Thanksgiving, THANKS!

Where do I begin?? I feel like there have been so many activities packed into the last few days.....
On Thursday, Thanksgiving, Rob, Tubbs, Keenan, and I all headed back down to Brainerd to pick up Rob's snowmobile and celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. We were on the road by 6:15. The first hour is always the toughest. We ALL had to ride in Rob truck until we could pick up my honda civic. It's an interesting ride with Tubbs, a mini Irish Wolfhound, and Keenan, a bobcat, Rob and I all crammed into the cab of a Chevy Silverado. Not and extended cab, just a cab. Once we picked up the car, we were REALLY on the move. We got into Brainerd just after noon and headed over to Rob's grandpa's house for Thanksgiving festivities. It was great to see everyone, and the food was fantastic. The whole family had a laundry list of question about the dogs, the weather, the running, the poop. They wanted to hear about it all. And we gladly told them all we could. It made for some exciting Thanksgiving table conversation!!

After a Rob's grandpa's, I headed over to my Auntie Steph's house. I was more than excited to see her. She is not only family, but a best friend, and I've been terribly lonesome for her. When I arrived the kitchen smelled amazing. I assisted in making the "ants on a log", while she did the heavy duty work. I almost peaked in on the turkey, but didn't want to let the heat out (you'll see while this is funny in a few sentences). Aunt Steph and I gabbed away while the rest of the food finished cooking. My Uncle Ronnie was watching the traditional Thanksgiving football extravaganza, only to be interrupted for meal time. Thanksgiving is Uncle Ronnie's favorite holiday. Not Christmas, his birthday, or wedding anniversary. It's Thanksgiving. Strictly for the food. I'm sure he's thankful for many things too, but it's a food issue first and foremost. Uncle Ronnie comes up stairs and says "let's get a look at this". He lifts the lid on the roaster and says "well, this thing isn't even on, did you forget to turn this thing on?". Now as part of this holiday being his favorite, Uncle Ronnie is ALWAYS in charge of the turkey. We all look over to find that he isn't joking. That sitting there in the roaster is a pale, raw, cold, sad, turkey. I've never seen such a face on Uncle Ronnie. So after a little bit of finger pointing, we all take it with a little humor, and turn the roaster on. Just think, we could of been an hour ahead of all this had I lifted the damn roaster lid. My cousin Alex (21 years old), is so distraught, he heads to his room to sleep off the anger/disappointment. Aunt Steph, my cousin Natalie (18 years old), and I pack all of the rest of the DONE dinner items away, where they can be kept until the turkey is actually cooked. Uncle Ronnie heads back downstairs to numb his Thanksgiving pain with a little more football. Aunt Steph and I can't stop laughing! Natalie then asks what we should do to pass the time, because all the rest of dinner is already done. We decide to head to a movie. While the boys sleep off, and zone out the raw turkey, we seized the evening and had a ball. After the movie, on the way home, we laughed until we couldn't breath. We complained about the men we love, and laughed some more. Arriving back to the house, the timing was perfect. The turkey was done, all the rest of the dinner had survived the holding period, and it was time to eat. Dinner was delicious!!! The conversation, and laughing was even better. Needless to say, Thanksgiving was saved. And it will be one of my most memorable ones. Just a reminder, I'd rather have that raw, cold, sad looking turkey, than no turkey at all.

After dinner we all had a web cam date with my brother, mom, and dad back in Colorado. Being in civilization, there was no delay on the web cam, and it made for a great time! All five of us in Minnesota making jokes and laughing with the other three in Colorado. It topped off a perfect day. I was exhausted from traveling and being on the move all day, so I headed back to Rob's mom's house. He and his whole family had been taking care of my dear Tubbs McGee and Keenan Junebug all day. Rob's sister and her boyfriend were visiting as well, up from the cities. So it was a full house! 6 humans, 4 dogs, and 1 bobcat.

The next morning Rob and I braved the Black Friday crowds in order to run some errands. Picking up the snowmobile was on the list. We had called Brainerd Sports and Marine last Wednesday to confirm it would be ready, they said yes. We made sure to tell them we would be driving almost 6 (FREAKING) hours to pick it up. We called first thing Friday morning to see when we could get it, and IT WASN'T DONE! And they had no reason why not, no explanation. And Rob was really left with no option other than leaving it there to get fixed. So Brainerd Sports and Marine, you are lame! You run a shotty operation where customer service means nothing! You monopolize the Brainerd community and it's disgusting! You may be the only ones who work on certain sleds, but it won't be long before people would prefer to drive hours away to get work done. Where they might have the chance to be treated with a little respect and general courtesy. Jerks! Moving on..... after that fiasco, we finished the day with a Starbucks and headed home. I dropped Rob off at his mom's house, took our laundry to the laundromat, and met my Aunt Steph for coffee (I know, I may have an addiction). We did some laughing and visiting, a little shopping and it was time to go again. I said good bye to her and headed back for cards with Rob's family. It was a mellow night, much needed.

This morning we had a huge breakfast with all of Rob's family. Rayanne, Steve, Raylinda, Josh, Randon, Grandma Jan and Dan, and Rob and I. It was a great way to end our quick visit. We hit the road home by 11. We made only a few quick stops, and were back at the dog camp by 6pm. It was just in time for night dog chores. It has been a long couple of days, and I know I'm ready for bed!!

So THANKS to everyone, Rob's family, and mine for this weekend!!! I miss you all already!! especially you, Auntie! Love you!

Wally got promoted!! Well, sorta....

I'll start with Monday, because I'm behind....again...blah! Monday it started to snow, but just a little. Enough that I was pretty excited. It only turned out to be about 1/2 an inch, but I'm a glass half full kind of girl. Mark took the Varsity team out for a run, and Rob and I took the B team out. Mark added a little one mile loop to the trail, that I managed to totally bypass on the way home. It wasn't a super smooth trip, but we all made it home safe. After we got water, it was snowing, and cold, Mark was fighting a headache, and it was already four o clock. Mark called for a movie and couch time.

Tuesday, was a new day, and turned out to be a great one. The sun was shining, it wasn't too cold, almost warm. Mark took the Varsity out, as usual, and Rob and I took the C team out. They did great. It felt good to be out with the dogs alone on such a nice day. We had to make few stops, for the dogs to rest, and eat snow. And a few for Valor. He's still learning to be a sled dog. He might have a slight self esteem issue. Being that he thinks he might die after 15 miles. He's young, and building up his confidence. When we got back to camp, gave the dogs treats, and put them back to their houses, we did dishes and got water. We beat Mark home by about an hour. The Varsity team is stacking up the miles. And this is when the "promotion" happened!

There is a dog named Noodle on the Varsity team. He's crazy! He got his name from a friend and former handler of Mark and Mary's. It's because he's like a wet noodle when you try to put his harness on. Yesterday was the first time I tried putting a harness on him, and the name is an understatement. Well, Noodle sometimes doesn't focus, and is a plain old moron (I gather that from Mark and Mary). On the other side of the dog yard is Wally. He is brother to Trout, P.J., and his neighbor on the B team, Brown. Wally is a goofy dog too, but not when he's running. He usually runs next to his brother Brown. Brown has a hard time deciding which side he like to run on. But Wally always stays focused and pulls hard. He's always excited to see people, and he seems super friendly with other dogs too. He and Brown, being neighbors, always seem to be "talking". Well due to his show of good work, and Noodles lack of good work, there was a switch. When Mark got back from his run, he asked for Wally to be put in Noodle,s house, and Noodle to be put in Wally's house! Thus.... A PROMOTION!!! So I walked Wally over to his new house (his new house as long as he keeps busting ass). He seemed excited, because he's always excited, but a little confused too. Brown was going crazy! He watched Wally across the whole dog yard. Then it was Noodle's turn to be brought to his new house. He looked completely confused. So for now, Wally is a Varsity dog, and Noodle is a B team dog. I could always change, but I'm pretty damn excited for Wally. A little sad for Noodle, and Brown who misses Wally already.

So today, it's another great day. Sunny, clear, and not to cool. Rob and I will run the B team, on our favorite loop (mostly because it's the only loop we know every inch of). Mark is resting the Varsity team, so he'll be adding to an overhang on the garage and trying to knock off a few more things off his "to-do" list.

We'll be heading to Brainerd for Thanksgiving around six in the morning. Oh how I love mornings. Boo!!! But I can't wait to visit everyone! So until tomorrow, or maybe Friday!

oh wait, later today I'll post just pictures. Of the finished arctic entry, the snow, and Wally! Maybe Noodle too :)

Weekend Visitors

It's catch up time, again! I'll start with Saturday. We had the usual morning, coffee, dog chores, and breakfast. Then it was time to run dogs. It was the B and C teams turn. Rob and I were responsible for running the B team, and Mark and Mary were running the C team. The C team has so many yearling puppies, Mark and Mary had plans to correct some of their early bad habits, they knew their run might take a while. Early on in the run, a place called "The Burn", Mark and Mary had us pass them up. So we were on our run by ourselves. Sort of. It was a great run. No major excitement. The weather was cool, but not freezing. What a difference the wind makes:). We passed Mark and Mary on our way back to camp. We were back to camp in time to have our dogs watered, given treats, and back to their houses, by the time the C team pulled into the yard. While we were all out, a good friend of Mark and Mary called and said she would be stopping by. Julie, her daughter Jess, and four dogs all came down the trail about an hour later. Julie and Jess have the Little Devil's sister. Her name is Kenai, and she was running with three of her own puppies. They are gorgeous dogs! Just before their arrival, Mark headed out for a night time run with the Varsity team. I was so excited about this run. Wally, from the B team, got a short promotion!! Even if it is short term, or for a trial period, I was so proud of him!! He looked so excited, and a little nervous too. He ran right next to his brother P.J.. P.J. didn't seem overly excited at first. But I think they got used to each other. Anyhow. I guess I realized how quickly you can become attached to the dogs. I've known Wally for only three weeks, and I was so giddy about his promotion. Hopefully he can hold a position, or at least swing up there every once in a while.
After the Varsity team was in and settled, we all sat down for dinner. Julie made a GIANT pot of venison spaghetti and we all chowed down. After our dinner, it was Scatagories time. It was pretty funny. Julie and I took the top two spots. It was a late night, but well worth it. Julie and Jess stayed the night. It was a cozy cabin too. Little Devil, Carstenz, and Tucson were brought in last night too. Always room for more:)

This morning was a day off for all the teams, and a time for us to catch up on some projects all over camp. Mark finished up the Arctic entry. I swept out our house. Mary took the C team for a quick run and escorted Julie, Jess, and their dog team out. Mark, Mary, and I gave the puppies their shots. After night dog chores, we all ate big portions of Mary's homemade beef barley soup. Now Rob and I are back at the bunk barn, I'm nerdin out on the computer, and he's playing video games. I'll post pictures of the finished Arctic entry tomorrow. Later!!

I knew I forgot something!

I knew I forgot a story from yesterday. It's about Keenan, our bobcat style house cat. While we were out running the dogs she was up to some craziness. We have a dresser that we use as our food/kitchen cupboard, and she has been very curious of it. We'll catch her tip toeing to the edge of it, sniffing around. Well, when we came back from our run, we came into the bunk barn and found something very entertaining. Keenan had knocked off a bag of sugar we had on the cupboard. It was just the tail end of a small bag. But she had knocked it off. It's usually at that point that Tubbs becomes her partner in crime, and eats whatever has been knocked off. But I'm pretty sure this was a solo offense for Keenan. The bag has the smallest shred, tear, and bite marks, and sugar was all over. I can just imagine Tubbs watching her get all hopped up on sugar, laughing to himself. It wasn't until about 10:00 last night that she finally calmed down. I tried to take a picture of her wigging out, but she was moving to damn fast. Haha. I'll post the one I sort of caught. She was literally climbing the walls. Or attempting to. She was wrestling with nothing, and darting from one place to the next. It was like "Fear and Loathing in the Bunk Barn". Haha

So anyways.... todays pictures are: Keenan freaking out, Me and Tubbs, Me driving the dogs today, and Rob's self portrait of he and I on the four wheeler today. And again, sorry for the goofy set up. I'm not making any progress on getting better at picture posting.

Back to Work

Yesterday was Friday, and our first day back to running the dogs. They have had a nice five day break to let their little feet heel up. We ran the Varsity team and the B team. The dogs were more than excited to be running. Mark hung the gang line outside before we ate breakfast, and the dogs were whining the whole time. Five days must have felt like an eternity to them. Before hooking up the teams we had to check any of the sore feet and put booties on them. After the booties, it was hook up time. Mark hooked his team up first, then Rob and I started with the B team. We were hooked up and ready to go. Because Rob and are riding together, I ran back to the four wheeler to wait for him. One of us has to keep an eye on the dogs because Ranger and Kila are notorious for chewing. So I ran to the four wheeler, and the next two minutes seemed surreal. I saw the four wheeler moving a bit, and I went to the back to look at the rope that ties us to an anchor. Right as I look at the knot, it slides undone. I went to grab the slack end and realized I had the rope in my hand, but no four wheeler. I grabbed the brake on the four wheeler and tried to reach across to grab the other brake, but it was still skidding away. Mark saw us skidding away and was not happy, to say the least. Rob jumped on the four wheeler and hit the foot brake. It was just enough to stop the team. Marks team took off just inches in front of our, and then we were off. That was a shitty way to start the morning. Our run was nice though. It's one of my favorite loops. The dogs looked great and were psyched to be out. "The Beaver Pond" is frozen, thank goodness!! About a quarter away through our run, Mark pointed out some moose tracks. In the last couple of days, Rob and I have finally seen some wildlife. The moose tracks are one step closer to actually seeing a moose:) We got back from the run, gave the dogs their treats, and back to their houses.

Mark and Mary had plans to be out on the town, so Mark headed out. They were meeting with some of their good friends from Voyageur Canoe Outfitter. That meant Rob and I were on our own for night dog chores, AND trivia! Dog chores went smooth, then we made dinner, and listened to trivia. We found the WTIP number and made a few calls in. We were 4 for 5!! It was a little eerie to be here all alone. Every time the dogs barked, we were listening. Or peaking out the window. Rob even went and did a couple of laps through the dog yard to check things out. All in all, it was an uneventful night, which is great :).

Now, we are all having coffee, getting ready to run all three teams today. I think we'll be getting a few more things knocked off the "to-do" list too. That's all for now.

AHHHH! I promise, pictures today. PROMISE. OH! Here's a shout out for my brother, the Highlands Ranch Thanksgiving Dodge Ball Tournament Champion!!!

"Townies" again!!

Today, after our morning dog chores, Rob and I headed into town. We take full advantage of our days off, as we know that once the snow hits, it will be much harder to get out of "the bush". We stopped at the laundromat first. I think we're getting a better handle on our dressing and layering situation, and thanks to the lack of mud around camp lately, our laundry loads were much smaller. That's one upside to the cold weather, anything wet and dirty, freezes! It's funny, to me anyways, that I'm blogging about my laundry. Aren't you all glad you know my laundry status?? Anyhow, after we started laundry, we headed to "The Dock Side Market". It's a fish market and deli, and Rob has been looking forward to fish and chips there ever since we moved to Grand Marais. Well, they were fresh OUT of fish and chips when we got there. Rob was totally bummed and disappointed. I, on the other hand, not being a huge fish and chips fan, ordered their lunch special. Rob settled for Trout chowder. That said, he wasn't full, at all. We made a quick run back to the laundromat to throw clothes in the dryer, and headed off to Joyne's, our new "must stop" for our trips into town. It never fails, they always seem to have something we can't live without. Today, was socks out of the discontinued box. I learned from my mother, how to spot a great deal. Fox River, winter weight, merino wool for only $3.99?? DEAL! After Joyne's, we headed to the Cook Co Co-Op. We thought about stopping there on our last trip into town, but ran a little short on time. It was a great idea to stop. It was so nice. We found a couple of our favorite snacks, and some really tasty new ones. By the time we were done at the Co-Op, we knew our laundry would be done, so we headed back that way. Rob was pretty hungry by this point. Trout chowder can only hold a guy over for so long. So, we ran across the street to "My Sister's Place". I've been there quite a few times and know, you will always get good food, alot of it, and have it served to you pretty quickly. Which is exactly what happened! I love when a plan comes together. Haha. After our second lunch, we ran to the grocery store to get our last odds and ends snacks. I wasn't going to miss out on a Java Moose latte today! So we did one last loop through town. Java Moose for me, and DQ for Rob. Wow, most of our activity in town revolves around food. Hmmmm.

We were back home just in time to unpack groceries, and get ready for night dog chores. Before we started the chicken soup service, Rob got the sauna going. The sauna sounds more and more soothing as the temperature drops. Right now it is 10 degrees. After chores, it was sauna time. Then a filling dinner! Cornflake Chicken is what Rob and I are calling it. And it's one of our favorites. After 12 years in a kitchen, I've never known the culinary capabilities of cornflakes. And that's no joke! Now, we are all (Rob, Tubbs, Keenan, and I) veggin out, talking about how we are going to freeze our asses off on tomorrows run. Also, how we better get used to our asses being frozen. We are all, dogs included, hoping for snow this weekend. The last couple of days have just been a teaser of flurries and flakes.

Rob and I will be heading back to Brainerd for Thanksgiving, and I'm SO excited. While I was in the Java Moose today, I saw two ladies sipping their coffee and gossiping like crazy. I almost shed a little tear, as it made me SUPER lonesome for my Auntie Steph. I can't wait to sit and have a coffee and a serious gossip session with her. Until tomorrow. About those pictures.... I'll take some of tomorrows run. Live action shots of my ass freezing!!

Flat Tire Shenanigans

Today is Thursday and I'm wickedly late on my blog. I've been reminded not to disappoint my fans. All four or five of them. Haha. I think I'll catch you all up from Tuesday on. Tuesday was the dogs third day off, the vet was scheduled to come, and we had a list of things to be done around camp. Just before we were going to get started on the day of activities, a man walked up to the front door of Mary and Mark's house. This is a strange happening, because we live about a day and a half from the nearest paved road. Haha. Turns out that the vet had gotten a flat tire about 3/4 of the way here. So he walked the rest of the way here. Our list of activities had to be postponed while Mark and the vet headed down to the flat tired truck. Seemed like an hour or so, and they were back. They were having trouble and just decided to have the tow truck come. In the mean time, the vet handed out shots where needed. Thirty three dogs to be exact. By the time the tire shenanigans past, most of the day was gone. Our list was postponed for another day.

Yesterday we woke up to warm (like 30ish) and icy rain/snow. It made everything slippery. While we were doing the morning chores, the icy rain/snow turned to certified snow flakes!! It was great to see. Big fluffy flakes. After dog chores we started marking things off our list. We secured the straw shed, Mark changed the generator oil, we all helped attach a dog box to a trailer. Very productive. Then we took a four wheeler ride to check out a possible new loop to take the dogs running on. It was about 25 miles. The temperature dropped 10 degrees while we were out. It was COLD! And still snowing. Nothing major, but after all this rain and lame weather, snow is great to see. By the time we got back from the four wheeler trip, it was time for some dry food. Time for a little rest, and then chicken soup time. While we were finishing up night time dog chores, Mary came home. She'd been in Grand Rapids over night. She brought with her plenty of dog groceries to be unload. She brought a door for our Arctic entry, so we can get that finished. While Mark was backing up so that we could unload dog food, he "nudged" a rock wall in the yard, and caused himself a flat tire. One of the rocks that "was barely touched" sliced a huge hole in his side wall. After the very smooth changing of that tire, we finished unloading the dog groceries. Mary had cooked dinner while we were finishing up. Thanks Mary! We were all beat after a long day, so Rob and I headed back to the bunk barn after dinner. We watched a movie, and were fast asleep.

So this morning I'm sitting at the kitchen table to get my blog done before morning chores. It's the dogs last day off. Mark said he'd rather be safe than sorry. He wants to make sure they are as healthy as possible before getting back on the training schedule. They are looking great. The goop is super duper. Haha. You can basically see the dogs feet healing. They are ready to be back on the trial too. Every time we start a four wheeler, they go nuts. These days have given us a lot of time for petting and loving on the dogs. So it's official, Ophir is my favorite. Michalobe is a close second. But Ophir takes the cake. I'm going to be checking my finances and hopefully adopting him soon. So don't any of you think about it!! If it were up to me, Ophir would sleep with Me, Tubbs, and Keenan everynight. I'm pretty sure Ophir would prefer his own house though:). Mary mentioned Rob and I having the day off as well. So hopefully we'll make a quick trip to town for some coffee, laundry, lunch and groceries. The usual. I'll try to make a stop at Lindsay's dairy too. Could always use a little girl gossip time. Although Rob and I have been friends for years, this is the first time we've been together so often. All the time really. All the time. Anyhow..... I'll have pictures later today or tomorrow. I promise, no more two day gaps between posts.

Dog days off

Today is day two of the dogs resting. After the chicken soup service, we did a little doctoring of the dogs feet. It was our first time getting to do the applying ourselves. Rob and I decided to tag team the activity. For Emma, Rob held her and I put on the goop. Amber was so easy. She has a small pit irritation. Whenever you walk by Amber, she jumps to put her front paws on you. So when we went over to her, she jumped on her house, and put her paws on me. I made a quick move and gooped her up quick. Next was Valor. I held him, and Rob gooped him. Team work is fun! Because we aren't running dogs, to pass the time, and because shit needs to get done around here :), Mark, Rob and I built an Arctic entry for the bunk barn today. It was mostly Mark building, be we helped a little. And for those of you who don't know what an Arctic entry is..... It's just a mini entry way so that when it's freaking freezing, and you open the door to your house, not all the cold air and snow come blowing in. Why the guys were doing some of the building, I did the dishes and got water. It was nice getting water by myself, because that means I got to ride the four wheeler. Even if it was only around the house. Haha. After dishes and water, I cleaned up our new little stove.

While the three of us were milling around today, Tubbs ran around the dog yard like crazy. Yesterday he got to be good friends with Willie. Willie is the oldest dog in the dog yard. He's awesome. He also was in the Iditarod. Willie runs around the dog yard on occasion. Sometimes when the puppies are out. He's like the Uncle that keeps them in line. So, Tubbs was hangin out by Willie's house. Next door to Willie, lives Valor. Valor is Rob's favorite dog. Rob's not wishy washy like me (although, I'm pretty certain Ophir is my #1), changing his favorite everyday. Valor is his favorite, period. Tubbs sort of tip toed around Valor, and then went in for the dog "hand shake". Valor is a sweet, and friendly dog. He was excited for a new friend. Tubbs spent quite a chunk of the afternoon floating between Valor and Willlie. It was fun for Tubbs, and I hope Willie, and Valor too.

The Arctic entry took up, pretty much, the whole day. We had a little down time, then it was night time dog chore time. Everything went as usual. There was a short puppy escape. Spock made a break for it. With a little help from Mark's voice, Rob snatched him right up, and back to the puppy pen he went. Nice try Spock! Mary got home from work and whipped up a big dinner. Mary got her hair done today, which brought up a very minor issue at "Off The Beaten Path ", that I am going to look towards my readers for assistance in solving. You see, Mary came home today thinking she might want to add a little red to her hair. Maybe just change it up a bit. To which mark commented, Hell, I'll just bring back the mullet!(not in those exact words) So what do you guys think? Red? or Mullet? I'm having a hard time deciding. As you all know, I'm a fan of the bottled red (not that I am a bottled red head, at all). But I'm also a fan of the vintage mullet. So let's hear it!! I'm sure Mark and Mary are going to love all this!

I'll have some pictures of the construction project tomorrow. Also tomorrow, the vet is coming. That should be very exciting. OH, and it started to snow, a tiny, tiny bit today. Cross your fingers!!!

Here's a little shout out to Tanya. Wish you were coming this year! I think Rob and I, both, are getting a little sick of looking at each other.

Sunday, Sunday.....

I guess I'm a day behind on my blog. I'll catch you up..... "Little Red" is still in the shop, so Rob and I rode together, running the B team, while Mark ran the Varsity team. I drove most of the time this round, thank goodness. Not because Rob is a bad driver, but because my ass couldn't take another 15 miles on the back of the four wheeler. Geez!! Rob drove at the very beginning, and I was pretty grateful. We had to drive through "The Beaver Pond". I hate "The Beaver Pond"! I can't wait for it to freeze up and become a nice, smooth passage way. Right now it is a gigantic, huge, deep, pool of water, that swallows the dogs as we inch up to it (well that's only my opinion really, the dogs don't actually seem to mind much. and it's probably only a foot deep.). Even if I'm feeling good about all other aspects of driving the dogs, I freak out at "The Beaver Pond"!

Because of the lack of snow, the dogs paws are taking quite a beating. In fact, the Little Devil got quite a gash on her tiny paw yesterday, and Mark is pretty sure "The Beaver Pond" is the culprit Damn Beaver Pond! So today, tomorrow, and Tuesday, the dogs will rest, and heal up. If we aren't running dogs, there are plenty of other things to do around here.

Today after dog chores, Mary made "hole in an egg" for breakfast. Some of you may know what that is. I had never heard of it. She cut a perfect sized hole in a piece of bread, put it on a skillet, and cracked an egg in the hole. It was awesome. To top it off, she put cheese on it. It's like the perfect breakfast. Then she toasted up the left over holes (the ones she had cut out). They were like perfect little round toasts. Two bites. Those of you who know me, also know my love of all things small. Especially small foods. To sum it up, I had fun at breakfast. BUT, I mentioned my love of small foods, then blabbered about my love of all things small, even....people. AHHHH! So if Mark and Mary didn't think I was weird enough, I sealed the deal with that information.

After breakfast we did some house cleaning. All of us. Rob and I were sweeping and shaking out rugs, while Mary was doing the same in the big cabin. Mark was cleaning out the garage and putting a window in. Then we did a little wood stacking for the wood stove in the garage. Rob and I took Tubbs and Roxie for a walk. Mark moved a little stove into our cabin, which we are super excited about! Not because we want to start making our own dinner, Mary. But we are late night cup of coffee drinkers, and being able to boil water for our french press is going to be great!! A little down time, for us anyhow, Mark and Mary were doing stuff all day. Then I heard the puppies running all over outside. I headed out to get a little puppy time. Mark has his deer hanging in the garage, waiting to be butchered, and Monz discovered it. He tried to get tough with it. He would creeeeep up on it slowly, then "BARK, BARK, BARK", then make a break for it around the corner of the garage. He did this about three times. It was great.:) Before night time dog chores, we hung out at Mark and Mary's for a bit. Mary makes roasts on Sunday, and it smelled SO good. She stayed in, working on dinner, while the three of us went out to feed the dogs their chicken soup. The sky was dark and the stars were amazing. They covered the sky and were so bright. It was a great back drop. It was chilly though. Only about 20. Maybe a little less. Earlier in the evening, Mark had started up the sauna. After our awesome dinner, it was sauna time. The sauna was so hot! It was perfect.

When I got back to the cabin, it was web cam time!! Tonight one of my oldest, and best friends Megan,was at my parents house, so that we could do a group web cam. Megan has a almost two year old little girl named Maisey, and she was there too. That was the best, to see little Maisey. She was a little confused at first, then figured it out. Sorta. She is so funny, and so see her tiny face made my week!

So that's it, I think, for the past couple of days. I feel like I'm forgetting something major though. Hmmmm. Tomorrow we are going to be building part of an arctic entry onto our little cabin. I'm pretty excited about that. I do love to build! I'm sure there are other EXCITING things going on too. Stay tuned!!

The picture is the one I mentioned about me shaking the deers hoof. It's mostly for my brother. He was strangely excited to see it.

Snow, Please

Today was a fun day. We had coffee in the morning, as usual, and as needed. Then morning dog chores, and some quick chores around the homestead. Just to keep things interesting, Keenan ran out the front door while we were on the way to breakfast. She camped out under our cabin for a good fifteen min. It wasn't until she tried a risky run across the yard to the truck, that I snatched her back up. Geez!! After all that commotion, running dogs. The plan was for Mark to run the Varsity team, Rob the C team, and me the B team. But one of the four wheelers, "little red", wasn't feeling up to the challenge today. So Rob and I rode together. It was a great ride. I'm feeling a little more comfortable, which makes the ride more enjoyable. I actually knew where we were going today. That's a nice feeling. There were little flurries on and off while we were out today. I'm so excited for snow to come. I can't wait to try a sled out!! So everyone, wish for snow with me!! It will be good for the dogs, and great for your entertainment while I'm out there!!

Rob and I came home before Mark. He's pushing the miles up a bit on the Varsity team, getting them ready for some of the races coming up. After we got back, we took care of the dogs, and filled all the water buckets. While resting from our chores, our crazy ass cat escaped! Again. She made a break for it while Rob had the door open. She's sneaky, and fast! So we spent another 15 minutes or so wrangling her up. She's more bobcat than house cat, I think. She's dying to be an outside cat. Rob votes yes, I vote no. I'm too much of a sissy to let her. I win.

Mark got home with the Varsity team not to long ago. We all pitched in with feeding the dogs, and then Mark got the sauna ready. Woo hoo for a sauna! Now we have to get the dogs their chicken soup before trivia. Throw showers and dinner in there somewhere too. Rob and I are going to make Mark and Mary dinner tonight. We're keeping it super basic, but hopefully super tasty. I volunteered to make it, but it will mostly be Rob. Something seems to happen to my cooking skills when I leave an industrial kitchen. It's weird.

I've got some pics for today. They are a couple of us on the trail with the dogs, it was gorgeous today. One of Rob napping with Tubbs, and one of me in front of our tiny cabin.

Day out on the town

I'm going to make it short tonight. Rob and I had our day in town today. It was great! But so busy. It felt like we had so much to do. We had our lunch at the Tavern. It was delicious. Even Rob enjoyed. He's a tough critic when it comes to eating out. It's actually kind of annoying. But he was happy with lunch! We did some shopping and visited Lyndsay. I unexpectedly ran into an old friend, Musa. That was a nice surprise. We did the laundry and grocery shopping. Sad to say, we skipped the Java Moose. Instead, we went for DQ! Then it was back on the road home. Mark and Mary had just gotten home before us. So we all did dinner dog chores, and had a big bowl of chili. We watched a sled dog movie after dinner. It was hard work just to keep my eyes open.

Now we are vegged out and I'm about to fall asleep. So here's the scoop on trivia. It's a a radio station, WTIP. But you can access it online at www.WTIP.org . They have trivia on Friday nights, starting at seven. And the ladies are hilarious. They are almost like a Saturday Night Live sketch. It's great. So if anyone is bored on Friday, check it out! More writting tomorrow. I'm beat!

Tavern Tamales and Java Moose Mochas!!

Rain, rain, go away! It warmed up just a bit today and caused any kind of snow to turn to rain. When we headed to Mark and Mary's cabin for coffee, a fog started to come in. It's a good thing today and tomorrow are the dogs days off. What a muddy mess it is running dogs in the rain! We did our dog chores and ate breakfast. I felt like I was in slow motion today. It was the kind of day when you want to stay cuddled up with, in my case, Tubbs and Keenan, and drink hot chocolate. BUT, there was a little bit of work to be done. After breakfast Mark, Rob and I chopped firewood. Well, I didn't do any chopping. I excel in the stacking of the firewood. Turns out I have horrible aim with an axe. And that can be hazardous. So Mark ran the chainsaw, Rob split the logs, and I stacked. All the while a light mist of rain/snow fell on us. After the firewood, the guys loaded up a snowmobile to be taken to the shop. Then Rob and I relaxed for a bit in our bunk house, while Mark got beef stew ready. Then it was night time dog chores time, and we needed to get water. Even the slow days require things to get done.

Mark's beef stew was great! All of the meals have been so good. When we first arrived, Mary told us she wasn't a great cook. I don't think she gives herslef enough credit. Everynight Rob and I clean our plates, usually after having seconds. And yes, a little of this appetite comes from working outside all day. But mostly, the food is damn good. And you all know how I love food :) It's funny, being a chef, I enjoy so much being cooked for:) So, I guess this is just a high five to Mary! And Mark!

Speaking of my love of food....... We have the afternoon/day off tomorrow and we are heading into Grand Marais. I'm SO excited. We are going to start the morning off out at the Java Moose. I love their lattes, and Rob is a mocha fan. Then we are going to do a PILE of laundry that smell like dogs, mud, and other fantastic stuff. We'll run up to Lyndsays dairy farm and grab a few dozen eggs, and fresh cream. Next.... lunch at the Tavern. As I mentioned yesterday, I love lunch at the Tavern. They have the greatest tamales. Great bbq pulled pork sandwiches too. And we may even have a beer with lunch. The Tavern has a great selection of dark beers. Hopefully cousin Dustin will meet us for lunch. Then some shopping at Joynes, and Bucks. Finally the grocery store. And then back to the woods. We'll probably come home worn out and tired, but it'll be well worth it. Did I mention I'm excited?!? Until tomorrow!

Oh crap! I forgot to tell you all about the trivia. Tomorrow I promise! Also, Mary is redoing the photo album on her web site. You have to check it out! There are some great pics of all the dogs. A few done by a professional photographer. Nate, there is a great one of Denali!

HOLY CRAP!

That's right, I said "Holy Crap"!! Today I got to run the dogs all by myself. Well, Mary and Mark ran the Varsity team ahead of me and the B team, while Rob followed. But still, I was on the four wheeler alone with the B team! It was crazy! I think I did a good job. We all came back in one piece and happy. I can't ask for much more than that. It took me about half way through the ride to even relax and enjoy the ride. My hands and arms were cramping up because I was squeezing the handle bars Also hard. Haha. I may need to work on relaxing more than anything. The dogs did such a good job. Every once in a while they looked back at me and I swear this is what they were saying.... Wally "Bro, I think that girl is back there alone. Is she qualified for this?", Brown "I don't know dude. She seems okay. A little sketched out. But she's cool." Then Kila to Ranger "What's with this girl? I think she might be talking to herself. Is she okay?" Ranger "She's alright. She feeds us so she must be alright." And I'm sure various other conversations. I think Bud looked back and said "You're doing alright. Just keep up the pace." And Bud's neighbor Mich was saying "I'm over this running thing. I think I'll let Bud do all the work and I'll chomp at grass as it goes by". It was an eventful after noon.

Last night after I had already written my blog, all four of us, Mark, Mary, Rob and I put new straw in all the dogs houses. They were so excited! I imagined it's the same feeling when you put fresh sheets on your bed. After we filled all the houses, we turned in looked and every dog was in their house. Except for Willie. Willie is too bad ass to hang out in his house. The moon was bright, the sky was clear, and all the dogs were ready for bed. Another good day.

So back to today. After all the dogs were watered and given their crunchy treats, we put them back to their houses. We filled water and and it was time for their nightly chicken soup. It's not really chicken soup. But something very similar. We had about a half an hour before chicken soup time. We let Tubbs out to run around a bit. He brought a moose bone into the house. Which is awesome for him. Totally gross for us. Especially when he wants to eat it on the couch. Haha. So we threw the bone on the deck and went to serve up the soup. When we got back to the cabin, Tubbs had helped himself to our bag of pistachios. The worst part is, he only licked them all. He didn't even eat any of the nuts. Just gross enough that we won't eat them either. He's precise with his revenge. h thinks "You take my moose bone, I'll lick your"....Whoa. That wasn't going to sound right. You get the point. Good thing he's so damn cute. And how bout Keenan. She's taught herself how to climb the 7ft latter to get up to the loft. But she doesn't know how to get down. So she sits up there meowing until we can find her and get her down. How spoiled are our animals. I guess that's all for today. Now I'm making us late for dinner.

Tomorrow and Thursday the dogs are resting. So Thursday Rob and I have the day /afternoon off. We're so excited. We're having lunch at the tavern and I'm going to eat the begeezus out of some tamales!! AND! I have to remember to write about Friday night trivia! It's hilarious. And you can all play too! Later!

Web Cam!

I'll start with Sunday. It was cold. Haha. Windy and cold. But it was a good day. It was my turn to drive the dogs. Not just be along for the ride. This time I drove and Mary rode. It was great. A little nerve racking for me, but Mary is a great teacher. The picture on the left of the page is the view from the four wheeler seat. (Rob fixed my picture transfer thingy. woo hoo!!) Rob rode along with Mark. They took a much longer run then Mary and I. They had the Varsity team, and are getting ready for races soon. Mary and I were back to camp much earlier than the boys. Even though it's cold, there is still a lot of water left from the rain all last week. So the dogs and all the equipment gets covered in ice and slush. When we got back from our run, we had to use wrenches to knock the ice off of the tug line clips and neck line clips. Once the dogs were all happily back in their houses, Mary and I changed the straw in the Varsity team houses. When the boys got back, we got water, did some other chores around the house, then did our dog chores.

During the week I had set up an web chat date with my brother. All day I was excited about it. As soon as dinner was over, I headed back to our cabin to set it up. IT WAS AWESOME! There is quite a delay, but being able to see my brothers face and hear his voice was pretty damn sweet. I talked to my brother for a few minutes, then called my parents. That was so fun. It was great to see and hear them too!! It's such a different experience than a phone call. I mean, they're right there!! Nate and I were having a pretty hilarious time with the delay. It puts a strange comical twist on the whole conversation. It was a great way to end the day! I'm hoping to talk to them every Sunday. We'll have to see. There is no real schedule around here. Just things that need to get done.

Today Rob and I drove the dogs together while Mark was behind or in front of us. I think it went well. It's been an adjustment for Rob and I to learn to work together in a different work environment. For the last few years we have worked so well together and have had the chance to get used to each others work habits. But things have played out a little different here. We're still learning who's good at what and what we can help each other with. And both of our egos can clash on occasion. I think today was good for us both. And as far as I know, we did an okay job with the dogs. As we learn how to run dogs, we are also learning the many trails to take them on. There are no road signs and almost everything looks the same. That might be the trickiest task. We had Hercules and Zena as our lead dogs today. I think we relied on Hercules to know the way, and it may have been too much of an expectation. He decided to take us on an additional mile and half before heading home. We have got to learn those trails!

After our run we took a little lunch break and then chopped some wood. The pile is getting smaller. Thank gawd! Haha. As it started to get dark, the moon started to rise. Tonight is going to be beautiful. The sky is completely clear, the moon is almost full and there are more stars than any of you city dwellers can imagine. The down side.... it's going to be freaking freezing tonight too. Haha. Talk to you all tomorrow. OH! I just heard that my dear friend Mary Ann has been reading the blog. She's all the way in Costa Rica!! Cool. The pictures from top to bottom are: P.J. and Foreman drinking after a run, Denali and Athena drinking after a run, and little Lilly and part of Murphy. Taking pictures of puppies is hard :), and Mark and Rob taking off for a run.

Hard Days Work

Sorry I missed yesterday! The weather is changing and there is a lot to do around here. So we've all been busy. So I'll start off with yesterday:

It had rained all Thursday night, and I was nervous that we would wake up to rain on Friday morning. But thank goodness, it was just a little misty. The temperature wasn't bad either. Mark, Rob, and I were going to run the Varsity and C teams. So we did our dog chores, ate breakfast, and got ready for our run. We hooked up the C team first. Remember how crazy it was hooking up the Varsity team?? The B team wasn't half that crazy. The Varsity team is just so much stronger than the other two teams. But the C team! That is another kind of crazy. They are a mix of the youngest dogs, and a couple of the older dogs. So most of the team is just so excited, and still not quite sure what to do. They jump all over you, some squirm when you put their harnesses on. And a couple of them will knock you on your ass if you're not prepared for their jumping. One of the dogs on the C team is Ophir, named after an Iditarod check point. He is one of the oldest dogs in the dog yard. He has been a champion before, and as Mark says "They've logged a lot of miles together". Ophir also ran the Iditarod with Mark. He's bigger than most of the dogs, and softer all around. While the rest of the C team was exploding with excitement, Ophir was waiting patiently in his house for someone to harness him. When I came to him, he got out of the house and sat perfectly. He lifted his first paw, then the second, right on cue. When I was done, I pet and loved on him. He licked my face and sat back in his house, waiting to be hooked up. He's a little slower than the rest. But he's their teacher. He teaches them to follow directions. Just when I think I may have a favorite, I'll write about one, and they become the favorite. Ophir is for sure my favorite:) So back to the hook up. It was Rob's turn to ride. Mark called out "Are you ready?!?", and they barked and whined with anticipation. And they were off.

While they were gone, I got around to cleaning out the cob webs in the outhouse, and took Tubbs for a walk. When they were back , it was Varsity team hook up time! I keep thinking of all the words to use to describe how this all goes down. But it really is impossible. These dogs are fine tuned machines. They live for running. And their sheer power is unexplainable. We harnessed everyone and started bringing them to the gang line. It happens so fast! We were putting the final few in, and I had P.J.. If you saw P.J. in someones backyard, you wouldn't think, "WHOA, there's a dog that could dislocate my shoulder while I try to hold him by his collar". But he very easily could. I held him and struggled to hook him up. Let me be clear here too, they are pulling. They aren't trying to get lose in order to avoid running. If I let go of P.J., he will take off, and run for the love of running. So I finally got him hooked up, and the we were ready. I hopped on the back of the four wheeler, and we were off! This was the first time I'd run for a full distance with the Varsity team. They are impressive. A few squirly ones in the bunch, but that is most teams. Look at the NFL. Anyhow..... The run was beautiful It was great watching Mark, and his attentiveness to the dogs. He tries to give pointers on each individual dog. Denali can sometimes run a little crooked, so if you switch sides, he'll straighten out. Matty can be kind of jerky to his neighbor. Little Devil is loud! But that can be good for the team when they are feeling down. It's sometimes a lot, but I want to know more. These dogs are so much more than pets, or a hobby to Mark and Mary. And they will be entrusting Rob and I to take good care of them.

It started to drizzle last night, and today we woke up to snow!! Woo hoo!! And cooler temps! Not a lot of snow. And not that much cooler. But every bit counts. Mary is home for the weekend and Mark was out hunting this morning. We had coffee with Mary and started our chores. The plan was to take the B and the C team out today. AND it was our day to drive, while Mary rode. Yikes, but exciting too. We hooked the B team up first. I feel more confident hooking the B team up, because I feel like I know them better than the Varsity team. I can feel that they are learning to trust me and becoming more familiar with me. The hook up went smooth and Mary and Rob were off! While they were gone, I picked giant rocks out of the dog yard. Ahh, the glamour of a sled dog camp. Then Mark came home with a giant deer in his truck. He was successful on opening day. Congratulations Mark. And that means Venison for the winter, and bones for the dogs. We all win. I have a picture of that, but I'm not sure any of you really want to see it. I'm shaking the deers hoof. It's actually hilarious. Anyhow.... I'm really getting off track today. Just after Mark came home, we had some visitors. Good friends of Mark and Mary's stopped by on their four wheelers. John, Sandy, and their daughter Lindsay. Just after they arrived, Mary and Rob came back from their run. The dogs, the gang, and neck lines were covered in ice/sleet. We had to use wrenches to knock the ice off the neck and tug line clips. We got the dogs all unhooked and back to their houses. Our visitors are "adoptive" parents of Rose and Lily, and their daughter is the "adoptive" mom of Monz and Murphy. So Mary let the puppies run loose. They were everywhere. It was awesome!! We let Tubbs out to see if he might like the puppies. Tubbs looks so different than any dog here. Calvin, one of the puppies, was not a fan. As soon as Tubbs came running at him to play, Calvin high tailed it out of there. He took cover in the screen tent on a lawn chair. It was hilarious. Tubbs made a quick friend with Spock, the biggest of the puppies. I think Tubbs thought he was at a dog park. The puppies went back to their kennel and our visitors left. We broke down the screen tent, had more visitors, moved the straw shed, and changed the straw in the puppies houses. Our last set of visitors were Mark and Lisa. They are also good friends of Mark and Mary. Lisa brought an apple pie that I'm hoping to snag a piece of after dinner:) We were back at our cabin for less than an hour and it was dog chore time again. It's dark by five now too, so it makes nigh time chores a little different. We also filled most of our water buckets after dog chores. Then it was sauna time! We should be heading over for dinner right about now too. It will probably be an early night. I think we are all tired, especially Mark. Pulling a 180 lb buck out of the woods all by yourself, takes a lot out of you. Stay tuned for tomorrow. It will be my first time driving the team!! Wish me luck!!

I'll try and get more info on Denali and P.J. at dinner tonight. Also, I posted a pic of Ophir, he's the lead dog. I won't be posting pics for a bit. I just got back from dinner, and Tubbs has chewed through the wire of my picture transfer thingy. Lame O!!!!

Nap time

Today has been a pretty low key day. The weather is crap!! It's been raining on and off since yesterday afternoon. Mostly on. Mary's gone at work, and Mark is doing a ton of errand running today. So Rob and I are "holding the fort down". The fort pretty much holds itself down, really. We did our morning chores and it's been raining ever since. So that means no chopping firewood. But it does mean cuddle time with Tubbs and Keenan :) We ate lunch and finished watching a movie we'd started the night before. IWe snuck in a mini load of dishes too. In about an hour we will fill water buckets and dry feed the dogs. The food will be about the only thing dry, it doesn't look like the weather plans on letting up. But hopefully, all this rain will turn to snow this weekend and into next week.

I had a request for info on the little white puppy in the picture with Rob. Her name is Lily, and she's one of the sisters. She's a tiny bit bigger than her sister Rose. Her mom is Zena, who is one of the lead dogs on the B team. When we took the puppies for a run, Lily kept right up with the bigger boys. She hated being in the back, so if they slowed down, she would bolt right past them. She's a total sweet heart, and was one of the more vocal puppies on the run. In the pen is another story. But she was howling away on the run. On the way back home, the big puppies left her in the dust a bit. I think they just have bigger strides than her. So Rob brought up the rear behind Warf and Murphy (I think?), and I followed behind Lily. While we were almost home, she took a wrong turn. It's not necessarily a wrong turn, it's the way the big dogs come back to the yard. I followed her, realizing too late that I could have called her to turn around. About half way down the trail, she realized she was alone (or missing the rest of the puppies), and she stopped and started whining and howling. I tried to get her to go, saying "Let's Go! Let's Go Lily!". But she wouldn't go. So I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way with me, on the four wheeler. Next time, we'll both know to go the other way. Although I didn't mind the extra cuddle I got while carrying her home:). So that is the scoop, so far anyhow, on little Lily.

Also, I wanted to let you all know that my parents and brother just "adopted" two dogs on the Varsity team. Denali, and P.J.. If anybody else is interested in "adopting" one of the kick ass dogs that live here, check out Mark and Mary's web site. It's a great way to contribute, and learn about them.

That's all for today! As the weather gets nastier, I'm sure things will get a little interesting out here. OH, and to my little brother, who says this job is so easy. It really doesn't feel like work, that's for sure. But I wish I could send you a video of when we hook up the Varsity team. It goes from leisure, to chaos in a split second! It's awesome! I'll try and get a better picture of Lily, and Nate, I'll get one of Denali and P.J. for you. I'll feature Denali tomorrow, and P.J. on Saturday.

Rainy Day

I'll start where I left off on Mondays adventure. About the puppy free run. There are 7 puppies at camp right now. They are varied ages. A set of brothers named Murphy and Monz, a set of sisters named Lily and Rose, they are the smallest. And three boy puppies who are a little older than the other four. Calvin, Warf, and Spock. We let the puppies out and they ran like crazy. Mark led the front of the crew on his four wheeler, while Rob and I brought up the rear. When we were leaving the dog yard, one of the little sisters, Rose decided she didn't want to come. So it was only six puppies on the run. They are so fast! Little Lily was keeping up with all the boys. We went to a neighbors house, which was a cabin with an unbelievable view! Mark and Marys friends built the cabin all by themselves. Hauling everything the last 100 feet or so, by hand. We headed back after taking in the view. After the puppy run, it was time to clean up the dog yard a bit. It has been so rainy, there were little moats around some off the dogs houses. So we filled in dirt and raked.

Mary came home from work that night and made us huge, fat, tasty cheeseburgers and fries. They were SO good, and totally hit the spot. We had all been working hard, Mary included. Mary is the Assessor for Cook county and has been helping out with all kinds of crazy voting stuff. During dinner we watched an Iditarod movie. Rob and I asked a million questions, as usual. That night, I slept like a rock. It was great.

Tuesday morning we did our dog chores, and it was WAY too hot to run the dogs. It was 60 degrees! Crazy. So Rob and I got a day off. We met Dustin for coffee at Java Moose, and dropped my car off at Lyndsay's farm. We made lunch plans with Lyndsay at Sven and Ole's Pizza, one of my favorite places. It's so fun to take Rob to all these great Grand Marais places. Before lunch we stopped in at the court house to see Mary, filled gas cans, and started a load of laundry. After a full belly of famous Uff Dah veggie pizza, we headed to Bucks hardware, and Joynes Ben Franklin to round up some odds and ends. Rob fell in love with Joynes. "They have so much stuff!" he says. Then laundry in the dryer, and a grocery run. By the time we were headed back home, we felt exhausted. We got home just in time to help with dog chores. Mark made dinner because Mary had to stay in town last night, she volunteered to help with the elections. As we found out today, she stayed in town, but got next to no sleep. Mark made pheasant and venison chili. It was awesome. We watched a movie, and headed to bed.

This morning was warm again, and we weren't sure if the dogs would be able to run. So we did dog chores, had coffee, and ate breakfast. It cooled off just long enough to take the B team for a run. It was my turn to ride along!! We harnessed and hooked up the dogs. It was exciting because I feel like I know the B team better than the Varsity team. While we were on the ride, it was neat to learn some of the quirks of how the dogs run, and just to see them run. They love it. Emma and Zena were in the lead. Zena is smaller than Emma and seems to push her to the right. And Bud looks like he runs sort of sideways. Little Amber and Mich have perfect little trots. Hercules ran with us today. He seemed pretty excited. The picture up top is of him. It was great. And the scenery was beautiful. About half way through the run, it started to rain. A little at first, but then it was a down pour. It was great for the dogs, kept them cool. Mark and I were soaked. He joked that, as soon as we got back to the dog yard, it would stop raining. And it did.

So that was most of today. It rained. A lot. And now Rob and I are hanging out at our cabin. Mary just got home from being mostly at work for the last two days. I know what it's like to get home from work, and just want to shut your brain off. So we might just stay here tonight. We'll see. Talk to you all tomorrow :)

p.s. i'm still learing about putting pictures up. so i'll add more tomorrow. also, what if you guys pick a dog and i'll tell you what i've learned about them and put up a picture. or maybe i'll pick them myself :)

My first hook up

Sorry I haven't turned my blog into a daily blog yet. I'll try and give a daily update, starting tomorrow. That sounded like a true procrastinator. But really, I will.
So, yesterday was such a crazy day. Well, maybe not for everyone, but for me for sure!! We woke up and fed the dogs as usual. There has been seriously unseasonably warm weather up here so far. The dogs can't train if it's too warm, or they will overheat. It stayed just cool enough that they were able to make a run. Since Mary works during the week, it was just Mark, Rob and I. That meant Mark could only take one of us as a rider on the run. Rob and I discussed, and decided he should go first. Mark grabbed a huge string of harnesses, and a bunch of (what at the time look like a random mess of ropes) gang lines. Gang lines are what hold all the dogs to the sled. Along with neck lines and tug lines. SO.... then it was time to hook up the dogs. Mark gave us a quick harness lesson, and off we went.

I can't really describe how exciting, amazing, surprising, intimidating, and even a tiny bit scary this is. These dogs have so much more strength than their medium size indicates. And their true love of running gets them more than excited. They are barking, and jumping, and howling. The dogs we hooked up were Mark's Varsity team. They are pros and know exactally what to do. His lead dog has run in the Iditarod. They are so strong, that the four wheeler they train with has to be tied to a giant bolt like anchor that is buried deep in the ground, so that the dogs wont pull it away while being hooked up. Seriously! It all happened so fast. We put the last dog on, Mark gave them a quick pep talk, he and Rob jumped on the four wheeler, and they were gone.

After they left, it was silent. There was only one dog left on the Varsity side of the dog yard. His name is Hercules. Mark says he runs crooked and not as fast as he used to, so he's being demoted. Herc looked so sad as they all ran away. I cuddled him and pet him like crazy. He's so sweet. They all are. They all have such personalities. No two dogs are even a little bit alike. They are like people. I might actually like some of these dogs more than some people I've met.

They were gone a short but fast run. It only seemed about an hour, and I could hear the dogs barking in the distance. I knew they would be back soon. I waited in the dog yard, not quite sure what I was supposed to be doing. When they pulled in the dogs were almost unrecognizable, covered in mud. It's been so wet. Apparently they can get much, much dirtier. Mark said thank you and good job to each individual dog. The bond between Mark and his dogs is obvious. He can be in the garage, not even in sight of the dogs, hear one barking, and know who it is. It was still pretty cool and overcast, so Mark asked "Are you ready?!" to the dogs. They simultainously looked back at him, and were ready. It was awesome. So this time I hopped on the back of the fourwheeler with Mark. The trip was super short. We only did a little mile loop. But I just can't explain what it meant to me.

I think I'm more cut out to be a handler, rather than a musher. Getting the dogs ready was by far my favorite part of the day. After we came back from the short mile loop, the fog broke and the sun came out. It turned out to be a beautiful day. Almost 60 degrees! Rob, Mark, and I chopped and stacked firewood, and free ran with the puppies. That was another hilarious, and exciting part of the day. But I'll save that for tomorrow. I'll also have pictures tomorrow. Pictures of our little cabin, the famous dogs, Rob, Tubbs and Keenan. Maybe even Mark and Mary if they feel photogenic!!

Day One!!

So, we made it! We left Brainerd yesterday around one o clock, and I have no idea what time it was when we finally pulled in to Black Magic Kennels. Once you turn off Highway 61, it's kind of a crap shoot for someone who's only been here one time. Throw in the fact that it was dark. Inheriting my insane memory for places I've been before, from my mom, is something that really paid off last night. Although, there were at least two times I thought that maybe we were going in a giant circle. And I know Rob was positive we were lost. But, tada! I got us here!!

Mary and Mark were waiting for us, helped us unload, and fed us full for dinner. It was a great welcome. Once we were back in the cabin. Rob and I looked at each other and said "We're really doing this, aren't we.". I didn't even unpack, just made my bed, and let Rob talk me to sleep. Tubbs was the only thing that woke me up in the middle of the night. He's still getting used to the noises of being in the woods, and 47 other dogs.

We were up by 8:00 this morning. Not bad at all. Mary had coffee ready, we did a few dog chores (that's exactly what it sounds like, picking up poop), fed the dogs, and had breakfast. It's been raining like crazy, so there was no dog running yet today. Which is a bummer. That is what I'm most anxious about. And there might not be running tomorrow either. It could be 60degrees! I heard on the radio that Tuesday could be up to 68! What a fall! That's just to hot for the dogs to be running. So I'm sure there is plenty of other chores to do around "camp". Maybe I'll sweep out all the cobwebs from our outhouse. Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd say, think, or type! Ha Ha! Here's another one: Rob's in the garage with Mark cleaning the three beavers he trapped yesterday. I'm going to try and post some pictures of them. They are freakin huge!! Biggest beavers I've ever seen! I know I'm leaving that statement open for all sorts of comments. But when you see these beavers, it's no joke :) Mark says he gets some of them that are up to 60lbs!! That's bigger than Tubbs!! Anyhow... enough about beavers. Perverts.

I'm unpacking a little right now. I may have overpacked. But better safe than sorry, right? I'll go and try and help Mary with dinner soon. Roast! Mmmmm. It'll be time to feed and water the dogs again soon. Hope to have more news tomorrow. As of now, we made, and things are good :