What an absolutely unproductive week and weekend this has been! I was super sick on Tuesday night and all day Wednesday with a stomach flu and then on Saturday morning it hit Tom! We have spent the weekend doing pretty much nothing! I was well enough Saturday to water dog, clean pens and feed dogs while he slept it off. Today, we have both been laying low but got the dogs watered (morning feeding) together. Still need to get enough energy together to go out and clean pens and feed the critters. We really wanted to run all three teams this weekend, but well, that's not going to happen. This is where I have been having my pity party all weekend. We love having dogs and love having a team to run. We do not need 25 dogs! But, what are we going to do. I refuse to give them away or to just put them down because we don't have the time for them that they should have. They have food/water, shelter and are able to run around in their pens and play all day/night! We let them out every night to run in the huge open area and play with each other (letting 10 out at a time!).
Okay, I am done ... going to go watch the end of the Giants vs Cowboy's game and then go clean pens!
Happy Trails!
C & T & the Gang
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Winter is here! First run of the season ...
Let me tell you ... winter is officially here in Fairbanks Alaska. And, we couldn't be happier!! We have been below freezing now for a few weeks and we have some snow to make it even better. Just a couple of inches of the white stuff, but at least it's something. And, today was below zero when we got up!!
We took teams out today on the first run of the season .... Here is how things shaped up ...
Team 1
Muktuk (in lead)
Sherman & Kako (in swing)
Rallie (in team)
Hannah & Gus (in team)
Marco & Zena (in wheel)
Even with old man Muktuk in lead this team did pretty good. They went out strong and looked good coming home. Muktuk is starting to show his age (10 years old) and I am just hoping he will make it thru this winter as he is our "main" leader now. We took the teams out to the turn onto the main trail where we go around a small opening/meadow and come back home on the same trail we take out. The funniest part of this run was went Kako about jumped out of her fur because a branch beside the trail touched her as she ran past it ... she jumped up with all 4 feet coming off the ground ... but kept going without an issue! She is so spooky!!
Team 2
Shasta & Dude
Tanner & Baleen
Kivek & Rufus
Patton & Panzer
This team looked great! Shasta & Dude ran some in lead at the end of last season, but not enough that they would be considered leaders. However, we are way short on leaders this year so they got a chance and they did awesome! Shasta, like her mom, Kako, tends to freak out at unknown things but she didn't really do that today. The 4-wheeler sputtered and died about half way around the trip with this team. We are thinking we have some bad gas (won't be getting gas at Badger Gas again this winter), as the wheeler did the same sputtering thing yesterday too while we were just dragging the trail. Other than that giving this team a bit of a break, this team performed great and it looks like we have new leaders coming up this season!
Team 3
Jasper & Shelby
Muktuk & Hannah
Bolio & Stubby
Shammu & Yeti
We really had NO leaders for this team so we decided to give the fool crew of Jasper & Shelby a try. But, we took Muktuk and Hannah as a back up in case things went wrong with the "new" leaders!! However, there was no need to worry ... this team looked good too! The leaders, well, they were actually AWESOME!
Each team did the three mile run in about 30 minutes and we were able to sort out the harnesses and get them all labeled so we know we have a harness for every dog that is running! We thought we were going to have to buy some new harnesses!! Very happy that we don't have to do that!
After running the teams, we cleaned pens. The last thing we need to do tonight is feed them!! Really hoping for a good night of sleep tonight and that this nagging, lingering sore throat, headache and stuffiness will go away!! Me thinks it's time for an appointment with the doc!! Will have to remember to call tomorrow! Back to work tomorrow and hoping it's a good week!
Happy Trails!
We took teams out today on the first run of the season .... Here is how things shaped up ...
Team 1
Muktuk (in lead)
Sherman & Kako (in swing)
Rallie (in team)
Hannah & Gus (in team)
Marco & Zena (in wheel)
Even with old man Muktuk in lead this team did pretty good. They went out strong and looked good coming home. Muktuk is starting to show his age (10 years old) and I am just hoping he will make it thru this winter as he is our "main" leader now. We took the teams out to the turn onto the main trail where we go around a small opening/meadow and come back home on the same trail we take out. The funniest part of this run was went Kako about jumped out of her fur because a branch beside the trail touched her as she ran past it ... she jumped up with all 4 feet coming off the ground ... but kept going without an issue! She is so spooky!!
Team 2
Shasta & Dude
Tanner & Baleen
Kivek & Rufus
Patton & Panzer
This team looked great! Shasta & Dude ran some in lead at the end of last season, but not enough that they would be considered leaders. However, we are way short on leaders this year so they got a chance and they did awesome! Shasta, like her mom, Kako, tends to freak out at unknown things but she didn't really do that today. The 4-wheeler sputtered and died about half way around the trip with this team. We are thinking we have some bad gas (won't be getting gas at Badger Gas again this winter), as the wheeler did the same sputtering thing yesterday too while we were just dragging the trail. Other than that giving this team a bit of a break, this team performed great and it looks like we have new leaders coming up this season!
Team 3
Jasper & Shelby
Muktuk & Hannah
Bolio & Stubby
Shammu & Yeti
We really had NO leaders for this team so we decided to give the fool crew of Jasper & Shelby a try. But, we took Muktuk and Hannah as a back up in case things went wrong with the "new" leaders!! However, there was no need to worry ... this team looked good too! The leaders, well, they were actually AWESOME!
Each team did the three mile run in about 30 minutes and we were able to sort out the harnesses and get them all labeled so we know we have a harness for every dog that is running! We thought we were going to have to buy some new harnesses!! Very happy that we don't have to do that!
After running the teams, we cleaned pens. The last thing we need to do tonight is feed them!! Really hoping for a good night of sleep tonight and that this nagging, lingering sore throat, headache and stuffiness will go away!! Me thinks it's time for an appointment with the doc!! Will have to remember to call tomorrow! Back to work tomorrow and hoping it's a good week!
Happy Trails!
Monday, October 08, 2012
Winter is coming ....
In spite of the fact that we have had two full days of rain here in North Pole, the temperature has dropped tonight below freezing! Besides the fact that it will make getting to work in the morning a scary event, I am so happy to see the cold temps moving in!! There are so many reasons winter is my favorite season.
1. Snow covers everything and makes it so pretty.
2. The snow cover keeps the dogs out of the dirt/mud.
3. MUSHING
4. Winter camping with the dogs.
5. The frozen ground makes it next to impossible for the dogs to dig out by going under the fencing.
6. The frozen turds are easier to pick up off snow.
7. The enjoyment Tom gets from running dogs.
8. The fun of running teams!!
9. No lawn mowing!!
10. Wood stove heat to keep us warm!
11. Curling up with a warm blanket with a book.
12. Shoveling snow!!!
Just for the record, I do not like when we get the temps below 25 or 30 below!! I hate that as much as everyone else in the state of Alaska!! But when we have temps between +10 and -25 ... H E A V E N on Earth!!
I hope you are about to enjoy the winter season as much as we are!!
Happy Trails!
C & T & the gang!
1. Snow covers everything and makes it so pretty.
2. The snow cover keeps the dogs out of the dirt/mud.
3. MUSHING
4. Winter camping with the dogs.
5. The frozen ground makes it next to impossible for the dogs to dig out by going under the fencing.
6. The frozen turds are easier to pick up off snow.
7. The enjoyment Tom gets from running dogs.
8. The fun of running teams!!
9. No lawn mowing!!
10. Wood stove heat to keep us warm!
11. Curling up with a warm blanket with a book.
12. Shoveling snow!!!
Just for the record, I do not like when we get the temps below 25 or 30 below!! I hate that as much as everyone else in the state of Alaska!! But when we have temps between +10 and -25 ... H E A V E N on Earth!!
I hope you are about to enjoy the winter season as much as we are!!
Happy Trails!
C & T & the gang!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
