Audrey in the Recent Snow
Here’s Spence’s pal Audrey, still wearing her Christmas collar.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014 at 8:57 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
9:06 am on January 7th, 2014
Good Morning Audrey and Everyone!
9:13 am on January 7th, 2014
Audrey! Heh, heh. You look like a Newf.
Siber is going to be jealous of all your snow.
Warmer here, but drizzly.
9:13 am on January 7th, 2014
It looks like Audrey has been having fun.
Good morning all.
9:18 am on January 7th, 2014
Good morning, everyone! WOW…BSD you are early! Audrey, you are beautiful in your Christmas collar. Contrast IS a fashion statement and you look good. Woke up to 4F here, tied a record. Know it isn’t much for you extreme northerners (MN, NY, ND, MI, etc.) but here we are freezing our chilblains off! The peeps here made a “bird cube” so that miserable POP only faces the room with heat and a fireplace. Looking at a whopping 24F today and mom is testing AK clother one piece at a time…hope the neighbors don’t see.
Have a toasty Tuesday!
9:41 am on January 7th, 2014
Good morning, everyone! Audrey looks great.
HOH, we heard about your neck of the woods on the news this morning. It is very cold there.
Pop turned off the heatlamp in the chickie coop this morning, and now it is down to 9 degrees in there! Gah!
9:41 am on January 7th, 2014
Now there is flash flood warning. Who would’ve guessed that and these temperatures. A large ice jam has formed in the upper Niagara River so that’s causing the water to rise and I think Grand Island will be flooding.
9:43 am on January 7th, 2014
Great picture of Audrey. You are right, she does look like a Newfie!
Bitter but better here. -15 yesterday, 5 today, 15 tomorrow, 25 on Thurs, and 36 on Friday. What a rollercoaster!
Our water heater is still working, but on its way out. Shopping at the big box is on the agenda for today. A couple of you mentioned pricing. Yes, we can purchase a 40 gal. gas water heater for $300-500 range. Then probably $100-150 for the instal, so much more palatable cost.
Diane, As far as we know shenanigans does not have any special meaning on the blog.
9:45 am on January 7th, 2014
Barb, we use an on-demand water heater. It was more expensive to buy/install, but it saves lots of energy that is wasted keeping water hot for no reason.
9:47 am on January 7th, 2014
B: Did you ever come to any conclusions about the last episode of Elementary? We may have to watch it again…love the interaction between Sherlock and Moriarty!
Howlers: Why did your pop turn off the heat lamp? Was it getting too hot?
Sammie: Yikes! We are reminded of that movie T&G and HOH were discussing last night.
B&M: Our new water heater is a 50-gal. The price was below $500.
9:48 am on January 7th, 2014
Whoa!! And we are complaining about it getting down to 23 last night. For Southeast Texas, that is COLD!!!
9:48 am on January 7th, 2014
Audrey, great pic!!
9:58 am on January 7th, 2014
Boo Bear, we feel your cold. This isn’t a cold part of the country but we feel the cold when it does get that way. Same to you.
10:09 am on January 7th, 2014
Melanie, you and your “vortexes, vortecies, vortesticulars!” Now weather peeps are talking about weather vortexes. Who would have thunk.
10:17 am on January 7th, 2014
So we are in a declared state of emergency and have driving bans, but now everyone on television is pleading with people to stop driving and get off the roads. That is the way it goes in western New York. People drive in all sorts of conditions. Want a mess!
10:19 am on January 7th, 2014
Greetings!
LizF: Your patio is lovely. Wish I was there! And Ruby is precious!
Love Audrey and her collar!
It is a brisk 11 degrees here today with strong winds. We are scheduled to get our new refrigerator today. Heh! It is so cold we can put all our perishables out on the deck.
BooBear: I hope your pop is doing better.
Melanie: my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Pixie: I hope you are taking care of yourself at the top of the world.
10:21 am on January 7th, 2014
Princess Sam, have never seen a driving ban here in TN…BUT the local yokels furget how to drive from storm to storm…SO….bubba will hit ‘cher a$$. But it is ok ’cause he’ll take care of you after.
10:23 am on January 7th, 2014
No Sammy, we don’t want a mess. We have enough messes of our own back in Illinois. By Friday it is going to be a rain event, and then we have to worry about flooding. Have to get out there and disconnect the sump pump hose which is frozen, otherwise the sump pump will be backing up in the basement. If its not one thing…..
10:23 am on January 7th, 2014
Thinking of Melanie this morning…hope she is getting satisfactory answers from the new doc.
Also wondering how Bella is doing today at the top of the world. Saw the photo TMG’s posted late last night.
Vortexes! This latest weather phenomena is being labeled the Polar Vortex. (what was the name of that movie again?)
Rose The only time we ever used the deck as a fridge was in the mountains.
10:26 am on January 7th, 2014
Barb, we have an on demand hot water tank also. When it was installed we immediately saw a big drop in gas bills with the savings from keeping that water hot.
10:26 am on January 7th, 2014
Thinking of Melanie this morning. Nothing personal T & G, but we wouldn’t want your mama taking us anywhere today either!
Would like to be joining Liz and Ruby in their yard for a cuppa.
10:29 am on January 7th, 2014
Diane: In answer to your question earlier this morning…LizF lives in Australia. Her day is our night and visa versa.
10:32 am on January 7th, 2014
Audrey is beautiful in her Christmas collar and it looks as if she’s been having fun in the snow.
Texas and Tennessee Plunderers: Bundle up! Layers! Heh, heh, heh. We Northerners sometimes get a perverse pleasure while reading about the cold weather happening down South, so long as no one is actually injured by the weather.
Yeeks! Watching footage of folks in Indiana trying to drive on ice.
I’ve got a busy day but will be thinking of Melanie who meets with the doctor and SnowBella who (tsk, tsk!) should not be traveling to the Far North with a painful swollen jaw. I am relieved that T&G’s mum is back in the land of the living and hope those with colds are feeling better.
10:37 am on January 7th, 2014
Wolfie: Please check your SDD when able.
10:38 am on January 7th, 2014
Hi everyone. We get to do the posting today cuz Mama is back to sounding like a frog. Ribbit
(What does a frog with an identity crisis say?
“Rabbit”). tee hee
Sammie – does your family have a life raft for you? We are concerned about Grand Island. And we understand about people who refuse to abide by no-driving requests. Some people just think they are so very important.
Everyone stay safe and warm. Mama is headed back to the quilt, we are headed back to being quilt- holder- downers.
10:42 am on January 7th, 2014
Shenanigans!….Someone has to ask what Shenanigans are? It’s totally worse than I thought….snort!…Then the fact that someone else actually answers the question…..gurgle! gasp!
Audrey!…You Rock!…snort!
10:45 am on January 7th, 2014
T&G: What kind of shoes does a hippie frog wear?
Open toad sandals!
10:46 am on January 7th, 2014
T&G: What kind of foot coverings does a hippie frog wear?
Open toad sandals!
10:48 am on January 7th, 2014
Rio: have missed being “Hoho” for a bit. Stop focusing on the “d” stur.
10:51 am on January 7th, 2014
Sharon!…I can’t help it. The total lack of common sense blows my flat headed brain…chorkel!…Plus, I’ve totally gotten over myself, so I can move on now…heh!heh!
10:51 am on January 7th, 2014
Thanks for the opinions. We are going to check out the on demand heaters too. Have to weigh cost vs energy savings. Know the on demand are much more expensive, but more energy efficient.
10:51 am on January 7th, 2014
Good morning Riö.
10:55 am on January 7th, 2014
Beau!…Heh!…That guy. He keeps sneaking into the ole’ ladies bedroom for some reason…snort! …This morning I watched him. While everyone else was busy he nosed his way into her room and snuffled around, burped, grunted and snorted till she finally woke up…heh!heh!…Then the others figured out where he was….chorkel!
11:02 am on January 7th, 2014
Breakfast!…Gotto Go!…snort!
11:04 am on January 7th, 2014
HOH – where do magical amphibians go to school?
Frogwarts.
11:08 am on January 7th, 2014
T&G and HOH: Youse are cracking me up!
11:09 am on January 7th, 2014
Barb, when I had my house that I sold 4 years ago to move to ski country, I also had an on-demand water heater. My old water heater was only 30 gallons but I saved $20 a month when I went to on-demand. That dollar amount would probably be higher now.
11:10 am on January 7th, 2014
Masquers: I read an article about that episode of Elementary. Apparently, during the scene when Holmes goes into that building alone to talk to Moriarity as she has asked (she’s sitting on the floor surrounded by the bad guys she has just killed), she tells Holmes that the child has been sent away. (How and by whom I have no idea.)
11:11 am on January 7th, 2014
T&G a new toad joke…he, he. he. love it.
Rio, you accepted me….after about 6 months??????
T&G’s Mama: if a frog works hard…Does he TOAD da line?
11:15 am on January 7th, 2014
O’H–Is that the tankless kind (a little box)? I’ve been wanting to find a more cost-effective alternative…
11:19 am on January 7th, 2014
Good day all–I’m simultaneously groaning and enjoying the amphibian jokes.
And I see Master Rio Umlaut is back and in a marvelous mood.
Keep warm and be safe everyone. Melanie, I’m thinking of you.
11:24 am on January 7th, 2014
Love the pictures of Pearl and Audrey!
11:27 am on January 7th, 2014
Ahem….temperature in Willow, Alaska at 7:00am— 25 degrees, with a high of 28.
I think I would rather be in Willow right now.
11:35 am on January 7th, 2014
Lily called and asked Barb to come over and watch her ride on Thursday and then go out for pizza. Sounds like fun!
Wonder how Melanie is doing.
Off to look at water heaters (so exciting) and to buy more bird seed, of course.
11:39 am on January 7th, 2014
Hey Wose, thanks for pointing out the additional pics on F B. We missed the extra ones of Pearl and Audrey. There are some cute ones!
11:46 am on January 7th, 2014
Maggie: I hope Barb’s Bird Seed Expenses aren’t interfering with YOUR treatie budget.
Wose: Yes, if present temperatures continue, it really does look like the Gang will be Warmer in Willow come February.
BTW: We, too, missed the Photos of Audrey & Pearl off to the right.
11:58 am on January 7th, 2014
DAWSON!….Quick! Check your SDD and be super-duper speedy about it…snort!snort!
12:06 pm on January 7th, 2014
What does a hard-of-hearing frog say?
“Wart?”
12:17 pm on January 7th, 2014
Heh, heh…is Someone Keeping Track of these?
12:21 pm on January 7th, 2014
Groan.
Linda, yes we are talking about a tankless water heater.our house used to go thru water heaters like some people go thru underwear. Since we got this on-demand, tankless one, we have had no issues at all. And no need to worry about using up our supply either.
12:22 pm on January 7th, 2014
The groan was for the amphibian jokes.
12:25 pm on January 7th, 2014
Carpola, those words are small on an iPhone. Waiting on doc
12:31 pm on January 7th, 2014
We’ll wait with you.
12:38 pm on January 7th, 2014
We’re all right here with you, Melanie.
We forgot to answer masquers about the heat lamp. They are afraid to leave that on in the coop when they aren’t home, and with the sun in the forecast, they said it would warm up. Right now it is 4 degrees outside, yet 20 in the coop.
We are all in
jailthe house, monitoring the weather station.12:43 pm on January 7th, 2014
Howlers – you will have to forgive Mama. She is on a lot of medication, and is just a tad(pole) discombobulated. She is under the quilt, just giggling.
And who is Linda? Did we miss someone?
Melanie – don’t you hate doctors who run sooooo late?
12:43 pm on January 7th, 2014
12:46 pm on January 7th, 2014
Masquers – we have one if those kits in our front yard too? Wow!
12:47 pm on January 7th, 2014
Thanks Howlers.
12:48 pm on January 7th, 2014
T&G: Isn’t that your house? I thought it was the right place when I blurred over.
12:49 pm on January 7th, 2014
…..with the S-Team.
12:51 pm on January 7th, 2014
Groan again. Forgive us. We are getting dizzy reading all of these pole-ish jokes.
We meant Diane, but we were thinking Lurker. That is our story and we’re sticking to it.
12:52 pm on January 7th, 2014
Audrey, Great photo! Have fun for me in the snow.
Princess Sam and Mollypop’s Mom—Back when the History Channel was actually the History Channel, we saw a program on Niagara Falls totally freezing up. Could that happen this year?
Mom thinks it is cold here. It is NOT.
Melanie, Best of luck!
12:54 pm on January 7th, 2014
Dawson!…Dammit! Where are you?….grunt!
12:57 pm on January 7th, 2014
Siber: There is a photo on Skye weather showing falls frozen, but it doesn’t say where. Maybe Sammie knows. Unfortunately I cannot upload the picture.
12:59 pm on January 7th, 2014
Rio – did you check the spare bedroom? Maybe that was Dawson in there confusing Beau.
1:09 pm on January 7th, 2014
Siber: I found the photo!
Ice builds up along Lake Michigan at North Avenue Beach as temperatures dipped well below zero on January 6, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois.
1:14 pm on January 7th, 2014
Dawson!… Tupper, unless Dawson has turned into an 80++ year old skelator, then no! that is not a smelly Dawson in the extra bedroom….snort!
1:20 pm on January 7th, 2014
Thanks Masquers, I tried to find the photo but couldn’t. When I googled Skye weather all the returns came up for it being in Scotland. lol
1:36 pm on January 7th, 2014
Oh thanks T&G: I may be close to 80 but I do not smell worse than a Pug!
Rio: Checked and responded. I did mention earlier that it is an extremely busy day for me. I will be leaving again soon and won’t be back until night. So quick like a kat, check your SDD.
1:40 pm on January 7th, 2014
First (before I leave) I have to take a short nap.
Masquers: (Laughing) I am selling those snowman kits wholesale.
That is an amazing picture of Lake Michigan.
2:05 pm on January 7th, 2014
We never realized that there was an entire sub-culture of frog-toad jokes. Or are you just making these up on the fly? Fly, get it, frogs and toads eat flies!
2:18 pm on January 7th, 2014
B&M: lol ☺
2:30 pm on January 7th, 2014
Why are frogs so happy? Because they can eat whatever bugs them.
Why did the frog cross the road? To see what the chicken was doing.
What happens if the frog’s car breaks down? It gets toad.
We could get into this!
2:32 pm on January 7th, 2014
Barb – oh dear, you just hopped on to the bandwagon.
Dear Dawson – the only way you are close to 80 is if you are in Mama’s car on the way home from Boston.
And we apologize right now for this one, but we can’t resist:
A frog hops into a bank and up to the cashier. Her name badge shows her name is Mrs. Jacque. He greets her and says he would like to apply for a loan.
The cashier is alarmed, since frogs don’t usually ask for loans. She says that she doesn’t think the bank can help.
The frog insists that he needs a loan and says he knows the bank manager. He says ‘I also have this’ and holds up a little statue of an elephant.
Now, the woman is very confused but politely asks the frog to wait while she goes to speak to the bank manager. She goes in to the manager’s office and explains the situation. She holds up the little elephant to show the manager.
The bank manager smiles and says,
It’s a knick knack Mrs. Jacque, give the frog a loan!!!!
ow ow ow – sorry….
2:37 pm on January 7th, 2014
T&G: Must admit…that last one was purrrty darn good. B&M aren’t doing bad either.
2:38 pm on January 7th, 2014
We’re baaaaack!
What is the toad’s favorite car? A Beetle.
What do you say to the hitch-hiking frog? Hop in.
Ok, that is probably the end of our amphibian jokes. Yours was a good one T & G!
Nap time for us.
2:43 pm on January 7th, 2014
O’H–Thanks for the water heater information.
3:07 pm on January 7th, 2014
What famous frog won the west? Buffalo Bill Toady!
3:16 pm on January 7th, 2014
We just heard from a very tired, and frustrated Melanie. The good news is that she really likes the doctor she saw today. Melanie said she really listened and heard.
The not so great news is that there are more delays. Seems that our beloved Melanie is unique in more ways than one – the doctors are having a hard time with a definitive diagnosis of what type of tumor this is, and can’t treat it until they know for sure. So, there are more PET scans, and more conferences and more doctor appointments lined up.
…sigh….
Melanie says this is little more than just a plot twist – this is a veritable cliff hanger.
She said thanks for the support – she is now home, tucked into bed, having a good, cleansing cry, and then a well-deserved nap. She was fretting about not being up to being around the blog today – we told her she doesn’t HAVE to do anything, or talk to anyone if she is too tired. So there! She was relieved, and said she was going to sleep.
We will let you know if anything else comes up.
3:37 pm on January 7th, 2014
What other famous frog helped win the west?
Hop a long Toady.
4:08 pm on January 7th, 2014
Thank You for the update Tupper&Gilly. We do wish the road ahead was clearer for our dear Melanie. Delays and not knowing are Very Frustrating. Our Prayer is that what seems like a negative now will, in the end, prove to be Positive.
4:26 pm on January 7th, 2014
Bear, Very well said. The doctors will get this figured out.
Thanks for letting us know T&G. Our hearts and prayers are with Melanie.
4:42 pm on January 7th, 2014
Siber-H, there are old pictures of Niagara Falls frozen over due to an ice jam in the upper Niagara River. They tell of people walking across and some falling when the ice jam breaks. Maybe 1911.
4:42 pm on January 7th, 2014
T&G :Thanks for the update on Melanie. My heart, prayers, and healing thoughts are with Melanie.
4:49 pm on January 7th, 2014
Amalia, Thank you for the update. Frustrating for sure. We just wish they would get started on some sort of treatment. Are there some pant legs I can chew on to speed up these people?
4:52 pm on January 7th, 2014
Princess Sam, Thanks. That was a long time ago.
4:55 pm on January 7th, 2014
We are thinking of Melanie today. I may have to send her another box of toffee to cheer her up. I am worrit.
My comments about the weather yesterday were only half in jest. We are seriously heading for a drought here. Mom loves weather and storms and rain and lightening, but what do we get? Nothing!
Although I am glad we don’t have quite the chill factor that youse guys do.
4:56 pm on January 7th, 2014
B&M Know the feeling about getting started. Important to us, not them. GAH, DRs.
5:18 pm on January 7th, 2014
Now I’m extra unhappy about this storm. The Sabres game has been postponed and I was planning to hunker down tonight in the storm and watch a nice hockey game.
5:25 pm on January 7th, 2014
Siber-H, we don’t have many ice jams in the niagara River since the ice boom was put in at the end of Lake Erie. The ice bloom is just telephone poles tied to each other that rope off the mouth of the river. That keeps all the ice in the lake until it’s ready to melt and it won’t jam up the river. Today however the wind was so strong that it blew the ice over the ice boom.
5:35 pm on January 7th, 2014
Dear Sam – one of dad’s co-workers grew up in Buffalo. He is amused by our definitions of winter weather.
Dear Melanie – prayer and warm thoughts with you.
You guys are punny with Frog & Toad 🙂
Pretty picture, Spence. She looks regal.
5:36 pm on January 7th, 2014
Avatar – where are you?
5:38 pm on January 7th, 2014
It is simply amazing all the things you don’t know about, until you do.
“One of the prominent features of the Buffalo winter scene is the Niagara River Ice Boom. The installation and removal of the Ice Boom marks a regular celebration of the changing seasons in this magnificent part of the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
5:49 pm on January 7th, 2014
One last tidbit re: ice booms. In the late 1990s the telephone poles were replaced by steel pontoons, which look a lot like telephone poles.
5:55 pm on January 7th, 2014
Here’s a good picture of the ice boom keeping the ice in Lake Erie. You see Grand Island and then Niagara Falls.
6:05 pm on January 7th, 2014
Patio!….Here is exactly why I never get off the patio when there is snow…grunt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53VrwAMtJaE
6:56 pm on January 7th, 2014
Awwww Rio – that was too funny. Poor puppy.
HOH – tell your mom to hop like a frog to her SDD
7:10 pm on January 7th, 2014
Princess Sam, Very interesting photo. It is facinating how they keep the ice in the lake and out of the river.
The poor pug in that video. The humans should shovel the dog a little path or get him a Siber or Newf as a best friend.
7:28 pm on January 7th, 2014
I just on the NBC Nightly News that Hell has frozen over! I think it is in Michigan.
7:53 pm on January 7th, 2014
The guy taking that video is a jerk. Why wouldn’t he shovel a path instead of taking a video. Grrrr
8:20 pm on January 7th, 2014
Macy’s Mom – Mama says “Well, carp!”. She is thinking of all the things she will be obligated to do now that Hell really has frozen over.
Howlers – we agree with you. Would you believe that our Mama has done the same thing to us in deep snow? She has opened the back door to the deck, and never told us there was deep snow out there. Course, Gilly thinks it’s pretty funny to go a$$ over teakettle into a snowbank.
8:23 pm on January 7th, 2014
Snow!….I hate snow. I hate winter. And now I hate having guests…sniff!sniff!….Is this old person gonna be here forever? I remember when someone dumped Beau off at my house. They never came back for him. I live in fear it will happen again with this old person who talks non-stop?….gasp!
8:30 pm on January 7th, 2014
Tupper, want me to grab your ma by the pantleg and smooch her to death?
8:31 pm on January 7th, 2014
Rio we loved the pug in the snow…Will carry that foto to the grave!
9:10 pm on January 7th, 2014
Melanie: Loving and restful thoughts coming at you. I think I’ll take a nap in sympathy for you.
Yes, I know I had one earlier but I’m tired and retired and therefore…
9:11 pm on January 7th, 2014
I love Melanie.
And, I’m going to bed. Good night.
9:13 pm on January 7th, 2014
Reminds us of America’s Funniest Home Videos.
We swear most of those people Staged the whole thing just to geta few bucks. Is that show even still on?
9:18 pm on January 7th, 2014
just keep on keepin’ on with the silly shiitake. xoxo to all y’all. Going nighty night now to all and Audrey.
9:20 pm on January 7th, 2014
“My name is Raylan Givens. I come alone, and with peaceful intent.”
Y’all know where I’ll be.
9:52 pm on January 7th, 2014
Maskers!…Gasp!…Has Justified begun???….Woooooo!…I missed Raylan Givens soooo much….sob!sob!
9:55 pm on January 7th, 2014
Dawson!…When you get up from your latest nap, check your SDD…sniff!
10:02 pm on January 7th, 2014
Riö: No…not yet, but it will be on very, very soon…just getting set up to enjoy the first episode of the season.
Signing off here…see you tomorrow.
10:03 pm on January 7th, 2014
Yes it is Hell, Michigan that has frozen over. And they are calling our area Chiberia. Cute.
10:09 pm on January 7th, 2014
Deep-freeze!….The worst thing after it starts warming up is gonna be all the broken water pipes…grunt!…That always tops off the frozen experience…sniff!
10:32 pm on January 7th, 2014
Dawson!….Buuuurrrrppp!…sneeze!
10:42 pm on January 7th, 2014
Rio – hmmm. Check for signs. When the old one was dropped off, did they bring a leather collar, her toys and a crate?
If so – well, Puglet – we think maybe you got yourself another new roomie.
tee hee
10:48 pm on January 7th, 2014
They just announced that a Chicago court house has broken pipes and flooding!
11:06 pm on January 7th, 2014
I came on to read the blog. Going to bed again and will keep on getting over this cold. Looking forward to the quilt.
Night all.
11:16 pm on January 7th, 2014
Oh no, another one sick! We all have to get well! Staff, did you get T & G’s mama’s germs?
Another sad bit of news to report – there is going to be a Velveeta shortage in the near future. Oh, woe is me! Evidently it is from a combo of the holidays and the Super Bowl. I guess no one knows how to make anything other than Velveeta and salsa heated in the microwave and served with corm chips.
We are signing off, too.
11:29 pm on January 7th, 2014
Velveeta shortage – oh noooooooo!
Now we have to go lay down too. Good night all. Feel better Staff.
11:31 pm on January 7th, 2014
Goats! I saw the picture of my Lady posted last night. She has moved from chipmunk status to newfy jowls status. The swelling has gone down and she is going to try to eat solid food tonight.
Melanie: There is a reserved parking sign on my tummy just for you.
Staff and Golinka: Wyatt offers up his services as your pillow.
Dawson: Nap! I’m retired and a dog, so therefore…
Rio: Check your Go-phone SDD.
My Lady almost fell asleep in the cab on her way to the hotel tonight. Nighty noodles.
12:59 am on January 8th, 2014
If all that is true, so therefor… Oh dear..Need help on the “so there for”
1:02 am on January 8th, 2014
Hey , it is 1a m . Wowser..we are here alone in the night. nighty night 🙂
4:28 am on January 8th, 2014
Hello All,
Sorry for the lateness of this post but about now is the first time in my usual days to sit down and collect my thoughts. I wanted to take a few minutes to catch folks up on the going ons around the kennel and of course to say thank you for your support.
So, on with the updates….
We’ve been training like crazy. The team is routinely running 40 – 80 mile runs and looks great. We’ve been traveling over trails that climb 1000 feet, on rivers and through deep forests. It’s been great to change the routine teach the dogs to run well no matter what the circumstance. Which this year also includes cutting through trees virtually every day that keep falling down across the trail.
If you’ve been following the kennel you may already know that Phil Walters is working with us to finish up his qualifying status to run Iditarod. He’ll be running our team in the Northern Lights 300 in a couple of weeks. He also took my A team to a quick 60 mile race in Denali where they placed 4th.
My first race that I’m running in this season is coming up and is the Tustemena 200 down on the pennisula. The dogs will have just run a 300 mile race the week before so we’re not too sure what to expect out of them just yet.
Iditarod food drop preperation is now underway. In order to feed the team over a 1000 miles we send out about 1600 pounds of food and gear across Alaska. This takes us putting together countless bags of kibble, fish, beef, booties and on and on. Usually we try to get this done on days that the team has a day off. Which means a day off the runners usually startes around 8 am and finishes about 11 pm in order to get it all done by the due date.
We do have some stressful news too. Due to a handler who is no longer with the kennel we’ve had a few injuries to some key dogs. Usually it’s very small things but some times it can also be a little more serious such as a shoulder injury. Little Josephine who has been one of my main leaders this season has been off for the last month recovering. We’re just going to start running her again and so if you can keep her in your thoughts we always appreciate the extra help.
On a final more positive note…. Iditarod is a small club of people who have ever finished the race. In its history a little over 800 people have completed this trek which makes finishing a well I suppose an achievement. Don’t get me wrong I’m happy to have these finishes under my belt and to be a part of this club but on another level performing better and coming in with a better time is always on my mind. This year thanks to all of you I feel much more prepared to achieve this goal.
If you follow the race you’ll see me go out much more slowly than I have in the past. I’m trying to learn somewhat from my mistakes and will be playing a much more conservative game at first in order to help the team perform better later on in the race. The goal that I’ve set this year is to come in a full 24 hours faster than last year. Of course there are always the nagging doubts that linger when you write down a goal but that is the direcetion I’m heading.
And finally. Though I don’t know many of you personally I do think about you often. Your friendship, support and selflessness amaze me. I know many of you struggle with problems that as someone who has faced the challenges of Alaska I wouldn’t want to face. I’m humbled by stangers who reach out to others and embrace them as family and who go out of their way to encourage and support each other. Thank you for supporting the kennel. You don’t get to see what it means to the dogs and to us but I do everyday when I look at dogs like Leonard and Elmer who wouldn’t have had a home otherwise.
Well, it’s almost 12:30 here and we’re running dogs again tomorrow. We’ll see you on the trail and as Edward Abbey says,
“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds”
9:22 am on January 8th, 2014
AJ, Thank you very much for the very good update. We are right there by your side, living voraciously thru you.
We are sorry to hear about the hurt dogs…glad that handler is not there.
We love Phillip too…been following all of his great updates and photos. Glad you are letting him run Snowhook dogs.
10:42 am on January 8th, 2014
sneding prayers and best thoughts for Josephine’s full recovery.
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