks in powder, unhooking tugs and turning the team around repeatedly. I was soaked in sweat and the dogs were confused and to be honest I was a little scared. This happened three times. If it had been daylight I might have just kept going but I really don't know these trails well enough in the dark to guess. So the run was cut a little shorter than I'd like, but the snow was deep and the dogs got a good workout (so did I!) anyway. I'll take them out again today and try for a 40 or 50-miler, but it's windy again so we'll see how far we get. With new snow and snowmachines zipping all over the place making new trails where there weren't any before, I get confused. I've been running Pete and Hazel in lead and they're doing pretty good at listening to me. Sometimes they'll even find the right trail when I have no idea where it is. Good lead dogs, indeed. If nothing else training in these less-than-ideal conditions has been good for my confidence as a driver. I hate running the dogs in such warm temps, but I've given up waiting for it to get cold here. We've been running the pups Alice and Ruby consistently and they look awesome! Maude's pups Audrey, Linus and Ty are growing like weeds and happy little ones. Roy is more annoying than ever, but I think he's getting sick, so I'll lay off him for today. Poor Roy.
OK, that's it from dog house.
Peace.

I'll tell them I found Jesus, that should throw them off

I'm reading this book called 'Lamb. The Gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal' and it is funny. Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud, but this one does and often. So, I guess my point is: read it. It's been around for a while and I've been meaning to pick up for over a year now. I'm glad I did. You won't be disappointed. Unless of course, you are religious and then you might be offended, but I think you'll still laugh.
Anyway, here are some snapshots from the top of the world and one blurry one from a tour we had on Saturday. Despite all my complaining about the weather (it's 33 F right now) we live in a beautiful place.
Peace

Heading home in the setting sun. Peter and Hazel (two of the original six Spitfires) in lead. Sneaky Pete is finally coming around as a great leader.

Jason showed me some new trails on Sunday. It's a shame because I won't remember them...I never do...

Top o' the World...or least it feels like it.

Coming down.

Rich and guests on a Saturday morning tour. We have been so lucky with great guests.

Runnin' down a dream...with a sore paw...

On Tuesday, Rich and I needed a happy distraction so we took out two teams for a low-key, 12-mile run. Of course, we couldn't catch Roy to tether him before we left, so he came along with us, running at first in front of, then behind, my team. Unfortunately for Roy, he had a sore leg after getting his ass kicked in a dog yard the day before. So about four miles in, he started hobbling along. I wanted to load him in the sled, but I couldn't catch him. He's one sneaky Saluki...or whatever the hell he is. He went the distance however and we got some funny photos of our micro-adventure. I also wanted to say thanks for those who commented on my last post. Your support is very much appreciated.
Here are pics.
DISCLAIMER: These photos suck, but remember, I was taking them from a moving dog sled...
Peace.

This was at the start of the run. ROY: 'Tra-la-la-la...running along...la la-la...still running...'




Roy slowing down a little.

Seeing how close Richard's team was...they were sneaking up on him...

Too close! Too close! Rich couldn't resist...In case you can't tell, that's Roy's ass and muscley back leg...

I guess I was going too slow. That's Hazel on the left and (yes, it's true!) Strider on the right in lead!

Headed home, still laughing about Roy almost getting run over. Capiche and Sneaky Pete were in lead on my little team.

They might be bigger, but we are never scared

Each evening, after feeding the dogs, we let Roy loose. He causes some barks in the yard but mostly just meanders around for an hour or two before throwing himself against the cabin door so he can curl up on his bed by the wood stove for the night. Last night I let him loose after Patty and I took out two teams on an uber fun run. Now, I don't let Roy loose when either I or Jason (our landlord with whom we share a dog lot) are going out with a team as Roy will give chase. I didn't think Jason was going out on a second run and hence, unhooked Roy from his post at the head of the yard. A few hours later, with Roy Boy still cruising around outside, Jason started hooking up his team. When you want/need to catch Roy, it's impossible. But as it happens, I completely forgot he was loose. Jason took off with Roy in hot pursuit. When I realized what had happened, I was immediately worried that Roy would get tired, fall behind and get lost. He didn't. Jason ran his B-string 22 miles and Roy kept up, even leading the charge at some points, for the entire run. He wasn't even sore or tired. Good boy, Roy. I expected Jason to be pissed when he got back, but said he actually liked having Roy running with him. No harm, no foul.
I've been pondering a lot lately. Pondering life. Pondering dogs. Pondering what the hell that smell is under the bed. So yeah, thinking about a little bit of everything, really.
I've come to some conclusions about life. Get your pens, folks, you'll want to remember this one.
Be happy.
That's it.
Just be happy.
I know, I know. You're asking yourselves why I don't write a self-help book. Well, I have. And here it is.
Be happy.
It's an easy read, really.
The point of this oh-so profound mantra is that while training has been going good, it's not been great. I lost faith in the dogs and they know it. It got to the point (this morning) where I had to say it out loud. 'This isn't fun.'
Running dogs, living off the grid, hauling water...well, I love it all. But the stress of trying to complete such a regimented training schedule, well, it's too much. For right now. Last winter was great as Rich and I weren't working (we had saved enough money from the summer) and just went out with the dogs. I didn't plan too much, we just mushed because it was fun. And when a race came along and the dogs looked good, we raced. I must interject here and say that even when we participate in 'races' we're not really 'racing.' Well, I'm not anyway. As my good pal Heidi said last night, it's more like 'competitive camping.'
I digress.
So this winter, I've been stressed about 'racing.' We can't afford it. And the thought of me being ready (mentally, dog-wise or financially) for Iditarod next year it just outrageous.
I'm not saying that Iditarod is not my ultimate goal. I know I'll get there at some point (the Serum Run, a non-competitive event that follows Iditarod trail, is also an option) but it's not going to be next year. I have received so much support since I started this silly blog and for that, I am grateful. But the dogs' happiness comes first. Like I said, I'll sign up for various races, but I need the pressure to be off for now.
I want to be confident and experienced and I want the dogs to work hard but enjoy it at the same time. I love running dogs. And I love sharing it with guests who come here for tours. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. Run dogs for the fun of it!
Patty and I hooked up two teams (all the dogs went out) today for a short fun run. I walked into the dog yard with renewed confidence and the dogs knew it immediately. They were screaming to go. I need the dogs to be happy and as of late, they've been stressed simply because I've been stressed. But today was great.
And I can't wait to go again tomorrow.
Peace

Patty with the second team. Old man Bull and Hazel in lead. The had a lot of fun playing 'Kill Patty.' On the home stretch, they cut a corner short at a full out lope and flung Patty into a tree. Though it was just a scratch on her nose, it bled like crazy. Man, I wish I had cool injuries like that. The worst I've gotten from mushing is bruises on my legs and low self-esteem.

Roy enjoying some light reading.

Our babes. Linus, on the right, and Audrey playing tug-o-war with a sock.

Skedaddle with the cattle prods

Winter is rolling along here at Spitfire Kennels. We've had really warm weather and then 'cold' weather, snow and rain. The trails are fast and icy, but they are there and I'm not complaining. Our first race is coming up fast and though it's just a 100-miler, I'm still a little unsure. I'm going into it with no expectations, I just want the dogs to have fun and I want our two yearlings in training (Mr. Lahey and Bubbles) to have a great experience camping and running around other teams and on some new trail. We did a camping trip a few days ago - ran four hours, rested four and ran three - the everyone did great. Bubbles had a hard time settling down at the camp spot, but she eventually realized that everyone around her was resting and so, about an hour before our scheduled departure, she too rested. I had to load Sipsi in the sled on the way home as she had a little hitch in her stride, but I still haven't been able to find the source of her discomfort. I took out a team for a quick 20-miler yesterday before work and she looked better, but still not 100 per cent. She may be out for a while. Tomorrow we'll take two teams (we'll have to borrow a few dogs) on a five to six-hour run and then hopefully do another camping trip overnight on the weekend. The trails here are harder than I'm used to, but it's been great for building my confidence in sled driving. The day after our little camping trip, I was so sore, I couldn't believe it. I didn't drink much water out there and I'm guessing that's why although I did have a few spills around a tight corner and a creek crossing. The wind kicked up on our trip and we had to cross some exposed ridges which forced me to continuously wrestle with my sled to keep it from blowing down the mountain....memories of last year's GinGin 200 came flooding back though this time it wasn't half as bad.
Work is also rolling along and we've got several tours booked from now until April. Rich and I are getting a little itchy to get out of here for a side trip with the dogs, but it doesn't make financial sense as we have 100s of miles right out of our back yard, so we'll wait.
The pups - Audrey, Ty and Linus - have officially gone from cutie pies to obnoxious. They love running loose but in the house, they are terrors...still cute, I have to admit. They eat like alligators and are super friendly. Our other pups - Cinch, Alice and Ruby are also still enjoying puppyhood and are getting braver by the day. We let them loose and they run down the trail, sometimes gone for a while, but they always come back tired and happy.
Roy is Roy. Spoiled with the run of dog yard and the cabin. Old man Bully is still in the race team and has actually been leading for a lot of the runs. The rest of the dogs are in good shape and good spirits which makes me happy.
OK, not very interesting, but an update nonetheless.
Photos to come.
Peace.

Yes, John Balzar, you can say 'dog tired'

The holidays have come and gone. Our Charlie Brown tree is still up and we're still eating homemade goodies. We had a great Christmas with friends and neighbours, did a few tours and got some good training runs in. New Year's Eve was quiet. We decided, after much deliberation, to stay in. I drank five Miller Lite's and 'fell asleep' by 11:30. Oh well.
It's still warm here but we're still training. The warm (like, above freezing warm) temps make running a little harder for the dogs, but the risk of injury is less. In fact, we've had no injuries to speak of so far this season. Sister's back end keeps cramping up, but we weren't going to race with her anyway, so now she's on puppy patrol. She runs on the tour teams also, and loves it. I'll do some longer runs this weekend and will camp with the yearlings for the first time. Should be interesting. Young dogs need to learn how to rest when it's time to rest, but they catch on quickly. Lahey has been a superstar in lead. Bubbles, Lahey's sister, is a hard worker but balks at snowmachines, glare ice and open water, so a leader she is not. Not yet, anyway. We run her in swing (behind lead) though and when we know the trail will be straight and easy with no obstacles, we put her up front for a short time. Anyway, our first race is the T-100 on the 23rd. The T-100 is a shorter version of the Tustumena 200. I want to race with the yearlings this year and figure a 100-miler is a nice way to ease them into it.
We're getting internet at our cabin next week (no power or water, but high speed, baby!!) so updates will be more abundant.
Stay tuned.
Peace

Happy holidogs from Spitfire Kennels!

As Christmas gets closer, Rich and I are actually getting into the holiday spirit....even though we tried to resist. I had a burst of energy the other night so I went out in the snow and wind, plowed through chest-deep snow and hacked down a spindly spruce tree. We don't have room for it in the cabin, so I stuck it in a snow bank right outside. I decorated it with scrap ribbon and dog booties. Then I hung our stockings beside the wood stove. We're ready. We've been receiving colorful packages and homemade baked goods from Rich's family, which we have been scarfing down. Thank you, Maureen and Dave!! We got our Christmas bonus from work and used some of it for some small gifts for each other. My stocking is already weighed down and it's taking all my strength not to peek inside. Anyway, we're been training sporadically as the winds and new snow have covered the trails. The dogs are doing well at breaking trail, but it's a slog. Yesterday, we were scheduled to have our first tour, but had to postpone the ride part as the temps rose to 40 F and the trails were non-existent with drifts and heavy snow. Rich tried to break through the snow and two-foot drifts with the snowmachine, but to no avail. The guests understood and we still spent a couple of hours with the dogs, puppies and enjoying soup and hot chocolate in the cabin. We're aiming for Sunday for the ride. I'm thinking more people will be out on the trail over Christmas.

Anyway, below are some photos of our Christmas cabin.

Peace

Walking the line between faith and fear

OK, I lied. I had H1N1. Have. Swine Flu. Gack! Man, it really kicked my butt. I missed almost two weeks of work. Double gack. And dog training was sporadic. But, I'm at about 80 per cent now and back on the sled. We're doing some longish runs and my goal is still the Copper Basin in mid-January. If not, then the Taiga 300 in mid-February. Then, in March, I'm planning on running the Two Rivers 200. We'll see how money holds up, but I need to do as many races as possible to qualify for Iditarod. And when I say qualify, I mean not just on paper (you need 750 miles of sanctioned racing to get to the Iditarod start) but also actually be qualified through experiences, trials and tribulations. Things have been up and down on the home front. We're in the middle of a blizzard right now...MORE SNOW...and the generator has been broken for over a week now, which means we have no power. I've been sucking down Vitamin D like it's candy to try and avoid the temptation to stick my head in the oven. I kid. (not really) The dogs are all really good. They're in good shape, they're spirits are high and we're all getting itchy for our first camping trip, which will be coming up shortly. Maude had three pups a few weeks back and they're at the perfect age right now. Not too bitey. We named them Audrey, Linus and Ty. Yes, it was unplanned, but we're in love with them and the breeding happened between two of our best young dogs.
In a few days, the longest night will happen and then, thank Dog, we'll be gaining daylight slowly but surely.
I've had an offer to cover the Yukon Quest this year for KUAC, the NPR affiliate in Fairbanks. I'm not sure yet, but I'm seriously considering it. Anyway, here are a couple of photos.
Peace.


The newest Spitfires. From left, Audrey, Linus and Ty.

After a 30-mile training run the other night, Rich's leaders Hazel and Omar, jumped into the nearest house as soon as we got back into the yard. They were still hooked to the front of the team. We really don't encourage or appreciate that behaviour, but it was pretty damn cute.

Too much of a good thing

Well, I made it back to AK. It was another 12 hours of flying and I got home sick as a dog (NOT swine flu) with four feet of snow at our place. I had a great trip outside and got meet Rich's family. Love them. They are kind and funny and smart and best of all, love to party. I went home to Canada after for a quick trip to see my Gran and reconnect with old friends. My Gran looks good (as always) and seemed to be improving even in the short time I was there. We sang songs and I did her nails and showed her some photos on the computer of the kennel. I know she'll recover quickly.

Meanwhile, Rich came back to AK early and had to shovel all the snow in order to get on with daily dog chores. He also ran the dogs a few times, though breaking trail with snow that deep was very, very difficult for dogs and driver. But now the snowmachiners have been out in force and the trails are in and set up in most places. We went out for a few hours last night and it was great. Clear sky, no wind, the dogs did great...it doesn't get much better. It's still warm here. It hovers around freezing (32 F, 0 C) even at night. Last night on the run we could really feel the temperature swings as we climbed up into the high country and then down onto a river drainage trail. Our first race is coming up in a couple weeks, but I'm actually debating whether or not I'll even go. I'm already signed up and it's only a 120-miler (60 on Sat. and 60 on Sunday) but I just don't know if the dogs will be ready. I could go and use it as a training run, but to be honest, I really don't want another red lantern. Sigh. What to do? Rich suggested I go and do the first 60 and if the dogs aren't into it, we go home, no harm, no foul. I dunno. We'll see.

Anyway, here are some really random photos from our time outside. More to come.

Peas.

A couple great friends from high school. Leslie and Nicky. It was so great to catch up after several years.

Rich saw this magazine at the Minneapolis airport and couldn't believe it. Roy is on the cover!

Me and my Gran

Rich and his papa.