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What an exciting week. I have gone out on my own the last three nights in a row. What a blast! Tuesday night I took a six dog team on about a 12 mile run. It was beautiful and the dogs did a great job. I was a little nervous, however, because I wasn't entirely sure of where I was going even though I had done the loop before and was given directions at least 10 times. But getting lost tends to be a common thread with me so I think I was right to be a little nervous.
Before I headed out I had to put little booties on all of them because of all the new snow we've gotten. If you don't booty the dogs, the ice balls underneath their feet and it can hurt them. I'm still not particularly good at putting them on. You have to slip on the booties while the dog tries to wriggle away from you. Turns out dogs don't like wearing socks. Surprise, surprise.
Once I got out on the trail, I went pretty slow at first. The goal is to keep the dogs trotting rather than loping. Trotting is when each of their feet moves. Loping is, well, loping. The dog kind of bobs up and down, like a dolphin playing in the waves. I had good trotters though so I was able to gradually increase the speed little by little. My leaders, Turtle and Lev, were really something. Turtle is going to a new home at the end of the month, but Lev will stick around. He listens really well and is a super friendly dog, so I like him a lot.
Once I was certain of where we were going I was really able to relax and enjoy myself. At one point I passed Lev (the musher, not the dog) which was cool. The dogs did a great job of that. They are also great with getting passed by snowmobiles. It doesn't even phase them at this point.
I ended up getting back from that run, after putting the dogs back home in the kennel, around 4 am. Not what I'm used to. I've never been that much of a night owl (unless I have a good book). The trouble is, regardless of how tired I am, I still have to read before I can fall asleep. (Annoying!)
On Wednesday I took a 4 dog team (Kass, Kheddar, Ollie, and Ruff) out for a short loop. I love these dogs. They are so happy to go out and go at their own little pace. We got passed by a string of 8 snowmobiles... they just kept coming and coming. Ruff didn't really like that, but she got used to it. I missed the turn off I was supposed to take so I ended up going a little farther than normal, but the dogs didn't seem to mind. Ruff (she's a young dog) didn't like the pace I was setting for the older dogs. Too slow for her. She kept leaping around trying to get everyone to pull faster but the old dogs knew what they were doing and I didn't want to tire them out by going too fast.
Last night I took out the team I will be taking to the wonalancet(?) fun run. It's a 15 mile race. I will be taking: Lev, Loki, Turtle, Nik, Fineman, and Walker. I'm really excited about racing. It should be a good time and I have great dogs! Last night I was frustrated trying to set up to go.
The dogs wouldn't sit still for bootying and then the groomer came and sat waiting for me to leave which really stressed me out. Eventually, however, I got going and once I did I started to relax and have a good time. My team did really well and all the dogs looked great. Loki and Lev were great up front.
The trail is also really beautiful at night. Well, I shouldn't say trail so much as the stars which are so incredibly bright and remind me of Christmas. Last night the little little sliver of moon looked like the Chesire Cat's smile telling me to lighten up There is one spot on my trail that is definitely my favorite. I can never remember where it is (I'm so directionally challenged!) but I guess that must be some of the fun of it. The trail opens up out of the forest on either side and as you emerge from it there is Orion standing there up ahead on my left, as if he's waving hello or congratulating me or something.
I forget most of the other constellations but I can usually see the big dipper pretty well from the kennel and Arcturaus, which is the only star I can point out in the sky. I wish I had a telescope because the sky is very clear here. Sometimes, when I am out with the dogs in the kennel I think I can spot some planets but I'm never sure which one is which except for Mars because it's sort of red, but maybe I'm just making that up. It makes me want to be an astronaut again or at least go out into space. What an adventure that would be.
Anyways, I'm tired - I moved 1200 pounds of dog food today! - so I am going to take a catnap which is funny because the cat (Hemmingway) is curled up beside me as I write this.
Before I headed out I had to put little booties on all of them because of all the new snow we've gotten. If you don't booty the dogs, the ice balls underneath their feet and it can hurt them. I'm still not particularly good at putting them on. You have to slip on the booties while the dog tries to wriggle away from you. Turns out dogs don't like wearing socks. Surprise, surprise.
Once I got out on the trail, I went pretty slow at first. The goal is to keep the dogs trotting rather than loping. Trotting is when each of their feet moves. Loping is, well, loping. The dog kind of bobs up and down, like a dolphin playing in the waves. I had good trotters though so I was able to gradually increase the speed little by little. My leaders, Turtle and Lev, were really something. Turtle is going to a new home at the end of the month, but Lev will stick around. He listens really well and is a super friendly dog, so I like him a lot.
Once I was certain of where we were going I was really able to relax and enjoy myself. At one point I passed Lev (the musher, not the dog) which was cool. The dogs did a great job of that. They are also great with getting passed by snowmobiles. It doesn't even phase them at this point.
I ended up getting back from that run, after putting the dogs back home in the kennel, around 4 am. Not what I'm used to. I've never been that much of a night owl (unless I have a good book). The trouble is, regardless of how tired I am, I still have to read before I can fall asleep. (Annoying!)
On Wednesday I took a 4 dog team (Kass, Kheddar, Ollie, and Ruff) out for a short loop. I love these dogs. They are so happy to go out and go at their own little pace. We got passed by a string of 8 snowmobiles... they just kept coming and coming. Ruff didn't really like that, but she got used to it. I missed the turn off I was supposed to take so I ended up going a little farther than normal, but the dogs didn't seem to mind. Ruff (she's a young dog) didn't like the pace I was setting for the older dogs. Too slow for her. She kept leaping around trying to get everyone to pull faster but the old dogs knew what they were doing and I didn't want to tire them out by going too fast.
Last night I took out the team I will be taking to the wonalancet(?) fun run. It's a 15 mile race. I will be taking: Lev, Loki, Turtle, Nik, Fineman, and Walker. I'm really excited about racing. It should be a good time and I have great dogs! Last night I was frustrated trying to set up to go.
The dogs wouldn't sit still for bootying and then the groomer came and sat waiting for me to leave which really stressed me out. Eventually, however, I got going and once I did I started to relax and have a good time. My team did really well and all the dogs looked great. Loki and Lev were great up front.
The trail is also really beautiful at night. Well, I shouldn't say trail so much as the stars which are so incredibly bright and remind me of Christmas. Last night the little little sliver of moon looked like the Chesire Cat's smile telling me to lighten up There is one spot on my trail that is definitely my favorite. I can never remember where it is (I'm so directionally challenged!) but I guess that must be some of the fun of it. The trail opens up out of the forest on either side and as you emerge from it there is Orion standing there up ahead on my left, as if he's waving hello or congratulating me or something.
I forget most of the other constellations but I can usually see the big dipper pretty well from the kennel and Arcturaus, which is the only star I can point out in the sky. I wish I had a telescope because the sky is very clear here. Sometimes, when I am out with the dogs in the kennel I think I can spot some planets but I'm never sure which one is which except for Mars because it's sort of red, but maybe I'm just making that up. It makes me want to be an astronaut again or at least go out into space. What an adventure that would be.
Anyways, I'm tired - I moved 1200 pounds of dog food today! - so I am going to take a catnap which is funny because the cat (Hemmingway) is curled up beside me as I write this.
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