Happy Dogs

One of the big rewards for the dogs is to go to the lake for a swim or a boat ride. Here Chena
"leads" the way with her buddy, my son's dog, Apache. Chena is about 13 now and swimming is one of the best things for her hips, but she hasn't learned any limits. She and Apache leap in and out after a ball for hours. Skinny loves the lake too , but I take him without too many other dogs. My daughter's dogs were also on this boat ride, sleeping on a seat in back.

Stray Dogs

We have very few problems with stray dogs but there is one who lives six miles away and chooses to visit here any time after midnight, often on holidays. While I can never imagine what his owners are thinking (he has been coming here for six years), this is what Skinny thinks of him when he shows up. These pens are not necessarily sturdy but for the most part, the dogs are 'honest' and understand the boundaries. This particular pen is just one for short term uses... Skinny was in here resting up and being supervised after thunder storms riled him. A stray dog was all he needed to rip this 'shelter' to shreds. Skinny was on a short chain when he did this, or the visitor might not have been okay.
Looks like Skinny tried digging out first.

He's had several surgeries for ripping pens apart but this time he did not get hurt, fortunately.

When I took the stray dog home, the owner scolded me for letting his dirty/wet dog 'loose' out of my car. This stray is so accustomed to coming here that as soon as he sees me,(usually in my pajamas) he wags his tail and heads for my truck , his taxi ride home.

Planting time and wild things

More and more critters are around as the field grass becomes tall and the apple blossoms begin to fall off of the trees. The ferns seem to grow a foot a day. We're hoping to get out on the river this weekend to kayak as the recent rains have made for good water level.

This is a woodchuck/groundhog that Chena and Sulatna warned into a tree the other day.

The apple tree is one that only blossoms this beautifully about every three years. It's an old tree and has the best apples, almost like a transparent. She's in all of her glory this year. Two of the three new apple trees made it through the winter as well. We have about 20 apple trees throughout.

Had a medium sized pine snake in the yard yesterday, very unfazed by the dogs skirting it. Hopefully it's after my red ant population.

In a few days I'll plant my seedlings , hoping to not get an early June frost. This year I have pumpkins, the usual sunflowers and native Alaskan wildflowers, including fireweed.

Greening up

All the trails are mowed (once) and the summer is setting in. The older dogs find this warmth a bit tough as they are used to running the trails with no stress. We cut the long walks back now for Chena , our chocolate Lab, especially. She doesn't seem to modify her own activity and it takes her too long to recover. She's already had some swims this Spring , which really wears her out. But her enthusiasm is contagious.

It's not even summer yet and we're talking about next winter and what the plans will be. Talking about lending some dogs for the Midnight Run.

Trail surprises

Yesterday I was walking with two dogs, enjoying all the flowering fruit trees. I saw a healthy coyote watching something in the tall grass. As I tried to get my camera the coyote noticed me, shared a glance with me and then ran off.
I turned to see what s/he had been watching and a big skunk had its tail high in the air, ready to spray. We ran off.

Chena spotted a white tail and ran it off... she won't chase them, just 'protects' me from them and scares them off.

The other dog in the photos is a rescue from years back... his name is Timber... he's part Australian heeler and boxer. He's a day sitter for pups ... gentle but tough he teaches them to behave in the kennel. Fun to watch. I walk him on a lead as he loves to hunt...

I feel safe on the trail with him as he notices wildlife well in advance. He and our now deceased, Anatolian patrolled together in their younger lives.

Buffy and Rosie

This is a photo of Buffy and Rosie, sisters, waiting for their morning free runs.
The cherry blossoms add something nice to the now muddy pens.

Morning schedule includes free runs for leaders/leaders in training as they are reliable about taking their run and returning. Other dogs are leash walked, taking turns each day, so they, too, get to explore the trails beyond the pens.

It is digging season. Two houses have already toppled into their new dens which are a part of summer for these active dogs. Wish they could help me with planting and weeding.

Susan Butcher

This is the week that Susan Butcher undergoes a bone marrow transplant for leukemia.
She and her husband have chronicled the progress throughout this process on her website,
http://www.susanbutcher.com/. She has been strong and a powerful inspiration in her four Iditarod wins and now in her run with leukemia. We wish her the very best!

In Memoriam, Sibby Sable, Sept 1997 to May 2006

Sibby lost her battle with all of her health problems yesterday. She was incredibly sweet with humans but could not get along with other dogs, probably partially because she had so many health problems. She raced the Midnight Run in her younger days and also some smaller races including a skijor race in Michigan. She and her sister came to live with me as rescues in 2000 and while her sister has really recuperated , Sibby never could bounce back. She was my gardening /snow shoveling companion most mornings in order that she could be out and about without other dogs. Sibby would have been nine in September. We will miss her every day. It's very hard to part with dear dogs. Her friend, Robin, will miss her, too.

More Trail Walking, Wild Strawberries and Violets

Each day the dogs tell me when it's time for a trail walk, as if they have clocks. Pretty interesting how well they know the routine and expect it to be as always. Around ten I take one
sled dog on the trails with me to check the game camera... each day usually a different dog.

Then at noon the house dogs go for their walk and then around five I take other dogs from pens, usually one on a lead, the ones who might just chase something interesting. It's just a nice treat as a way to relieve the off season boredom .

Am including two photos. One of Liller (not LilleN), who is an Iditarod retiree and leader of our Jackpine 30 mile race teams, as well as other sprint races. She gains weight way too easily (age ten) and is very reliable off lead. She's a natural explorer as she heads under the tree in photo (a trait in leaders). She and I are best buddies as well, although she's a very shy dog with visitors. Liller is the mother of our great racing three year olds.

Taking time to smell the flowers we found the fields full of wild strawberry blossoms, yum (although the animals get most of them) and many wild violets.

Blossom Time Run

We had a nice four dog run in the beautiful cherry blossom world, but a claw caught my arm for a nasty slice , so checking it on return , decided I'd better not hookup any more, much to their disappointment (and mine).

It's just pushing the temp limits this morning, but tomorrow will be cooler, so hope to run more tomorrow. Both photos show leaders looking around because I'm too slow, taking photo.

Leaders, Lillen (super leader) and Buffy, wheel, Medio and Quattro. It is fun to see them kick right in to pattern... harnessing, hookup, takeoff, taking commands. Lillen is extremely responsive to my voice commands... fun to run. She's not retired yet, for sure. Everything about her is good as a leader.

Wildlife Signs

Yesterday the dogs found a large scat pile on the back trail. Found one like it last year. It's fur filled and has bone chips in it. Seems too large for fox, possibly coyote. As always they were furiously interested in this intrusion in their territory and they left many scent marks . It was in the area of the game camera but doesn't look like I'm getting much activity on the camera... noticed when the dogs run by quickly it doesn't flash... takes a slower walkby to get a flash.

The green of Spring is fresh and dramatic on the trails.

Wanted to hook up dogs yesterday but it was humid and a bit too warm. Today is the same.
It would certainly rev them up, but they're very active without it, digging, playing, etc.