Peaceful paddle

My favorite wild river, the Pine, is different each time I paddle it. A solo paddle is the best way to go as it very quiet. Yesterday the water was quite low . When the water level changes, the terrain changes , sometimes quite dramatically. It is sometimes difficult to know where I am in regard to the take out, because formerly submerged boulders and trees show up and alter my view of the landmarks. Also as the season progresses, depending on the weather, the undergrowth varies quite a bit. I always wish I could have a dog along, but there is enough wildlife that it would be too tempting for a dog to leap out.

Yesterday I was convinced I was enroute to the Menominee River, but then, the takeout appeared. Sometimes winter sled trails are just as varying, depending on snow levels.

Anyway, it was another peaceful paddle, although I was hurrying to outrun an imminent storm.

Iditarod Signup Picnic

The following is a link to an article in the Anchorage Daily news regarding the musher signup for the 2007 Iditarod.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/7895812p-7789248c.html

Renata Chlumska

http://www.renatachlumska.com/
We are still following Renata's kayak journey from Seattle, starting last August, heading down around the United States and back up the East Coast. She is now on Lake Ontario, having paddled and biked her way around America.

She will be in our area (Copper Harbor, MI) in August some time and we hope to meet her.
Her link is above. The photos on her site are always an interesting travelogue. She has taken on the challenge of some very difficult waters, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and now the Great Lakes.

Older Dogs

Our kennel is about half older dogs and half young dogs in their prime for racing. Sixteen dogs are older than eight.

We have seven rescues still holding their own and they are all eight and older.

Amaroq, one of our original pups, is thirteen and has some pretty major hip problems. He is enjoying summer but I think another winter will be too tough on him. Without his Rimadyl, he would not be able to walk anymore. He is a beauty, with two blue eyes.

Chena, in photo, is our beloved rescued Lab, house partner. She has multiple health issues but is still eager to go for long walks (although she spends all day recovering) and swims (same recovery time). She has been with us for seven years and is probably about thirteen.

Trail Camera

Our 35mm trail cam works better than the digital. We catch more of ourselves checking it than of animals, but so far quite a few deer photos, one of a chickadee sitting looking into the camera.
We'll move it again today to another game trail.

Photo from last post, Trail Dragger

Trail dragger.

Trail Dragger

Not to be confused with Tail Draggers... this trusty machine is our ten year old Polaris and the rusty bed spring that have dragged many trails. It's especially useful in the wooded area where the berries grow up so quickly and prickly. It's a rocky area and I don't want to mow in there so the bedspring does a good job. The Polaris does not run as hot as the bigger machine, not sure why.

The fields are full of the Indian paintbrush look alike orange and yellow flowers.

The deer are very cozy right now. I suspect they feel safe near the pens and are ready to have fawns. I was cleaning a pen this afternoon and turned around to see a doe just standing behind me chomping on the tall grass. This morning there were two just off the trail, one lying down , as I walked quietly past with three dogs.

We've started our summer habit of heading for the lake cabin for afternoon swims. The dogs are wildly happy about this ( the ones who get to go).

Daylight hours in Nome

This is the link to the Nome webcam.http://www.nomealaska.org/vc/camimage/704x480.html
When I checked the 3:20 a.m. photo it seemed to be full daylight. It also appears that there is still a lot of sea ice out there. The building in the center is the Visitor's Center, a liquor store on the right. I noted that it was daylight at 4:20 a.m. here this morning (although sunrise a bit later).

Green and growing, ferns, berries cougars,, etc.

One of my favorite places on the trails is where the ferns grow tall.... it seems very tropical.
Yesterday it was very buggy , but usually it's not too bad. A year ago today we saw the cougar and it stayed around for about a month. I have not seen nor heard it but I do think of it when we're out walking in the trails.

The regulars on walks are Sulatna and Chena and we add in others on a rotation. Sulatna loves to be in front of the camera... we always say she is much smarter than we even know, but here she is trying to get in front of Chena as I snapped a photo. Sometimes they're like children.

The blackberries are full of blossoms and beautiful (and full of bees). The next batch of flowers are the field flowers, orange and yellow. We call them Indian Paintbrush, but technically they are not. They are a bit later this year.

Summer Digs

Some nice days without thunder, a little too hot, but the dogs are happy. They have a great start on their summer digging... holes for cool and bug free resting. I let them dig as much as they want (safely) and then regret it in the fall when I have to fill them in.

Dogs in photo are left, Kiddo, front, Sherpa and behind, Zoom. They're a fun little trio, all getting along well, with Kiddo as the boss. Sherpa is the youngest dog in the kennel.

Other photo is of our little dog village, 26 pens, soon to be 27 when I get some help to build a new one for Skinny. Most dogs in one pen is five. Some dogs have pens to themselves. Other dogs move around from pen to pen for socializing, change of pace. Medio is the most transient... he chooses to move to a new pen every day. He's a sweet, strong, small neutered male who is also very fast, but shy on the trail.

Thunder and Dogs, Chapter Two

Yesterday we had a lightning/thunder/hail storm. I could hear the dogs screaming but couldn't see. As storm eased, I ran over to pens. Ruthie was 'reporting' on Balto (who was not screaming). Balto had broken out of her eight foot high pen (covered in mesh and locked as she is a notorious jumper). She had then scaled the ten foot outer fence which had a top layer of wire. She had torn and become tangled in the top wire and fortunately got to the ground, but was trapped and wound in it. Now I have to get up and cut all of the top wire.

This was complicated a bit by Victor being out in the outer pen. He does not like other dogs too much so I let him free, alone, as he's very reliable on his own. He was watching her like a big lion. I offered a biscuit to him but he wouldn't budge. However, when he thought she was getting one he moved so I put treat in his pen and was able to secure him.

It took some fancy wirecutting to get Balto out, but she was unimpressed . I'm sure she would try it again, given the chance. For now she's tied, in her secured and covered pen.

Huskies and thunder, not a good mix.

Thunder and Dogs

Nothing interrupts the dogs' peace more than thunder. The dogs directly from Alaska have the hardest time with it and we've had a number of consecutive days with it. Each dog has a slightly different reaction to it... Yo stands out in it with his head down as if he's stoic about waiting for it to get him. Power starts running around in circles looking for an unlikely place to hide. Skinny leads the pack with craziness, ripping anything apart that he can reach
(I usually have to chain him or put him in the basement). Rosie digs like a backhoe and hides in the hole. Sulatna just hides deep in the basement or in the linen closet under the towels or on top of me if I'm sleeping. Liller, our tough and sturdy leader ,hides far back in a house and nothing comforts her until it's gone. The worst is yet to come as with the 4th holiday the fireworks are already starting... firecrackers and thunder, what a dog's nightmare!

I read somewhere that perhaps they think thunder is something very formidable growling at them. That makes sense to me... I'd hide too if I thought that.

And then when it's over , they all run in circles. This photo of Sulatna is just after a happy wild circle run following a short storm.

Kayaking Wild Rivers

Two of the three designated wild rivers in the State are in our county. We took an evening paddle last night and it was wonderful. Usually we'll see wildlife along the way but none last night. There were still a lot of blossoms on trees along the way. Small waterfalls sounded big along the banks as we passed them.

The water was nicely high from recent rains and the paddling was fast, scenery beautiful.

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!