Home again, home again.

Well, here's the update from Sunday until today....

Sunday we were planning to get a quick start on the day and head to Duluth. Things didn't go completely as planned. We ran a little late after dog chores and getting water, and once we got to Rob's truck, it didn't want to start. After we got that worked out, we made a break for Grand Marais. Once in Grand Marais, we looked at the time, about 11:30. We took a vote, and decided that we wouldn't be able to make it to the start in time. To add to our bummer, everything in Grand Marais is closed on Sunday. So salvaging a trip to town with grocery shopping wasn't going to happen either. We brought our laundry though, so we hit the laundromat.

After starting our laundry we rolled down main street to look for a place to eat. Luckily the Crooked Spoon was open. I've been wanting to eat there for a while, it just seemed like anytime we walked by, it was closed. Thank goodness it wasn't closed on Sunday!

We sat at a table by the window, which was great for people watching. The menu was great! I was impressed. I wasn't really sure what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. Our server came and we ordered beers. What else do you order when the day doesn't go as planned? She asked for our ID's, we provided them, and she recognized our names. She asked if we were Mary Black's handlers. We said yes. She said "I read the blogs". Yep, that's right folks, my 15 min of fame. Right there in the restaurant. Haha. Anyhow. Our servers name was Alison. And she was great. Nice to meet you Alison.

To start our meal off, we ordered a dried cherry and goat cheese salad, split between the three of us. The cherries and goat cheese were a perfect combo, tied together with the vinaigrette. And the portion was large enough for all three of us to have a nice taste. Then it was entree time. Hannah ordered the special, Utah Elk Burger. Rob ordered the house Sirloin Burger, and I ordered the Muffelatta. I haven't had one, done right anyhow, since I was in New Orleans. So I went for it. The food came and the protions were big. But not to big. Hannahs burger was cooked the perfect med-rare that she asked for, so high five to the chef on that. Rob's burger was drenched (in a good way) with blue cheese butter, and looked fantastic. My muffelatta was piled high with onions, roasted red peppers, salami, pepperoni, and of course... OLIVE TAPENADE. Rob and Hannah's food was better than good. They loved it and ate everybite on the plate. My sandwich, was delicious!! It was everything I remember that is great about a muffelatta. The sandwich was pressed on a grill, so the bread was warm and had a crunch on the outside, and chewy on the inside kind of feel. The tapenade, which is what really makes the sandwich, was awesome. The flavor was a great mix of olives, not too salty. Mixed with the balsamic vinegar and sliced pepercinis, and it's a match made in sandwich heaven. And then dessert!!!

I love that Hannah is a dessert eater, because Rob is hit or miss. If someone at the table orders dessert, it's free game for anyone else too. So we all ordered dessert. Hannah had a maple creme brule, I had a port wine poached pear, and Rob had a sort of deconstructed Bananas Foster. The desserts were right in line with the lunch. I'm a pretty hard core creme brule critic, only because I've made them myself daily as a chef before, and this one was pretty good. To be specific, about 10 min over cooked. (sorry guys). But for the average creme brule eater, not noticeable. I just realized I've spent the last paragraphs talking all about food. Hey Northern Wilds newspaper, any need for a food writer??? After dessert we were off to throw our laundry into the dryer.

We wanted to make the town trip as quick as possible, and get back to camp. Why our laundry was drying we ran over to the Co-Op, the only open grocery store, and stocked up on tasty snacks. Back to the laundromat to fold clothes. Our last stop before heading home, was of course, the Java Moose. Don't want to miss out on a brown sugar and cinnamon latte. We were back at dog camp by 3:30.

Monday Rob ran a team of six dogs around the Moose Loop before we were off to pick up Mark, Mary, and the dogs at the Greenwood River Rd. They were all exhausted and in need of a serious nap. Once we were back at camp, that's exactly what they all did. Rob, Hannah, and I took care of dry food, and started chicken soup before there was even a movement from Mark and Mary. We had a bit of a fiasco last night, as in someone almost burned the big cabin down. I plead the fifth on who, just saying, it wasn't me. After that was a little bit under control, I cooked up some cheeseburgers for dinner. Mark and Mary were still pretty tired and looking forward to a hot sauna and some serious sleep.

Today Rob and I are going to run a couple of teams around the Moose Loop while Mark takes a trip to the dog truck. I'll take some pictures, of course. Until tomorrow, or the next day....

Beargrease or BUST!!

Well, the Beargrease is finally here! Yesterday, all of us headed down to the dog truck. All five people, two snowmobiles, two cargo sleds, two dog sleds, and sixteen dogs. It was quite a convoy.

Mark, Mary, and the 16 dogs will set up shop at a friends house in Duluth, until race time on Sunday. The two teams are set up like this: Mary's team: Carstenz and Tuscon, Denali and Jango, Matty and Amber, and Hutch and Emma. Chel's team: Athena and Zena, Devil and Scooter, Deuce and Noodle, and P.J. and Trout.

After all the dogs were put on the truck and Mark and Mary were on their way, the three of us handlers headed back home. The temperature has dropped, again, and yesterday was the first day that really felt much colder. The wind was blowing, and had a pretty serious bite to it. Once we were back at camp, we got water and holed up for a bit. After we thawed out, we headed back to changed straw in the houses of the B and C team. We were done just in time to see the sun set. It was freezing, but beautiful.

Today is colder than yesterday, and the wind is tearing through the dog yard. The thermometer by the front door says -10. We haven't quite decided if we will run today or not. We're leaning towards no. It could warm up a bit though, the sun is shinning.

I'm scouring the internet to solidify our plans to head to Duluth tomorrow, to catch the start of the Beargrease. I'm mapquesting like crazy and looking for sushi places close by. Why not try and have a treat while we are in the "big city":). We're really hoping we can make it. It's going to be a time crunch to get on the road bright and early. We'll have to juggle cars once were in Grand Marais. We're also hoping to cram inportant things like laundry and groceries in the mix. It could be a busy day for EVERYONE!

Round Two!!

Today we ran the Lunch Loop again. Rob ran his team from yesterday, only he traded me Brown, for Blue. Blue seemed to get tired yesterday, and since I'm the heaviest person, on the heaviest sled, I need all the power I can get. Haha. Hannah ran her same team as well, and off we went. Well sort of. Rob's leader Hercules wasn't overly excited to run today. He's not a fan of warmer weather. I know what you are all thinking, "WARMER WEATHER??!!??". It was almost 30 degrees today, and yes, that's WARMER weather for us.

Anyhow, Hercy isn't a fan of the warm weather, and he didn't feel like going right away, which caused quite a tangle. Twice. Once right in the dog yard, and the second time about a block outside of the dog yard. Robs team came to a screeching halt, and then mine did right behind it. We had to stop right where Hannahs team was coming out of the shoot. It was little crazy. Or a lot crazy. Mark was there to help with the tangle, even though it wasn't easy for him. Mark threw his back out a couple of days ago, and he was in pretty awful shape today. Tossing a couple of dogs around didn't help much. While we were gone on our run, Mark headed to town to the chiropractor. Which helped. He's not 100%, but at least he can sit down without looking like he's going to cry.

After we worked out the kinks, we were on our way. It was a bit overcast, but still a beautiful day. We passed Neil right at the beginning of The Burn, and then again as we were leaving the Lunch Loop. The run was great. We had only one wipe out, and it was me. At the end of the return trail, I just couldn't manage to talk Cleo and Kila into going straight. They wanted to go left. And so we did. I tried to stop them, and tipped my sled over. They dragged me, face in the snow, for a bit. Rob had enough time to hook his team and run over to help me "re-direct" my team. Other than the beginning and end, the run was incident free!!

On both of the runs the last two days, I keep thinking how fun it would be to bring my brother along. Or my mom and dad. How amazing it would be for them to get to see what I see everyday. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we can make something work.

Mary came home a day earlier than planned. Mark was going to run all 16 Beargrease dogs tomorrow for their last run before heading to Duluth. With his jacked up back, that's not going to happen. Instead, Mary will run 8 dogs and Rob will run the other 8. I think Mary said they will take the Lunch Loop route. It's a good route :)

Today's picture is Rob ahead of me with his team, helping them along up a hill.

Lunch Loop Extravaganza

A little catch up from the weekend....
Chel and her son Forest came up on Sunday morning. She and Mary each took a team of nine dogs out for a run. The plan was to figure out which eight dogs will run for each of their mid-distance Beargrease teams. Mark followed just in case of emergency. Meanwhile, back at the dog camp, Hannah and I hooked up two teams of six to take around the Moose Loop. Rob went ahead of us with the snowmobile as well, just in case of emergency. The only real problem we had was before even leaving the dog yard, my two leaders, Cleo and Olive, had a small scuffle. The scuffle grew to then include the next two dogs in my team. It was a ball of dogs wrestling around in front of my sled. After Rob jumped in to break everyone up, we were off.

Hannah and I had a smooth, but very quick run. The Moose Loop is only six and a half miles long, so it goes by fast. We were home just in time to put our dogs away and take a breath before Mary, Chel, and Mark were coming down the return trail. All the dogs did great, and neither Chel or Mary were sure which ones they would pick.

Monday started off the same as Sunday. Mary and Chel took their nine dogs a piece out. This time instead of Hannah, Rob and I going out, Mark and Forest took teams out. After everyone was home, Mary and Chel were still not positive who they would take to the race. I guess they will have to think on it for the next couple of days.

Today was the Lunch Loop Extravaganza! Mark would like us to take the dogs out more often and for longer runs, so that's exactly what we're going to do. We (Rob, Hannah, and I) each took a team of six dogs. Rob took Hercules and Olga, Michelob and Johnny, and Brown and Wally. I know he was pretty pumped to have Brown and Wally. The brothers running together again :). Wally was recently demoted and put back on the B team. Although we're bummed he couldn't hang with the Varsity team, we are pretty excited to have him back. I know Brown is more than excited to have his brother as a neighbor again. I took Kila and Cleo, Ranger and Bud, and Blue and Caribou. Ranger and Bud are two of my favorite runners. They work so hard and I never have to worry about either one. I was a little nervous about Cleo, as she was a key suspect in yesterdays scuffle. It turned out great, she is SO strong and she and Kila were a great little pair. Hannah took out a lot of the yearling puppies. She had Olive and Honey, Maggie and Moon, and Bree and Mac. Mark decided that running Honey would be okay, and all of us were glad she could come. Honey is the dog that has had a couple of seizures since we've been here, and also Robs #2 favorite. She is an amazing dog, hard working and smart. And she didn't disappoint today.

Hannah had a wipe out just as we were leaving the dog yard, but after that, we were wipe out free for the whole 22 miles!! Mark followed us to The Burn just to make sure things were okay, but from then on, we were on our own. It was a great run. I felt comfortable at all times, and confident I could not only stop the dogs, but leave my sled for any problems if necessary. I'm making progress! We stopped a lot to let the dogs rest and lap up some snow. This was the longest run most of them have been on in a LONG time. On our way to the loop part of the Lunch Loop, we passed Niel, riding along, eating a sandwich. We all got a nice hello! After we made the turn on the Lunch Loop my team slowed down noticeably. Blue and Caribou were feeling a little worn out, so we did a little dog switching between teams to even the load again. We passed Neil again going through The Burn. This time all of our teams were a little closer, with less room to pass. Everyone did fine, even Hannahs team of very curious yearlings.

As we pulled into the dog yard, I made a wrong turn. Or my team did, and I didn't correct them fast enough. It was my one major mistake for the whole run. I guess better at the end of the run while we are in the dog yard than any other time or place. My goal for tomorrow is to have another great run, just end on a better note and lead the dogs towards the right turn:).

It's a heat wave!!

Well, not really. At this point, anything ABOVE zero sure feels like a heat wave. Yesterday was nice too! Rob, Hannah and I did some housekeeping around the dog yard and were stripping off layers. It was great.

Today as we were getting water, Mark told us that today would be a great day to go to town. It was a great surprise. We (us handlers) have all been a bit on edge with the crappy weather, and without much to do. A trip to town was exactly what we needed.

After breakfast we hooked up the otter sled behind the snowmobile and prepared for our trip. Mark and Mary gave us their keys so that we could jump start Robs frostbitten truck. We tried a new technique for traveling to the truck. This time Hannah rode in the otter sled and I rode on the snowmobile with Rob. We took the dog sled out of the equation, and it worked out perfect. We got to the truck, hooked up the jumper cables and it started on the first turn. It was a smooth start to our afternoon.

Once we got into town, we hit up the laundromat, of course. Then it was on to the co op. We've been having huge cravings for apples, and oranges. Rob and I both grabbed baskets and filled them up pretty quickly. Only a couple of pieces of fruit, because it will freeze on the way home. We stocked up on some of our favorites. Chocolate covered almonds, roasted red pepper hummus, pita chips, and yogurt covered raisins. Just to name a few. Then it was back to the laundromat to throw everything into the dryer.

We decided on a place called Chez Jude for lunch. We've driven by it a few times, and it never looked open. Today it was open. It was a beautiful little spot. It's right on the Harbor, so the view is fantastic. There were only about a dozen tables, all with white table clothes. We thought it might be a bit fancy for us, only because we may, or may not have had a shower in the last three days. But we weren't lacking money or appetite, so we went for it. It was delicious! As most of you know, Rob and I are chefs and have a serious love of food and critiquing restaurants. And lucky us, Hannah is a major foodie. So we order everything on the menu.

Well, not everything. But something from every course offered. Appetizers, soup, entree, dessert, and of course wine. Don't worry moms, it was only one glass. Two for Hannah :). The only down fall about being a chef out to eat, is how you pick a meal apart. Even if it's delicious and done perfectly, there is always something you think you could do different, or a way you could make it better. Today, we were able to totally enjoy the meal, and having Hannah along to talk about all the great food and presentation was perfect.

After our almost 2 hour lunch stop (hey, we were taking our time and enjoying it all), we headed back to do my favorite, can you hear the sarcasm because I'm laying it on pretty thick, part of laundry. The folding!! I hate folding laundry. I don't mind any other part of it. But the folding drives me crazy. Anyhow, after the laundry was finished up, we headed to the grocery store to get some odds and ends. Then it was off to the liquor store, and of course, Java Moose. Finally, home again, home again.

We got home with about an hour to spare before night time dog chores. It was awesome timing. A great end to a great day. Warmer weather, great food, a cinnamon brown sugar latte. Like I said, just what we all needed. Tomorrow Chel will be here with Forest. Mary and Chel will be running the dogs that might be their Beargrease teams. Sorry Indi fans (that might only be me), she's out. Too stiff from last weeks race. I'm excited to see how the other guys do. I feel good about this race. I'm a glass half full kind of girl.

OOOOPPS!!!

I have to start off today by saying Sorry to Mary! I read her blogs last night to catch up, and realized that I had spilled the beans on Mark pulling out of the Beargrease. I'm glad she gave you all the details. And again, I'm sorry Mary. I sometimes forget that more people than just Rob and my family reads this. I hope you didn't get too many "What the heck?!?" phone calls. See ya tonight!

I'm not sure what we'll be doing today. Yesterday was for sure the coldest day. After the dogs drank their chicken soup, I hustle to love on them all and get back inside. I'm sure the dogs understand. Today doesn't look much warmer. It's about 12 below right now. The sun is shinning though, and maybe that will help warm things up. Let's hope. Mark mentioned maybe running the dogs today. On freezing cold days like this, all the dogs need booties. That means they need our naked finger to put the booties on. BBBRRRRR. It would be a really nice change of scenery to be out on the trail today. We'll see.

We are all still looking forward to the promised warm up by this weekend. Chel, Mark and Mary's friend that will be running the Beargrease 150, will be coming to visit on Sunday with her son Forest. If all goes well, they will all be out running some of the dogs. Maybe there will be six left for me??

I'll try and take some pictures today, even if we don't go out running. Just something to post. Maybe a few of Rob, Hannah, and my ever growing case of cabin fever. Hmmmm. Until later all....

It's STILL FREEZING OUT!

I know it's hard to believe, but it's still freezing a&% cold up here. Today should be the last day of the deep freeze, and this weekend we should be up back in the 20's. I'm crossing my fingers. Never before in my life was I ever looking so forward to 20 degree weather. My brother did me the great favor of giving a weather update from Colorado. 42 degrees there yesterday. Wusses!!

Today was going to be our "go to town" day. Robs truck didn't quite cooperate. Apparently at 10 degrees below zero, trucks don't really want to start. After the twenty five minute snowmobile ride to the truck, we had to turn around and head right back. I don't even ride on the snowmobile. I ride on the dog sled that is being towed behind the snowmobile. How's that visual for everyone. Hilarious, I'm sure. Since Hannah has arrived, it makes trips into town a bit more of a challenge. Rob drives the snowmobile while Hannah rides, and I am towed. Hannah is not an experienced snowmobile driver or rider, and doesn't have a lot of time on a dog sled either. So we divvy out the positions accordingly. I might be pushing for the snowmobile rider tomorrow. I felt my eye balls freeze today, I swear!

Once we arrived back to dog camp, Hannah cooked breakfast. It was decided by the boss man that today would be a great day for movies. Rob and I cozied up with blankets and snacks and watched one of the movies my parents just sent, Nims Island. The movie took place on an island near Fiji. The beach and sunshine sure looked nice!

We fed the dogs their chicken soup and restocked straw in their houses as needed. Mark had been cooking venison chops all day on the wood stove and it was a perfect dinner on such a cold night. We ate dinner while watching a video on the 1994 Iditarod. After dinner we all headed back to our separate cabins. As we were leaving, we let a few of the Varsity girls in the house. On cold nights like this, Mark lets a select few of the dogs sleep in the house. Rob and I had asked Mark earlier in the day if we could have Valor in for the night, so on the way back to our place, Rob ran over and grabbed him. This is the second time Valor has been in the house, and it was obvious he felt a little more comfortable. I say obvious because he had no trouble jumping up on the bed and sprawling out.

Now it's time for bed. I have no idea what the temperature will be like tomorrow. I just know it will be cold. Like my brother said, once it gets past a certain point, who cares? It's just freakin cold!!!

IT'S FREEEEEEZING!!!

It is freeeeezzzzzzing outside! It's a standing 20 bleow. That's without the windchill. Throw in the windchill and we are sitting right around 30, to 40 below. That's BELOW ZERO, for all you non-Minnesotans.

With the cold weather, and the fact that the dogs just got back from a race, today and tomorrow will be a day of rest. Today really seemed like a lazy day for us. After frigid morning dog chores, breakfast, and getting water we all settled in to watch a movie. Well, Rob, Hannah and I did. Mark had to make an unexpected trip to town. Turns out that some of the snowmobile parts he had just picked up, were the wrong ones. He headed to Tofte to try and exchange them. Just what Mark needed after a long weekend of racing and traveling, a trip to town in below zero weather. Fun! While he was gone, Hannah and I set up shop at Mark and Marys cabin to watch "Sex and the City". Rob of course, not a fan of "Sex and the City", stayed at our place and watched "Geronimo". It was a perfect day to be inside. Sorry Mark:(. After our movies, Rob and I fed the dogs their night time dry food. I started up the generator and chopped kindling, while Rob got dinner started.

We just finished a big spaghetti dinner and a super hot sauna. I'm yawning like crazy. Tomorrow we are heading to town. I'm excited, as usual:). Hopefully we'll have dog chores done and be on the road early. That way we can enjoy a full day of running all over Grand Marais.

Hmmmmm..... what else is new?? Mark has decided to pull out of the Beargrease Marathon. Instead, Mary will run the Beargrease short race (I'm not sure of the technical term) with 8 dogs. A friend of Mark and Mary's, Shell, will run another team of 8 dogs from Black Magic Kennels. Out of those sixteen dogs, Mark will pick 12 for his UP race in February. Shell will be here in the next week to do some training and checking out of the dogs. I can't wait to see which dogs will be picked for the race. Cross your fingers for Indi!

OH!! LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST!! MUSH FOR A CURE!! (that's why I'm writing in pink today) Here's some info really quick....

Black Magic Kennels is a proud co-founder of Mush For a Cure along with Voyageur Canoe Outfitters/Pink Paddles. Mush For a Cure is a dog sled “fun”draiser and is a non-competitive sled dog run with proceeds donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. It is a fun event to celebrate the sport of dog mushing, cap off a winter of hard work, training and racing while raising funds to find a cure for breast cancer. Participants are required to pay a minimal entry fee and are encouraged to get pledges beyond the entry fee.

The first event was held on March 24, 2007 with four women participating and raising over $2500. In 2008, our goal was to double the amount of the previous year and on March 15, twenty mushers (men and women) from around the state of Minnesota raised an unbelievable $13,000! Our goal for 2009 is to raise that amount to $20,000.

So get ready to pay up friends and family, because Mark has mentioned to me that he and Mary would like Rob and I to race in the Mush for a Cure. That's right, me in a race!! (never mind that it's a non competitive race, where there is a good chance I'll be beaten by an 12 year old) It's for a great cause!! Who doesn't love boobies! Spread the word, and I'll keep reminding everyone periodically before March arrives. Check out www.mushforacure.com for more details if you like.

They're home!!

I was so excited to keep the blog up all weekend. And of course, we had the slowest internet of ALL time. It was painfully slow. That put the kabash on yesterdays post. So here we go....

Saturday, our running plans changed. Instead of Rob and I running dogs at the same time, we took a team out one at a time. I took Olive and Hutch, Michelob and Bud, and Kila and Ranger out. Rob followed, and led me on the snowmobile. With only one of us on a sled at a time, there was little room for error. After we got back, Rob took Hercules and Olga, Caribou and Mac, and Valor and Blue. The runs went smooth, and it was a perfect day. Even though the Moose Loop (the loop we took the dogs on) is just a short loop, it's great practice for Rob and I.

Sunday was another really nice day. It wasn't very cold at all this whole weekend, and the sun was shining everyday. Rob took the younger dogs for a run around the Moose Loop while I did dishes. When he came back, he told me he had seen Neil, our neighbor musher. Both of their teams had met at the Beaver Pond intersection. Just then I saw Neil and his dogs run by the front drive way, and stop. I walked down the drive way, just to make sure things were okay, and he waved me over. He introduced himself and his dog team. It was great to meet him! I was glad he stopped. He was running 7 of his 14 dogs for a 65 mile trip. I was really looking forward to meeting one of his dogs in particular. A dark dog with blue eyes, that I always notice while we are passing. Unfortunately he was not in the group. Neil told me he would be running the dark dog tomorrow (Monday) and would stop by and say hello again.

Sunday evening we let Murphy and Monz, the brother puppies run free. They loved it! Monz is a bit of a bully though, and managed to take a couple of tufts of fur out of Murphy's hind end. During the puppy outing, Michelob suddenly appeared prancing through the yard, chain and all. One of the links in her chain links had worn through. She looked so excited! We got her a new chain link, and she was back in her yard, much to her dismay.

Today Mark, Mary and the rest of the dogs came home. We did our normal dog chores this morning, got water and made breakfast. Then we waited to hear from Mary so that we could head down and meet them at the red gate. I was watching the time, hoping I would be able to catch Neil and meet the other half of his dogs. Sorry I missed ya Neil, maybe next time :). We met Mark, Mary and our missing dogs and headed back to camp. It was awesome to see them all. I was sad to hear that Indi was one of the dogs that had to be dropped off of Marks team. Oh crap, I forgot to tell you how they did! Haha. Mary finished 6th, and Mark finished 15th.

Indi had a shoulder injury and needed to be rested. Oh my poor Indi Pie! (that was more for me, than for any of you).

Anyhow, we got all the dogs back to the dog yard and in their nice, warm, freshly strawed houses. Mary stayed in town to get ready for work tomorrow. Not fun! Mark is resting and enjoying a well deserved whiskey coke. Hannah, and I are enjoying a hot cocoa, and Rob just headed out to start night dog chores. Back to the usual again.

White Oak Weekend Continued.....

Yesterday was our first official full day of being without Mark, Mary, and the other 22 dogs. Things went smooth! Dog chores go especially fast with less dogs and more handlers :). We are missing the dogs that are gone though. Last night I asked Rob if he thought that they were missing us. He thinks, maybe.

After breakfast Rob took a small team of dogs for a quick run around the lunch loop. Olive and Hercules were leaders, followed by Honey and Moon, and Maggie and Bree in wheel. The dogs were so excited to be out. Rob was back so quickly, I barely had time to start the giant pile of dishes. I ran out to greet him and the dogs. All the dogs looked bummed out the run was over so quickly, so we decided another loop around couldn't hurt. Off they went again. While they were gone, I managed to put a good dent in the dishes, while Hannah took care of some school work.

We've split some of the dogs chores up between the three of us, and it's working well. Rob gives the fat snacks at 3 am, Hannah does the morning dry feed at 7:30am, and I'm in charge of the night time dry feed around 4ish pm.

Today, Rob and I will both take a team out on the short loop. We'll keep the teams small, at six a piece. I'm excited to be out on the sled again. We'll have Hannah on the snowmobile as our emergency support. If all goes well, she'll just be out for a nice enjoyable ride :). Us too.

Mark, and Mary, and their teams take off from the starting line at 1:00, and 1:02 this afternoon. You can keep track of how they are doing in the race by going to http://www.whiteoakclassic.org/. It's pretty cool that we'll be able to keep an eye on them as they go.

The pictures today are of P.J., the dog my parents adopted. He's not as easy to photograph as some of the other dogs. He always seems to be on the move. He's at the race today. Also, there is Trout, P.J.'s brother, and Matty. I caught them lounging earlier this week. They are also at the race. And finally, there's little Indi. She's not sleeping, I swear. I'm so excited for her, she's at the race too, and I hope she does AWESOME! I'll take some pictures of todays run for tomorrows post.

White Oak, Here We Come!!! (well, here come Mark and Mary and 22 of thier best dogs)

Today Mark and Mary and about half of the kennel leave for the White Oak sled dog race. It's pretty exciting. The chances are pretty good that Mary and her team will do well, and Mark won't do bad either. I'm hoping, as I'm sure Mark is too, that his team will surprise him and really set a fast pace in the race. A couple of Rob and I's favorites are getting to go along. Indi, and Brown. Some of our other B team friends too. Even Cleo and Johnny are getting to go. They will be racing in the team of another musher. Black Magic Kennel dogs are so bad ass, other mushers want to borrow them. Haha.

Yesterday Mark, Rob, and I drove down to the sawmill where the dog truck is stored. We had to dig it out of a snow bank, but other than that, the stress was very limited. It started right up, and no flat tires. Nothing ever goes that smooth :). We also dug out a trailer that will be towed behind the truck. The trailer will carry a few dogs and some supplies. After we got the dog truck moved to where it needed to be, we put new straw in all the dog boxes and attached the race sleds to the top of the truck for transport.

Today we will bring all 22 dogs and all the remaining necessities down to the dog truck and wish Mark and Mary good luck. We hope they have a successful and SAFE race. I feel pretty proud about the dogs going. I know they will do well, and look fantastic!

While Mark and Mary are gone Rob, Hannah, and I are responsible for holding the fort down. They will be gone until Monday, so it's a bit longer than the last times they've been away. With the three of us, it should be smooth sailing. Rob and I will run dogs while they are away. Either a big team with two sleds, or two smaller teams. We'll stay close to home on a short trail. Hopefully the weather will stay clear, for all of us.

The dogs are Denali on the left, and Jango on the right. Denali was adopted by my brother and Jango adopted by last years handlers, Lis and John Neal.

More Snow!!!

This is Rob and one of his favorite dogs, Honey. She prefers a cuddle instead of a pet, and climbs up on her own. He has a soft spot for her:)

Here is a picture from the trail yesterday. That's Ophir up front on the right with Olive on the left. Next is Mac on the Left and Caribou on the right. And in wheel is Valor on the left, and Maggie on the right.

I said yesterday that Ophir was my hero, and I think I should make sure Olive gets credit too. She worked just as hard. She's a great leader too, and listens so well. Being on the sled by myself was so peaceful, and well worth the wait. Rob was ahead of me on the snow mobile, just in case I fell and couldn't hang on, he would be able to catch my team. Luckily I didn't need to utilize him. It was comforting having him there though. It was nice to know I had a some back up. He's good for that :)

Having both Olive and Ophir in lead, for my first time on a sled was perfect. Instead of being terrified for my next run, I'm excited. I can only hope my next six dogs are as good to me as my first.

Today we had Tom and Diane Anderson come to the kennel to mush their own teams. After a few instructions and a practice run behind the four wheeler, they were off. Mark lead the group, with Diane next, then Tom, and Mary bringing up the rear. Rob followed them on the snow mobile, just in case. It seemed to work out well, as he was able to help on a couple of occasions. They all had successful runs. Tom brought his very own roasted coffee as a small gift. I'm pretty excited to try it. He also gave some good resources for roasting our own coffee too. We were glad to have them and it seems like they really had a good time. It's great having guests and getting to meet new people.

Speaking of new people, Hannah arrived today. She will be helping as a handler for the month of January. Welcome Hannah! We're glad you're here. And what a day to arrive. We are getting MORE snow. On New Years day we received about a foot of snow. It's been snowing all day and I'd have to guess and say we've gotten at least another six inches, and it's still snowing. Tomorrow will probably be a snow moving day instead of a dog running day:(. Well, I guess more snow is better than not enough snow!

Also... last but CERTAINLY not least.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER!!!!!! My little brother turned 25 today! Woo hoo!!!

Ophir is my hero.

I did it!!!! I drove my own team today!!! Six whole dogs, all by myself!!! Actually, I didn't really do much. I'm more of a rider, really. But I did manage to stay on my sled the ENTIRE time. Who cares if it was only six miles?? Or if my lead dogs are older?? Not me. I'm so excited I did it without falling. I can guarantee there will be falls. But not today.

Ophir and Olive were my lead dogs, followed by Mac and Caribou, and Valor and Maggie in wheel. Ophir and Olive are older, so they set a pretty mellow pace. Ophir is almost slow, and that is perfect for me. Like I said in the title, Ophir is my hero.

It's sauna time, so there will be more details tomorrow. I promise. But for now, I.... WE DID IT!!!