Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everybody!! Rob and I are ringing in our new year by relaxing after a hot sauna and having a bottle of wine. Pretty exciting, we know. Mark and Mary went up the trail to Gunflint Pines Resort to celebrate New Year's with some good friends of theirs, Mike and Sue.

It's been pretty crazy here this week. The countdown for the Beargrease is getting shorter and shorter. Tensions are running high as stress mounts about whether or not the dogs will be ready. Rob and I are working hard to keep up and do as much as we can to be helpful. Sometimes we're not quite sure if it's enough. But we'll give it our best shot :) Mark and Mary have also entered the White Oak Classic. It's a race held in Deer River. They are both going to be racing teams, and it takes place in less than 2 weeks! Rob and I will stay here to take care of and hopefully run the dogs that won't be going. Luckily Mark and Mary will have friends helping them handle at the White Oak. We'll also be joined by Hannah. Hannah is a new handler that will arrive on Saturday. We are excited she's going to be here. The more the merrier!!

I'll just give a run down of some of the excitement here in the dog yard. Yesterday Rob and Mark were out on a run when Julie stopped by with her daughter Jessica running four of their dogs. Jessica had her friend Tarin with her. All the girls were in the puppy pen when Jessica very casually let me know that one of the dogs were loose. Caribou had snapped part of his post clean off and was prancing between the B and C teams. I scramble to rig something up to reattach him. Afterwards all of us went inside to warm up and have a snack. Jess and Tarin had frosting and an over sized Hershey's Kiss. Tasty. Nothing better than frosting out of the tub. It was getting dark and time for them to get going. I was a little nervous because I knew Mark and Rob were due back into the dog yard any minute. I could just imagine the collision of all 22 of our dogs, and 4 of Julies dogs. Not pretty.

Just as Julie, Jess, and Tarin were pulling out of the drive way, Caribou came chasing after them. I caught him just outside of the drive way. I wasn't quite sure what to do with him when I saw Marks team coming down the return trail. I just hooked Caribou up to the nearest post. I figured I'd consult an expert (Mark) on what to do next. It was great timing on everyone's account. Had Mark and Rob been a few minutes sooner, and Julie a few minutes later....whew. We all pitched in and had both Mark and Rob's team put away in no time. Mark fixed Caribou's post and it was off to our cabins to warm up.

This afternoon Rob and Mark both headed off on snowmobiles to Mark's truck. They unloaded some of the remaining dog food and chicken for chicken soup into Rob's otter sled and parted ways. As Rob arrived in the dog yard he started waving his hands at me. Then I noticed Cleo prancing and running through the B and C teams. She too had gotten loose. Must be jail break time. We put her on a make shift leash until we could figure out what exactly was going on. She had popped a link in her chain. I gave her an impromptu walk while Rob fixed the chain. All was back to normal in about ten minutes. Nothing too exciting since then. Not yet anyhow.

We just let Tucson and Carstenz into the big cabin, and we're getting ready for bed. I'll be getting up at 3 a.m. to hand out little fat chunks to the dogs. It's a good trade for getting up and feeding the dogs dry in the morning. Rob will be up by 7 a.m. to do that.

So before I'm off to bed, I want to wish everyone a healthy and happy 2009!! (I'm sure I can trust my brother to leave an inspiring and witty quote in the comment section here)


p.s. i promise pictures are coming. i'm awaiting my picture transfer cord thingy in the mail. i forgot to pack it when i came back from Colorado :)

Missing my Partner

I'll start with yesterday, Friday. It was going to be my first day running a team of 6 dogs, all by myself. It didn't quite pan out that way. Mark had taken a fall on Thursday and banged his knee up pretty bad. Friday morning, he was feeling pretty stiff and achy. No running of dogs. Instead we took a day of rest. Mark packed down some trial with the snowmobile, while Mary and I wove neck and tug lines. It was pretty cool to learn how to do some of the rope weaving.

While waiting for Mark, I got a chance to curl up with Tubbs and Keenan and watch a movie. Just as my movie was wrapping up, it was chore time. It's at times like these, movie and chore time, that I'm lonesome for Rob. Chores take about twice as long when you do them alone. Luckily Mary is here all weekend to help out on the B and C side, so I'm not completely alone. But having Rob around, for me, really makes a difference:( Luckily he'll be home Sunday night.

This morning I was really looking forward to giving my 6 dogs alone, a shot. There was a little bit of a warm up last night, and this morning that cause a bit of rain. The warm weather and rain made for some very slippery and FAST conditions. Mark said it wouldn't be a great time for my first solo run. Plus, he's working hard on getting the Varsity team ready for the Beargrease that is only about 3 weeks away. The teams training and conditioning are paramount to my learning to drive. Which is perfectly fine with me. I'd love to stick to my strengths of dog chores and other chores around camp:) Rob's more of the driving type.

While Mark and Mary were gone with the Varsity team, I checked the straw in their houses. I ended up changing it out on almost all of the houses. I also kept the fire going, and made p.b.&j. sandwiches for Mark and Mary for when they came back from the run. Today's plan was a little different than other times we've run. Today, Mark and Mary would come back from our 30 miles loop, water the dogs and put booties on, and head back out for another 30 miles.

They came in for their pit stop, and about 15 or 20 minutes later, they headed back out. While they were gone for the second half of the run, I did a few dog chores, and attempted to start the snowmobile. I say attempted because it didn't go well. I tried about ten times and couldn't get. I was swearing up a storm! I could get it to just about turn over. But it wouldn't commit. Here's another time that not having Rob here, SUCKED.

Mark and Mary just came back from the second half of their run. The dogs looked beat. So tomorrow they will have a nice rest. A few of the dogs even got shoulder massages after the run. Mark will be giving a ride tomorrow with a selection from the B and C team. Mark and Mary will also be spending tomorrow night in Grand Marais, in preparation of their trip to Duluth on Monday. I'm expecting Rob sometime late, late Sunday night. Thank goodness :)

Merry Christmas Everyone

Merry Christmas everyone! I had planned on writing my blog last night, but after dinner and a hot sauna, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I'm up early enough to write before our morning dog chores. That's surprising :).

Yesterday was my first full day back and without Rob. The weather is warming up a bit, and the sun was shining. It was beautiful day to be out and about. After dog chores, we ate breakfast and planned out the day. Mark and I (towed behind him) would run with 16 dogs and Mary would run with 8. I was super grateful for one more run behind Mark.

The run started off well. I was a little nervous, again. Having a few days in between riding was a little bit of a disadvantage. About a quarter of the way through the run, I fell. I made it out of the driveway, and around our first big turn. But I underestimated a down hill curve, and down I went. The only thing good about the fall was, I didn't let go. They drug me for a bit. But not long, and I was glad I managed to hold on. I was a little shaky after that. I was surprised I fell so soon into to the run. It was encouraging.

We took the turn towards the Beaver Pond, and headed across to the Burn. Just as we came in to the Burn, Mark shouted "Moose!" and pointed off to the left. There we saw 3 moose!! That's right, 3!!! Mark guesses they were a mama, a yearling, and a papa. They were making a run for it away from us. I had my camera safely tucked away. Mary said "Mel, take a picture". Well I'm such a wuss. I was still a little nervous about my fall that I didn't want to move a muscle. I was just riding, and braking. Haha. Maybe next time.

We went through the Burn and made our turn onto the Powers Lake Road. That's my favorite part of the run. We kept our eyes open for moose, but no such luck. Lots of trails, but no moose. We headed towards the far loop of our lunch loop, which is where I had taken a fall before. I had been thinking about what I could do differently. What I'm learning is that the dogs don't need driving, really. They need to run, and for you to figure out what the hell you are doing. So, I'm working on that last part. Mark gave me a quick pointer as we approached the downhill corner..... and tada!!! I made it. I think making that corner evened out how I felt about falling earlier in the run. The rest of the run went great. There were a couple of falls, but it wasn't me doing the falling. That's all I'll say about that.

As we took the turn onto our return trail, I started getting a little nervous again. That damn vicious corner was still. It didn't manage to disappear while I was in Colorado. As we approached the corner, Mark reminded me of his pointer "let off the brake". I leaned like hell into and let off the brake when Mark said. And....TADA!!!!! I made it!!! I was so excited!!!! We pulled into the dog yard, and I swear if Rob had been there, I would of jumped around like crazy and hugged him!! Instead, I just kept smiling under my neck gator.

We took care of all the dogs and put them back to their houses. It was a great day, and beautiful evening. Mary had put a prime rib in before we left, and I swear you could smell it outside, it smelt so good. After the dogs chicken soup, we headed in for dinner. I think my days of little sleep in Colorado, the crazy day of travel, and a day outside had taken it's toll on me. I felt like a little kid at the dinner table. I was waiting to fall asleep in my mashed potatoes. I was in bed, and asleep by 8:30, 9.

So today is my day to run a team by myself. I'll have six dogs, while Mark runs in front of me and Mary behind me. I'm hoping to god that I get the 6 slowest, oldest, and most of fond of me dogs. Haha. I'm excited, and nervous. Wow, Mel, nervous?? No way. I'm sure it will be fine. I'll just remember every mushers best advice "Don't let go"

Back to the "Bush"

I had a great time back in Colorado, but after a LONG trip yesterday, I made it back to Grand Marais. The roads in Duluth and up the shore were horrible yesterday. It took me forever (or at least it felt like forever) to get to Grand Marais. Once I was in town I got a cup of coffee and waited to meet Rob. I was so excited to see him, even though it'd only been a few days. We started our gigantic loads of laundry and headed off to the Tavern for dinner. It was pretty much non stop talking. I got to hear all about his adventures while I was away, and I got to tell about all my activities. After folding our laundry, we started the long trek home. It felt longer than usual, I think because I'd been traveling since 4:15 that morning.

When we got to our cabin, I rushed in to see Tubbs. I hate having to leave him, and never would if it weren't for Rob. He was just as excited to see me as I was to see him. We unloaded the otter sled and relaxed a bit. I unpacked and gave Rob some of his Christmas presents. Then it was off to bed. I was exhausted!

This morning Rob headed off to Brainerd to spend time with his family for Christmas. It's only fair considering I was just gone for 5 days :). After he left Mark and I fed chicken soup and did the rest of the dog chores. Last night it snowed, again, so there was fresh snow on some of the trails. Mark left to break trail while I stayed and did dishes. We had a strange scare with one of the dogs, Honey, this morning, so I kept a CLOSE eye on her while he was gone. Mary had a half day (woo hoo) today, so she came home with Mark around 3. Mary and I fed the dogs their dry food while Mark relaxed a bit. He broke trail for the neighbors, and it was a bit more of a project than he expected.

After dry food Tubbs and I hung out in Mark and Mary's cabin while Mary worked on a re-write of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". It's pretty funny, be sure to check it out on her blog. After night dog chores and dinner, the evening started to wind down. It's definitely not the same without Rob here. I'm lonesome already, and it's only been a day.

Tomorrow I'll take my last turn getting pulled behind Mark's sled. Friday I'll be on my own with 6 dogs. Yikes!! Wish me luck!!

Also.... MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!! I hope everyone is happy and healthy this holiday season!!

Busy, busy, busy.....

Well I failed miserably at writing everyday of my vacation. It is always so busy when I come back to Colorado. So much to do, so many people to visit with. In such a short time. So here's a summary.....

Saturday night was my parents annual Christmas party. They've been throwing it since 1983. People we've know for years come, and so do new friends. The food is fantastic, and the company even better. The last guests, Jean and Don, left sometime around midnight. They are usually the last ones to leave. By the time they are out the door we are usually in pain due to the serious amount of laughter. My brother, Dad, and I helped my Mom clean up, as she refuses to go to bed with a messy house. It's a sickness I think. I finally threw in the towel around 1:30. I just couldn't keep my eyes open.

Sunday morning I was awake before everyone. I attempted to make coffee. I say attempted, because my parents uber-fancy coffee maker is tricky. Luckily my mom woke up in time to save the coffee maker from disaster. I'll stick to my french press. Dad and Nate slowly came alive from their late night and we all cooked breakfast together. My best friend Megan and her daughter Maisey (certifiably the cutest kid alive) came over for breakfast and coffee in their p.j.'s. Megan and her husband bought a house about a mile from my parents. I'm super spoiled to have them so close when I'm back for visits. After our great breakfast, and a few "airplane" rides for Maisey, we decided to do an early Christmas. Instead of wrapping presents (due to time constraints), we each closed our eyes and had surprises dropped in our hands. It was hilarious, and we think it might be a new Stephens tradition. Maisey and Megan stayed and did presents with us, so it gave us a chance to spoil Maisey some more.

After presents, it was football time. My dad and brother took up their positions on the couch and recliner and prepped for a day of doing nothing. My mom and I were a bit antsy, so we headed out for coffee and some shopping. There were people EVERYWHERE! We picked up some lasagna and dinner fixins at a great market, Tony's, by my parents house. My Aunt Gunni, cousin Ria, her husband Tedd, and two kids, Margot and Josh were coming for dinner. Aunt Gunni had just arrived from Eau Claire, WI. A full house, again.

When the house cleared out, again, Nate headed home to prepare for work the next day. Mom was off to bed, and Dad and I stayed up late and watched a movie. I couldn't make it through the whole thing. All the activities from the last few days were finally catching up to me.

This morning Mom and I headed out to do some last minute errands before I have to leave. We stopped to do some shopping in Castle Rock, and managed to swing by my favorite local coffee shop, Crow Foot Coffee (check them out at www.crowfootcoffee.com). They have the best lattes known to man, and the staff is always friendly. You can order beans from them too, that they roast right next door. There is also a 9 out of 10 shot you'll run into someone you know. I love that. Castle Rock reminds me of Grand Marais in that way. The sun shines a bit more in Castle Rock, and the temperature is warmer, but Crow Foot is a place that would fit right in Grand Marais. In fact, I wish it were there:) Anyhow.... we met up with Dad, and Nate for some lunch. That's what my family likes to do, coffee, and eat, haha.

Tonight I met Megan and her sister Marissa for dinner at the Castle Cafe. I like to hit all my favs while I'm in town. Who knows when I'll be back, so I pack it all in. We laughed like crazy, as usual. It's not very often we all get together anymore. With our lives ever changing, we take advantage as often as possible of all three of us being in the same place. Dinner was great, and the time spent together even better. Megan had to get home to Maisey, Marissa home to bed, and me home to pack. Boo!! My flight leaves at 6:18 in the morning! Boo, again!!

It's been an amazing visit. And like always, I'm reminded why I love this place so much, and why it feels like home. Thanks to all my friends and family for the most hilarious good time. Although I can't wait to get back to my dear Tubbs McGee, Keenan, and Rob, I'll be sad to go. It's an on going war between Colorado and Minnesota. My old home, and new home.

I'll be back to posting pictures this next week, thanks to Santa, I've got a brand new camera! Things were just to busy to remember pictures the last few days.

How Lucky am I?!?

I have so much to fill you all in on. I'll start at the beginning, well Wednesday. Wednesday was Rob's first time on a sled behind the dogs. The "Titanic" was tied behind Marks sled, so it wasn't an entirely solo operation. He volunteered to go first, knowing he could pass on some do's and don'ts to me for my first trip. After dog chores and major bundling up, it was time to hook up. We had three snow hooks semi buried (the snow isn't perfect for hooks yet), and a rope tied to the anchor axle. The dogs were SO excited. When the time came to go, Mark and Rob were both standing on the snow mobile track brakes the whole way out of the yards. Dogs barking and snarling. It was crazy to watch. I snapped one quick picture, and around the corner they went. I'll explain the snow mobile track. It's a piece of studded snow mobile track that hangs off the back of the sled, used for general breaking. According to Mark, and what I learned on my run the next day, it is key to controlling the team. While Mark and Rob were gone, I did a few chores. I walked the return trail, that runs through the back yard, and looked for branches that are hanging into the trail. I started clipping and realized I might not be the best for the job. Rob is about 6'2", and Mark is 6'6". My eye level is a little lower than theirs. The trail appeared clear to me. I started clipping a little higher though. We don't want to lose any eyes this season. After all the clipping, I had a little pile of gorgeous pine bows. Feeling a little Martha Stewart-esque, I gathered them all up. I went back to our little cabin to craft a wreath. I used twine from the straw we hauled in to tie it all together, and make a bow. I had a tiny bit of red ribbon left from some presents I wrapped, and used that too. I was pretty proud of my wreath. I ran in the cabin to get my camera, and.... IT WAS BROKEN!!! The lens wouldn't open! I guess all these days out in freezing weather and snow weren't that great for it. So, no pic of my seriously crafty wreath. And right before my big day!! Shortly after that, the guys came back. I ran out to meet them, and asked Rob a billion questions. He said it went great. He didn't fall (of course), and it was so much better than being on the four wheeler. I was so anxious to hear the whole story!! Mark said he did great. After the dogs were put away, we headed back to the cabin. Rob gave me some pointers and told me he was sure I would do great. Thanks! Mark noticed my crazy wreath, and donated a GIANT red bow to the Christmas cheer cause. According to Mary, that might of been a little out of character. Wink, wink :).

The next morning, Thursday, was my turn. Dun dun dun. Mary left me a very encouraging message on her blog. Drink a whiskey and relax! That is advice we can all use! After chicken soup and our own breakfast, it was time to get ready. I started feeling a little nervous, but just tried to remember the relaxing part. I skipped the whiskey part, figured I'd have one when I got back. Things for the hook up went as planned. I kept a lot of the things Rob had told me, and of course ALL of the things Mark told me, and held on for dear life. We made the corner out of the dog yard and that was enough to ease my worries for the rest of the trip. It was AMAZING to say the least. It's so quiet. All you hear is the snow underneath you, the dogs feet and breathing. It was awesome and so hard to describe in words. Being behind Mark on the sled gave me a chance to feel my sled out a bit, and watch him to see what he did. I felt like I could take in so much more than when I was on the four wheeler. I saw all the moose tracks and could actually take time to look for them. My favorite part of our Lunch Loop run is through a pretty level area, where tall grasses grow up all along the trail. It was even better on a sled. We headed past our original loop, to a loop I hadn't been on before. Rob and Mark have, but not me. There were gorgeous views. Mark gave me a warning that we would be taking two sharp left hand turns. And it might be best to jump off and run along side the sled. Now those of you who know me, know how I just love to run. The truth is, I don't usually run unless something is chasing me. And even then, I might weigh my options. Running in ankle deep snow, while being pulled by 14 dogs, uphill sounded... deadly, really. As we started the turn I put both feet on the right runner, anticipating jumping off and running along side my sled. Things happened a little too fast, and wham! Down I went. I couldn't hang on to the sled, just tipped it over with me. Luckily the team, with Marks help, stopped and waited just long enough for me to dust off and jump back on. Fall #1, check! The next left hand turn he warned about, I was determined to make. This time I jumped off in time, ran like hell, and hung on. SUCCESS! If I were to eat shit on every corner from there on out, I still would of felt good about the one corner I made. The rest of the trip went without incident, I even ran a few more corners. Until the return trail. As we started on it, Mark said "Just ride your brake, lean into the corners and keep your line tight". So I did just that. I was waiting for the vicious corner. Waiting for it. I felt like a little kid in an after school fight. Bring it corner! Whatch you got?! It came, and Mark and I both leaned like hell into that freakin corner. Just at the end, when I thought I had made it, I swear the corner grew a hand and flipped the back end of my sled. Into the snow I went. Bastard corner! Fall #2, check! The dogs, Mark, and my empty sled cruised into the dog yard. I hopped up as quick as possible could and ran to meet them. Rob peaked around the corner of the house, and saw me coming. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I had the best damn time. Falls and all. On one of the running corners, Mark even said "NICE JOB!!". For me, my first trip couldn't of gone better. I thanked all of the dogs, and Mark. We took care of the dogs, and it was off to pack for me. That's right, pack.

I've been keeping a secret. Pretty much from ONLY my brother, which is crazy because I can't keep a secret to save my life. Especially from him. Everyone else seems to have known and done a great job of helping me keep it under wraps. But I'm in Colorado!! I had planned to fly in yesterday and surprise my little brother for Christmas. Due to some really crappy weather in Duluth, I missed my connection from The Cities to Denver My parents and I didn't really have a Surprise Plan B, so I had to call him and tell him. This is how it went...
Nate, "Hello?"
Me, "Hey! What's up!"
Nate, "What are you doing??"
Me, "I have to tell you something..."
Nate, "What did you do???"
Me, "I'm at the airport, on my way to see you". I explained the surprise and why I had to spill the beans.
Nate,"........."
Me, "Are you there? Are you okay?"
Nate, "........"
He was crying. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, he was still surprised, and more than excited. My family picked me up and we headed back to the home stead. Nate is camping out at my parents house all weekend. I woke up way too early this morning. It is strange to not have to brave sub zero temps to go to the bathroom. Strange, but nice. And I missed not having dogs howling after their dry breakfast. My bed was invaded by Keenan and Tubbs in the middle of the night. Unfortunately. In exchange for those things, we are having a party today with all of our oldest and best friends. My ticket was a Christmas present from my parents. I couldn't ask for a better gift then to be home with most of the people I love in my life. The only ones missing are Rob, Tubbs, and Keenan Junebug. Why the hell they don't let well mannered pets (I'm talking about Tubbs and Keenan, not Rob), with great personality, on the plane, I'll never know. Miss you guys like crazy already, and see you soon!!

P.S. thanks to mark and mary for the time off, during a busy time of year :) also, look for pics from this weekend. hoping to replace my camera today. THANKS SANTA!!

Well, that didn't go very smooth....

The pictures are from yesterday when everyone was moving snow and digging out, I built snow lawn chairs in front of our porch, and the crazy afternoon that transpired today.

Today turned out to be pretty interesting. It was freezing, again, when we woke up. It slowly crawled up to -10 as we did our morning dog chores. The sun was shining and, for me, that always helps. We got water, and ate some breakfast before Mark and Rob took off for a snowmobile ride to pack down some trails. While they were gone, I did some dishes, and made some venison stew for dinner. I was hoping to get my blog done while the guys were out, but no such luck. When the guys were back, Mark said we should each take a spin on the sled. I was so excited. I've been nervous, so I figured if I jumped right in, it would shake off the nerves. Mark went over some very basic instructions, and off we went. He was pulling me behind his snowmobile on "The Titanic". "The Titanic" is the biggest sled here, and one that Mark has ridden in the Iditarod. Things started off well. I was so distracted by the smooth ride I forgot the brake. Mark slowed down to remind me about not letting the line slack, and to use the brake. Good advice. I wouldn't say I was comfortable, but it wasn't bad. About half way in, Mark stopped again. Turns out I was using a little too much brake. About two thirds of the way through the trail, mark took a left hand turn, and I didn't follow. I didn't lean enough, or maybe too much, without braking. Next thing you know, I was in the air, then in the snow face first. I jumped right up, and got ready again. Just then, I noticed I had a bloody nose. Luckily I was wearing a face mask, so it acted like a built in Kleenex. I think the fall shook any smidgen of confidence I may have had, and led to three more falls before arriving back in the dog yard. The last fall, I really caught some air. It was on a turn on the return trail. I have been dreading it since the first day I saw it. And it didn't disappoint. It's as vicious as I imagined. Damn it. The only comfort I had in today's run was that one of last years handlers fell 6 times on her first try. But other than that, there wasn't much to comfort me for tomorrows try.

When I got back, it was Robs turn. He's an experienced snowboarder, skateboarder, and wake boarder. So of course, he did awesome. Damn it. When he came back I asked how many times he crashed. None. Zero. I was secretly hoping for just one fall from him. But I'm glad things went well, and if I can swallow my pride for a little while, I might be able to take some pointers from him. We'll see.

Tomorrow Mark will run the Varsity team on a sled, and tow Rob behind him. For 30 miles. He's going first so that he can, hopefully, give me a heads up on how things go. Teamwork:) My big day will be Thursday.

I wanted to say a quick hello to The Sivets. Nice to meet you! We saw you and your awesome looking dogs last week, while we were heading into town. Mark and Mary told us about your rescued Siberians. I'm sure if we do cross paths, I'll be going as slow as I'm possibly allowed:) Thanks for the words of wisdom; "Hold on!". I'm working on it....

Snow falls,and so does the temp!!

This is what it looked like

yesterday afternoon, around 2:30. The blizzard had finally made it's appearence!! While it snowed all day, we all worked on getting sleds ready. We stayed in the garage and out of the snow and cold. Although it's not overly warm in the garage either. It was a good chance for us to get our hands on the sleds and see them up close. We will be spending a lot of time on them. The first sled ride will have to wait just a couple more days. It's quite a project digging out from all the snow, and temperatures are becoming frigid!! Tonight the temp will be about -22. Tomorrow, during the day, temps will be in the -30 and -40's with the wind chill. Cozy.

During dog chores, Mark put the final touches on snow control around camp, smoothing and packing down eveything possible. We mounded snow around all the dog houses, to help insulate them. The dogs seem to be loving the snow. Imagine that. Rob and Mark just left on the snowmobiles to break trail. With all the snow and wind, there could be a few sizable drifts. Mary will head back into town this afternoon, and set up shop there for the week. We won't see her until Friday night. Just in time for trivia :) There a few tiny flurries in the air, and a small possiblity we might get some more snow tonight. Until tomorrow.....

My little brother

Today we are preparing for the blizzard. The wind has picked up and the temperature has dropped. The weather channel says it's 3 degrees, but with the wind it feels like -14 degrees. We've finished dog chores, Mary is making breakfast, and Mark is prepping the wood stove in the garage. We'll be doing more work on the sleds today. I checked my blog from yesterday and found a comment from my brother, as usual. It cracked me up so much. I was laughing that silent, can't breath, shaking kind of laugh. Then I thought of anyone who reads this blog. They must think he's crazy. And hilarious, I'm sure. So I thought I might introduce you all to him. It doesn't help that it's getting close to Christmas, a legendary holiday with my family, and I won't be home. That makes two Christmas's in a row that I will of been away.

His name is Nathan, but we call him Nate. The only time he is called Nathan is when my mom is shocked at his swearing, or he's in trouble. Funny, that at 25, when mom screams Nathan Joseph, it still works. He lives with his crazy little dog Champ, named after bronco player, Champ Baily. He has orange and blue running through his veins, as he lives, eats, breaths Denver Bronco Football. But who doesn't right? In our family, we don't do church on Sundays, we do Broncos. Nate works in an office, hassling people and making deals all day. He gets to dress up, which has been a child hood dream of his. He smart. Crazy smart. And witty. He's charming, and usually the life of the party. His willing to try anything once, maybe twice if necessary. He's kind, and a softie. I've seen him cry while watching Oprah, or at a really good Hallmark commercial. He's my go to guy when I need an ego boost. Or if I'm a little unsure of one of my crazy ideas, I call him, and he says "Fuckin do it!".

I think it's a rule that you have to love your family. But you don't always have to like them. Luckily, I adore him. Not only are we brother and sister, we are best friends. The older we get, the closer we become. The only thing that ever seems to come between us, is physical distance. So... here's to you Nate! I love you!

Last day of Four Wheelers???

We've spent the last couple of days getting ready for a possible GIANT snow storm. It's been snowing on and off over the last week, but now.... they are predicting between 8" to 2 feet by Sunday night! Rob and I rode snowmobiles to a turn around where the "redneck" truck will be parked, while Mark and Mary dropped off Mark's truck at the sawmill. It was a beautiful ride. It's amazing how the scenery changes with snow. It reminded me how nice it will be to have Rob's snowmobile up here. After dropping the trucks off, we came back for some breakfast. There was a small malfunction with one of the four wheelers, so Mark and Mary are out running the Varsity team and B team. While Rob and I stayed back and did a little poop duty, and the dishes. Hopefully it will be the last day the four wheelers have to be out! I'm fully aware that getting on a sled with the dogs is going to have a whole new learning curve. But I'm pretty excited. The good thing is, we start small on the sled. Maybe only 6 or 8 dogs. And move up from there. Things are on the verge or really picking up around here. With the possibility of all the snow, we'll have new chores to add to the day. It sounds like there are quite a few bookings for rides and Mushing 101 weekends, and the countdown is shortening for the Beargrease!

Yesterday Rob and I got a chance to head to town. It made for a long day. We did our morning dog chores, then helped Mark hook up his Varsity team, heading out for a 40 mile run. Then we packed up the "redneck" truck, drove to our car, repacked, and were on our way. We crammed the day with some Christmas shopping, coffee with cousin Dustin, laundry, lunch with cousin Lyndsay, and Joynes of course. Town was full of people. It was snowing, but they were the big fluffy flakes, and it wasn't too cold. After our last stop at the Co-Op, the snow really started to come down, so we made a break for the homestead. One of these nights I'm going to nag Rob enough to stay in town for a beer:) Lucky us, we made it home just in time for trivia, then night dog chores. After a pizza dinner, we took a sauna and headed off to bed. Like I said it was a LONG day.

Here are a couple of pictures from todays snowmobile ride. Nate, check my hat :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POP!!

This is our cabin with new snow on it, next is the sunset last night (Tuesday), and then Valor and Rob.

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday deeeeeeaaaaaaar Pop!!! Happy Birthday to you! Hope you have a great day dad! I love you and miss you like crazy! I made pancakes shaped into the letters of everyones name today, in honor of you. I remember you used to do that for us when we were kids.

Today is Wednesday and a day off of running for the dogs. I ran the B team on Monday. Mark ran the Varsity team and Rob the C team. Things went smooth, and.... WE SAW A MOOSE!!! It was pretty exciting, even though it wasn't very close. Still, it was a MOOSE! That pretty much made the trip for us. It has been snowing on and off for the last couple of days, so there were plenty of tracks to check out too. With all the snow, the scenery is changing, and it's beautiful. It's getting colder too. Monday night, we had another visitor at our cabin. It was Valor, Rob's favorite. He was so well behaved. And turns out, despite his gigantic frame, he's a lap dog. We always think that Tubbs is a sizable dog, until he's around Valor. Tubbs can fit under Valor. He's all legs! I'll post a couple pics of Valor in Rob's lap.

Yesterday I ran the B team and Rob the C team, alone again, not following Mark. Things didn't go as smoothly as when we follow. Hercules was my lead dog again. And again, he decided to turn which ever way he wanted. I was a little more prepared this time, and was able to make the corrections quickly, and sternly. Still, there was a fair amount of swearing. A lot of "Why Hercy?", "Do you just not like me?", "The rest of the team is cooperating, why not you?", "Do you have something you'd like to say?". It's very clear that he doesn't take me seriously as "The Boss". After talking with Mark and Mary, I think the next time we run, he will take a small demotion. Nothing says "I'm the Boss" like handing out a demotion. Maybe Indi and Emma would like to go left when I ask, and Hercules can watch from back in the team. We'll see. He may never listen to me. It's hard to stay mad at a dog with a face like Hercules:) Damn it!

On our run yesterday, we passed Neil, the local musher I talked about a couple of blogs ago. He left me a message saying hello. He mentioned his hands were tucked cozily (that's not a word, but go with me on it) into his Cabela's hand warmers, which go up to his elbows. And the fact that he was busy passing three teams in a row, both very good reasons not to hand out a wave. But I have to say Thank you to him, because this time when we passed him, he slipped out his hand for a quick wave. Instantly I felt a little guilt as I saw steam rise off his hand. No wonder he didn't want to pull his hand out of there! It's warm as hell in those little warmers, and zero degrees outside for the wave!! So thanks again, Neil for the wave, but I can fully understand if you don't wave again :) Maybe just a head nod. Ha ha.

Today the dogs are off, and we will be doing some chores. There is firewood to be cut before too much snow comes, sleds to be fixed up, and booties to be separated and organized. Hopefully I'll get to finish my Christmas cards, and get laundry ready for town on Friday. There is a winter storm warning for the Arrowhead right now (that's us), 6-10 inches into the night. There is snow predicted everyday into the weekend too! So we better get our butts in gear!!

One last thing.... It was pretty cool getting a message from Neil. Funny to think that people other than my family, and three friends are actually reading this nonsense :) Who knows, maybe there are even more people reading than I think. Hmmmm.

Long over due pictures!

This is Spock, one of the puppies, and a friend of Tubbs'. He's had a sore back leg, so we brought him in the house for a bit one night this past week. He's never been inside, so it was a whole new experience for him.

Here is one of Rob getting ready to go with the B team, me with one of my favorite dogs Indi (named after the motorcycle brand). She is a crazy little dog, but hard working, and so sweet. And the last one here is me with Tubbs, just as it started snowing last week. Check my new hat. I love a cute hat.

This is the after, and process of, our arctic entry.

Here are a few pictures that I promised. Some are from a while back, others are pretty recent. It's been lightly snowing all day, and now it's picking up a bit. It was a day off of running, so we got caught up on some chicken soup prep. As a group, Mark doing the spinning, Mary and I doing the holding, and Rob doing the generator monitoring, got the meat saw started up today. We cut up what seems like 1,000 pounds of chicken and fat for the dogs. It was a lot of meat, but team work paid off for this task. After the chicken soup prep, the puppies and old Willie were let loose and craziness ensued. Tubbs ran like crazy with the puppies and his favorite dog Willie. Rob and I did a little bit of cabin cleaning, drank a cup of coffee and relaxed. All of the sudden, it was time for night dog chores and chicken soup. Sunday night is also ROAST night! Rob's favorite. So after chores, it was time to fill our bellies. Now we are back at the house, ready to watch another movie. What a rough life right?

Freezing Run

Saturday was a beautiful day. There was a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and the sun was shining. But.... IT WAS COLD!! The standing temperature was about 8 degrees. That didn't include the wind chill. After morning dog chores, and a good breakfast, I headed back to the cabin to plan my outfit. That's right, plan my outfit. A warm, and dry outfit is important, and takes planning :) It was great opportunity to try out my new boots. And it turned out that I wasn't disappointed! This time for our run, Mark was going to run the Varsity team, Rob the C team, and me the B team. We would take a slightly different route than the usual lunch loop, and would follow Mark most of the way. I was a little relieved that we would be able to follow along, after my fiasco on Friday. It was a good chance to regain my confidence a bit. So after we were layered and geared up, we hooked up the dogs, and headed out. The wind wasn't too bad for most of the trip. The dogs looked great, and listened well. I know that most of that has to do with the following situation, but I'll take it. When we got to "The Burn", the wind became a factor. It was blowing through there, bringing with it an icy edge. My favorite part of the lunch loop is right after "The Burn", and before the actual loop part. It's got hills and long flat parts that run through tall grasses. It's quiet, and not windy. Saturday was particularly nice too, with the sunshine. When the wind would blow up a light layer of snow, it would shimmer in the sun like glitter. It made for a gorgeous run. On the way back home, we passed another local musher, Neil. We waved and the sun must of been in his eyes, because he didn't wave back. So, "Hi Neil, I'm Mel, He's Rob, and we are the Black's handlers this winter, nice to meet you, and look forward to waving at you again!"
Despite the chill of the wind, it was a great run! After we got the dogs taken care off, we changed out every one's straw. It's important that they all have dry straw, and lots of it, when the temperature is dropping. It's always fun giving them new straw. They love it! And sometimes you find little goodies in there. Not always goodies you like to find. But in Noodles house, I found a huge moose bone tucked under all his straw! Little Olga was so excited about her new straw, she jumped in through the open roof. After straw, we got water and ate dinner. Mary made something new (for us anyhow, one of their favorites), and we weren't disappointed! After dinner it was back to our house to watch a movie and go to bed. Being in that cold weather all day, took a lot out of me :) I'm burning up all my fat stores. Oh no! Ma, send more treats! Haha

Holy Straw Bails Batman!

It's snowing!! And beautiful! And wouldn't you know, I have more catching up to do. I'm not very good at this daily blog action. I'll start with Wednesday. Rob ran the B team with Mark running the Varsity team, while I stayed behind and did dishes. We were awaiting a straw delivery, over due from last week. When Mark and Rob got back, we got a call that the straw truck was waiting on us. So we hustled into Mark's beast of a truck, the "redneck truck" as he calls it, and headed to meet the straw truck. It was a delivery of 60 bails (I think, maybe 70?), and enough to last through the winter and into spring. We use the straw as bedding and insulation in the dog houses. I think we've gone over that before though, just recapping. We loaded it all onto a trailer, and headed home. When we got back, we unloaded all the straw into the "straw shed". It went pretty smoothly and quickly with the three of us. But damn, it seemed like a lot of straw. :)

Thursday was an unexpected day off. Rob and I gathered our always growing pile of laundry, and headed into town. It was a fun trip. We had a giant burger at the Blue Water Cafe, did our usual stop at Joyne's, and yes, left with things we couldn't live without. We did some grocery shopping and laundry, made a few phone calls, and headed up to visit Lyndsay at the farm. It was a super low key day, and we had a great time. It was definitely one of those days that reminds me of why I love Grand Marais. The harbor is just starting to freeze. The weather is really starting to feel cold. People are strangely friendly, despite the freezing wind blowing off the lake. It's an amazing place to live, no matter the time of year. But winter has an especially beautiful look to it. When the harbor is full of ice, the waves of the lake continually push ice up onto the beach. Soon enough, the beach looks like it's covered in diamonds. Big round ones, and big chunky ones. It's amazing. It's no wonder why people come here and never leave. And it's the reason I'm scrapping my brain for ways to stay here too. Just after sunset, Rob and I headed back to camp. Mark was a bad ass and did all the night dog chores, so when we arrived home, we had plenty of time to unload and put away groceries, and get settled in. THANKS MARK!!

So that brings to today. For the first time EVER, Rob and I had our own teams, and had no chaperon. It was just Me and the B team, and Rob and the C team. It didn't go perfectly. We had a tangle when I wasn't clear who the boss was, and Hercules took liberty in directing himself. In the wrong direction. Rob's team was slightly influenced by mine. A nasty chain reaction. And this was all in the first 15 minutes of the run. The teams were more than pumped up and ready to go. It's a bit of an understatement to say they were pissed about the tangle. They were pissed at me, and each other. It wasn't our brightest moment. Through a little team work, and LOTS of swearing, we managed to get them all back on the right track. The rest of the run went well. Thank god! Both teams, Rob, and I all made it back to camp happy and healthy. Mark took the Varsity team out shortly after Rob and I left. So he was quite a ways behind us in his arrival back to camp. By then it had started to snow pretty good, and gotten dark. While Mark worked on putting his team away, Rob and I got water and fed the B and C team their first course of the evening. Then we hustled to get dishes done and the house some what presentable for Mary's homecoming. She arrived as I was washing the last dish:) We unloaded groceries and dog food, and then it was time to get ready for trivia!! Trivia was hit and miss tonight. I think our strongest category was on "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation". We pretty much dominated that! Thanks dad for all those times we sat and watched that crazy movie! After trivia, it was time for night dog chores, and chicken soup. A quick dinner for the humans, and we were off to the bunk house for bed. We are beat! The tangle and general attitudes of the dogs wore us out today :)
It is now snowing big flakes, and at a pretty consistent pace too. I have big hopes for what things look like when we wake up!!

Back in the saddle again....

So we were back to work on Sunday. Not that being back to work is bad. We were so excited to see the dogs, that taking them out for a run didn't feel like work at all. Sunday didn't start off bad, just didn't go as well as I'd like. Sunday turned into "just one of those days". When everything seems to go just a little wrong. And eventually, the day just feels crappy. So when night time chores were over and dinner was in my belly, I was glad to be headed to bed and looking forward to Monday.

Monday was a great day. There was a light dusting of snow all day. Not enough to make too much of a difference, but it was great for my morale. Rob and I took the B team out for our usual lunch loop. Things went smooth, even with a couple of new additions. It was our first run with Noodle, and we acquired Blue from the Varsity team as well. They did great. We ran their goofy butts together, so maybe they off set each other? When I harnessed Noodle, he absolutely cooperated. It was strange, but I'll take it!! There has been a bit of moving around on all of the teams. Dogs being promoted and demoted all over the place. Little Zena just got promoted to the Varsity team. She's so funny, and I'm sure she thinks that she's finally back where she belongs. Johhny ran with the B team yesterday, so that's a step up for him. Bud ran with the C team today, so that's a bit of a step down. I'm sure he's on the way back up:) Mary left for a work trip Monday morning. She'll be gone until Friday, yikes! It will be just Mark, Rob, and I. With all three of us with a love of sleeping in, things could get tricky. Anyhow.... Mark made chili for dinner and it was SO good. People think that chili is simple, and it is. But it is also pretty easy to mess up. Thank goodness Mark is a chili pro!!

Today was a slow start, lots of business for Mark to take care of over the phone. He also had to head into town, one of his least favorite activities. The morning started out looking pretty nasty. It was super windy, cold, and overcast. While Mark was in town, Rob and I ran the C team. With the weather looking so sketchy, we hustled to put our best layers on. We were so bundled up, we were breaking a sweat before we left our cabin. I think we may have over estimated the cold factor. As we started the process of hooking up, the clouds parted and the sun started shining. It turned out to be a beautiful day. And we were more than warm enough :). Mark came back this afternoon with his errands run, little red on the truck, and a hair cut. All within four hours! He must stay more focused in town than Rob and I. After night time dog chores and dinner, I had a quick web chat with my parents and now I'm catching up on the blog. I'm hoping to post the pictures I talked about last time, but I'm having some trouble. So bare with me!! If not tonight, tomorrow for sure!