Saturday, March 22, 2014

Wonderful Spring Day

Today was beautiful and perfect!! It started off cold, so I took Flier, Tank, Paluk, Okanogan and Isis out with the ATV. Tank started in lead with Flier but was overly distracted. Flier got a little single lead practice in bit after we turned around he was lacking confidence so I  decided Isis needed some leader training. She did great and it really helped Flier's focus too. 

Soon the weather warmed and it was dog yard cleanup day. Tank and Paluk helped me move a young tree originally placed in a bad location. Flier, Okie and pups helped me fill in holes and the OGs (Ten, Kona and Blue) plus Isis helped me with pruning (not dog yard related). 


Cobey took Kona for a run. Tank watched as they headed down the road. 


The eldest, Leonardo the Ninja Turtle, hanging out with Kona. 


We did a little puppy training today too. Everyone's first "pull" in harness. They all did great. Whip and Buck did the best. Buzz was a little tentative and Jig very distractable. It was fun to see they have such a great time. 


Here's Jig before her run down the drive. 


Good Jiggles!


Handsome boy Tank!


Whip!


Buck wanted in on it!


Tensaw was neutered on Tuesday and unfortunately won't leave it alone. He also didn't seem to care that Cobey wanted to move the ATV. 


Dogs enjoying the weather. Good puppas!

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Littlest Musher's First Ride

Saturday was beautiful on the trail. Strangely it felt warm for the people but the dogs seemed to act like it was cold out. Great for Rohn's first ride. He lived up to his name and had a blast!





It was a lot of fun having him along. He talked non-stop and never cried. We went 5.5 miles, quite a trek for the guy but the team did it at a nice speed, so that helped. 


(Caught Tank mid-shake and it looks funny!)



It was such a fun run and beautiful day. Thanks puppas! Thanks Rohn!




Spring training

The team, minus Paluk and Flier, returning from a training run last Sunday afternoon. 

With the last local race canceled due to warm temperatures and poor trail conditions it's time to hop back on the ATV for some fall training. Things have also gotten out of hand around the kennel as far as obedience training and so we're also doing a little spring training of the dogs and ourselves.


Was good to have Okie back in lead! She did great!


Tank did good too. 


Isis and Tenny put in a solid run as well!


Being like twins!


Flier went canicrossing with me afterwards. It was a good run but boy are my shin muscles tired now. He's a strong guy!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Juxtaposition

We like snowmobilers. They pack and/or groom local trails for us. I feel safer knowing they're on the trail too, in case something were to happen. And 99% of our encounters with them are good I not great. But every once in a while, very bad encounters happen. 

We were coming back down the trail a couple weekends ago when I heard a machine coming. I backed the team off because we were approaching a curve and we don't want to meet there. The team was center right, plenty of room for a mobiler to get by. But instead after he rounded the corner (which he hugged very tightly on the side that he had passing room) he swing out, what seemed to me intentionally because it was so "out of his way" and was headed full throttle straight for my team. At the last second he swerved out of the way and again pushed full throttle past the team. It was the worst encounter I've ever had! He did this to every team on the trail that day and it was very frustrating, to say the least!

BUT the next days encounter made up for that and some. About a quarter up the trail Tensaw threw a booty and I figured I'd try and nab it on the way back. Further up the trail I heard a machine coming up on us from behind but it was going really slow, so I looked around to see if he was waiting for my "go ahead" and he's trying to hand me something, it was a booty!! He stopped and got off his machine to pick up that booty and then gave it to me. It was beyond nice and "the call of duty" and it made my day! 

And just for the heck of it, puppy pictures. 







Rides and Okie's Return

A few weeks ago when Okie and Isis were spayed we had the vets take a mass from Okie's teet and they sent it for histopathology. The results came back as cancer but she got very good margins on the mass and told us to keep checking her. Ever since having the mass removed, Okie has decided she wants to run again! I'm curious if she was feeling sick or hurting because of the mass and now that's it's gone she wants to run. 



I hope that we don't find another mass. I know it will eventually happen but I don't want to have to say goodbye to any of my dogs yet. 

It's been a fun few weeks with the team. We've given a few rides. Last Sunday I gave a ride to 2 of my nieces. They were so cute! It was a joy and the team did really well. The turn around was interesting and resulted in me getting drug a dozen feet or so while I tried to get the snow hooks in. 





Yesterday I took a friend of mine for a run up Nez Perce Road. Hard to believe the first run up Nez Perce this season. Great trail, we used to run a lot more. We set up tandem sleds and the 6 dogs (Tank, Flier, Okie, Paluk, Tensaw and Isis) did amazing! It was wonderful!




Today we ran up Skalkaho, it was supposedly 18 degrees F out but felt much warmer and the snow was very sticky. Again, the team did great. 




Proud of how the team and I have progressed this season! And the HUGE pile of late season snow we've gotten this last week has been wonderful!