Merry Christmas 2010!

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 5:36pm Eastern Standard Time
Temperature: 34 degrees F (1 C)
Conditions: Cloudy, snowing
Forecast: Cloudy with more snow tonight and tomorrow. Highs in the 30s, lows in the 20s

So a few days ago, everyone got excited because the weather forecast said there might be a *possibility* of snow *flurries* today.

Um, yeah. About that...

It started snowing at about nine this morning and it hasn't stopped yet And yes, I am that much of a sled dog geek. I HAD to get out and go sledding in our little bit of snow. I say little bit. Meaning little bit by Minnesota standards. For our area of Georgia, this is pretty much unheard of. I cannot remember the last time it's snowed like this here. 1996 maybe?

Above picture is of course me (with my head not in the picture) and team. Susan and Bonnie running fabulously in lead, and Calypso and Holly (the foster dog) in wheel. As far as I know, Holly has never been in harness before but she's been really focused when I've jogged with her. It took about fifty yards for her to figure out that this wasn't the Let's Chew On Calypso's Ear game and then she pulled the tug tight and kept it tight for the rest of our short run. She enjoyed it tremendously and was not at all stressed by the experience. So thumbs up for Holly-dog!

And speaking of Holly, in light of popular demand (*cough*Bonz*cough*), here are the full lyrics to my Mom's sled-dog revision of Deck The Halls (that I mentioned in the my post http://wolfmoonsleddog.blogspot.com/2010/12/deck-halls-with-bow-wows-of-holly.html).

Deck The Halls Revised
By Harriet White

Deck the halls with bow-wows of Holly
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
We are huskies and we're jolly
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
Don we now our race apparel
Woo-woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo
Trill an ancient canine carol
Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

See the snowy trail before us
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
So we leap, and howl our chorus
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
Follow us in merry measure
Woo-woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo
Pulling sleds, our greatest pleasure
Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

We're so fast, no one gets past us
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
Win this race, next time Alaska's!
Woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo-woo, woo, woo
Sing we joyous, all together
Woo-woo-woo, woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo
Heedless of the wind and weather
Woo-woo-woo-woo-woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

Many thanks to my Dad for taking these pictures. :)

Hope everyone's having a great Christmas!

A

Deck The Halls With Bow-Wows Of Holly

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 10:00pm Eastern Standard Time
Temperature: 47 degrees F (8 C)
Conditions: Mostly cloudy
Forecast: Rain showers tonight, lows in the 40s, clearing tomorrow, lows in the 20s

So if you're wondering about the title of this blog, this morning my Mom woke me up saying she had re-written 'Deck The Halls.' The whole thing.

The reason? Well, if you're wondering who in the world that dog is in the above picture...

Meet Holly.

Last Wednesday I was doing a little Christmas shopping and I stopped by the vet clinic to pick up meds for April. While I was there, I learned a husky had been pulled from the local animal control and was being held at the clinic (in fact, she was being spayed at that moment).

Long story short, I ended up fostering her. I named her Holly because, well duh, it's Christmas time. But it also goes well with my theme of dogs named after floral things (Aspen, Calypso [from the latin name of the fairy slipper plant], Bluebonnet, Black-Eyed-Susan). And also, I just all-around like the name Holly. There are some great fictional characters with the name - Holly Winter from the Susan Conant novels; Holly Short from the Artemis Fowl series.

Yes, I'm a total dork.

So Holly the dog was picked up near some dumpsters somewhere, which would suggest that someone put her out (and, like any husky, she is high-strung and bursting with energy). However she knows "sit" and "down" and has obviously been loved, so it's possible that she escaped from somewhere or wasn't contained and wandered off.

Whatever the case, she is recovering from mange (the non-contagious kind), which gives her a weird splotchy look and her fur is pretty thin in places (apparently she had very little fur on her face when she was pulled into rescue). But it's growing in and we're doing what we can to make her happy and hope to find her a more permanent home.

And above is a picture of Holly (far left), playing with Calypso, Susan and Bonnie (who is peeking up from the bottom of the pic).

All the best to everyone and happy Winter! (it's finally here).

A

Land Between The Lakes Sled Dog Dash 2010

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:30pm Eastern Standard Time
Temperature: 30 degrees F (-1C)
Conditions: Cloudy with light freezing rain
Forecast: Cloudy with freezing rain tonight, rain tomorrow. Highs in the 40s, lows in the 20s

UGH! It has been TOO LONG since I updated this blog. I am SO SORRY guys - I've been totally geeked out lately. I'll try to be a better person and update my blog like a grown-up.

The above picture was taken in Kentucky, in the motel room where we stayed during our second event of the 2010-2011 Season, the Between The Lakes Sled Dog Dash.

Bonnie and Susan and I ran in the 2-dog scooter class and placed 5th. It was a two day race, with us running two miles the first day, and two miles the second.

It was a fun course run along a winding bike trail through the forest. The weather the first day was cool, rainy and all-around icky. But we had fun despite this.

Then, the second day it started snowing. And kept on snowing. Soon there was about a half-inch of snow on the ground and it was still coming down. So our dryland sled dog race turned out to be more of a challenge! Rig tires like to slip and slide on even the tiny bit of snow that we had.

Also, since we had been running in the rain before the temperatures dropped, we had water in our brake systems and they froze up, as we discovered. The only way to fix this was to warm up the brakes.

Fortunately I don't think any of us managed to set our tires on fire. Still, I don't think my brakes were working properly.

But don't let this lead you to believe we didn't have a fun time. WE HAD A FANTASTIC TIME! It was great fun to race and it was good to see my Southeast sled dog friends whom I have not seen in ages. You know who you are! I'd name everyone but then I'd probably leave someone out and then I'd feel bad about it! I met some new faces too and that was great.

And then there were the dogs. So many husky-friends! And Bonnie and Susan ran great.

Thanks to Jeff Blewett and Due South Kennels for putting on this event. It's been a long time coming and the event was a success IMHO.


And a MAJOR thank-you to my parents for coming along to the race with me. And standing around in the rain and snow and cold (for SE) weather. It's been a long time since they've been to one of my races. :)

On Fall, Dryland Training And Television Advertisements

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 10:56am Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 39 degrees F (4C)
Conditions: Clear with few high clouds
Forecast: Sunny today and tomorrow. Highs in the 50s, lows in the 20s.

Above: The Flower Girls take a short break while running at Chickamauga Battlefield last weekend. Below: Steve's team at the Battlefield

Greetings everyone! I am very pleased to report that it is finally cold! Ish. I mean, cold by GA standards, not by MN standards.

This morning it was 30 degrees F when I took the Flower Girls for a nice run. I cannot express how happy I am with those two. They make the perfect scooter team right now and, different as they are personality-wise, when they run they are perfectly in sync. Susan is turning into a wonderful little leader. More and more she reminds me of her mother, Inga.

Bonnie is finishing up her heat cycle, which went very smoothly (and means I shouldn't have to deal with it until Spring!). No stray dogs showed up and, since we have no other intact dogs, things were actually pretty calm. Bonnie was perhaps a bit more vocal and decided she was in love with Wilson. Wilson was bewildered by the whole thing (and he usually wears an expression of "huh?" in the best of times) and didn't really return her affections.

A week ago I decided to go for a run at the Berry campus. I can run for a short distance straight from the house (which I do many mornings) but we are in the midst of hunting season so I'm not comfortable taking any of the longer (and nicer) trails. So I ran at Berry. My plan was to go between two and four miles. Simple enough.

We ended up running eight miles.

I guess I was just caught up in watching my enthusiastic little dogs. I hadn't realized that we had run as far as we had until I came to the four-mile mark. And then, of course, we had to turn around and run back to the Shuttlecraft.

Then, the next day, I got up early again and went back up to the Battlefield to meet up with Steve, Deborah, Dave and the other dogs again. We ran about seven miles on the Battlefield trails. It's such a great place to run and we had a blast.

At both Berry and the Battlefield we encountered lots and lots of deer. Good "on-by" training. :) I am thrilled with how the girls are taking commands though.

Calypso will soon be ready to start doing a little more although we are going to have to start gradually. She and I did go on a nice 4-mile hike with Deborah and Anya, so she is getting stronger.

Moving onto other things, I have never watched much TV these past two years. I usually watch TV show seasons on DVD on my computer, which means there are no commercials. However, I am watching a show on Friday nights and I just have to comment on TV advertisements.

First off: AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICES HOW INANE THESE ADS ARE AND DEMEANING TO THE HUMAN RACE?????

Let's recap. The majority of ads are for candy, cell phones, mascara and some lipstick called "Bite Me" or something. And there's one (I'm not even sure what it's for) that has real people interacting with talking plastic store models who are all fawning over some guy who they think is hot. I. Hate. That. Ad.

And you would not BELIEVE the cell phone ads. They make me *almost* as mad.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised but, after NOT watching TV (except on DVD) for as long as I have, it's like stepping into Stupidland. Fortunately the actual show is intelligent.

That aside, it's November now (duh) and November is National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo). I've always wanted to do that but, though I will continue writing stuff, I somehow doubt that with training, school and several little projects that I have going on, that I'll be able to write an entire novel in a month. But maybe I'll try to finish my Yellowstone story (which STILL has no title).

I am not one of those people who gets depressed because it's Fall. I've had some difficult times during Fall in the past but that was due to outside issues, not the time of year. I LOVE the changing Seasons and the the colorful leaves on some trees and the burnt-looking leaves on the others. It's kind of a damp cold but I'm loving it!

Yesterday evening I saw a weather report that the Smokies were supposed to get snow. Quite a bit at the higher elevations. So immediately plans of packing up the Shuttlecraft with huskies and a sled began running through my brain. But this morning I checked the reports and they'd only gotten two inches.

So I didn't go anywhere.

Oh! And we had this season's first fire in the woodstove this weekend! Yay!

Alright, I shall close for now.

More later, including my clever plan to turn irritation into productivity!

Cheers!

A

We HAD Fall Weather...

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 6:47pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 73 degrees F (23 C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, humid
Forecast: Chance of thunderstorms tonight, mostly cloudy tomorrow. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s

Two happy flowers after a run last week

So we WERE having a nice Fall. Not a Minnesota Fall by any means but the temperatures were in the 30s and 40s in the morning and Bonnie and Susie and I were doing a lot of scooter runs.

Last Sunday, I met up with Steve and his dog team and Deborah and David and their dog, Anya (from Bark In The Park) at the Chickamauga Battlefield near Chattanooga. We went on a pre-dawn moonlit run though the park and it was a BLAST! Great trails and a lot of chance to practice command training.

The flower power girls did fantastic and were really listening to whatever I told them. They took commands, passsed, kept the lines tight and were enthusiastic the whole run!

I am so glad to finally have teams to run with in the area. It's fun running alone but it's always fun to run with other mushers too.

Jen called the other day and when I saw it was her, I immediately thought "Yay, now I get to brag about the amazing Bonnie and Susie!"

She was calling to brag about the flowers' sisters, Violet and Lily. Apparently they are running in lead and doing pretty amazing too. That whole litter is awesome. I remember Violet really standing out in the Beargrease 150.

So the weather in GA was decent, and I was really enjoying taking long walks with Calypso. The Fall colors were just starting to light up the landscape.

And then it got hot and humid again and we started having thunderstorms. Seriously, last night there was a tornado watch.

It's almost November, folks! I'M READY FOR IT TO STOP BEING 80 DEGREES AND HUMID DURING THE DAY!!!!

Thank you.

In other news, the current edition of ESPN magazine has a big article about Lance Mackey in it. Check it out, you can read it online at http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/insider/news/story?id=5655581&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fid%3d5655581

Wow, that is a REALLY long URL.

Anyway, I've got another loooong post coming soon but this is all for tonight.

I'll write again soon.

Cheers!

A

Bark In The Park

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 2:50pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 84 degrees F (29 C)
Conditions: Mostly clear, warm
Forecast: Sunny today and tomorrow. Lows in the 50s, highs in the 80s

Bonnie with new friend, Anya, at the Bark In The Park in Chattanooga, TN. Photo courtesy of Deborah Bond

Well, we have had a great weekend here. On Saturday, I took Bonnie to the Bark In The Park in Chattanooga and we had a great time. Bonnie is becoming quite the little socialite now! We checked out the new dog park and it is awesome! The first time I've ever been to one of those. They have a huge off-leash enclosure and agility equipment. I introduced Bonnie to the jumps, A-frames, tunnels and weave-poles. And I was very happy with how well she got along with the other dogs there.

Of course the main reason we went to Bark In The Park was because they had a dryland mushing demo. Obviously, this attracted my attention as I was interested to meet whoever was doing said demo. We were excited to meet other mushers from the area and are planning to meet up and train together.

And yes, Bonnie did a quick run with their team as well. I'm very excited to have met new people (and dogs!) and can't wait to see what the future holds.

In the meantime, being outside is now enjoyable and Fall is in the air. Cool mornings make us happy and although it's still warming up much more than I would like during the day, the humidity is GONE.

Things are pretty GREAT here right now, just so you know. The personal/family issues I've mentioned before are looking up right now!

Now I've just got to get the other posts that I've transferred to this blogging site a bit less messy...

And oh yeah, air quotes. HAH!*

Cheers!

A

*Yeah, you probably have no idea what I'm referring to there. Sorry...

Photo courtesy Deborah Bond

2010 Doggie-Dash, Etc.

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 6:12pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 82 degrees F (28 C)
Conditions: Mostly clear, slight breeze, less humid
Forecast: Clear today and tomorrow. Lows in the 40s, highs in the 80s

Remember Ana and Albert from
back in May?
( http://wolfmoonsleddog.blogspot.com/2010/09/adjustingsettling-in.html )
Yeah, they've grown up!

Okay, so I've been really bad lately about posting blogs. Having to change everything around blog/website-wise really annoyed me. Or maybe I've just been distracted with other things. I mean, I've been meaning to write this entry for a week...

So. Our fist event of the season was last Saturday! Bonnie and I ran in the Paws In The Park Doggie Dash, which was a 2-mile canicross run in Rome, GA.

Here's an article on the event from: http://www.romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/9743456/article-Doggie-Dash-raises-more-than--400-for-youth-programming-through-Rome-Floyd-Parks-and-Recreation-Authority?

Doggie Dash raises more than $400 for youth programming through Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority
by Ellison Langford, staff writer Rn T.Com
Doggie Dash 2010

Runners seemed more interested in sniffing each other than winning during the Paws in the Park Doggie Dash 2010 on Saturday.“It’s not really a race,” said Lincee Powell, event coordinator for the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority. “We just wanted people to come out with their animals and families and enjoy a day in the park.”The Saturday morning run had four size categories for dogs. Each group walked or ran the two-mile track around the shoal side of Ridge Ferry Park.Joe Tippett stretched his legs with his Shih-Tzu Wally.“We love our dog, and we love to walk,” Tippett said. He got the two-color eyed Wally as a puppy from a breeder.“He was really friendly and visiting with the dogs,” Tippett said as Wally barked at the other participants. “He wasn’t really worried about winning.”Powell said the focus of the run was to provide an event for people and their four-legged family members. Linda Patty said she came to support raising money for youth programming.“We thought that animals would enjoy it,” Patty said. Patty was there with Kim Sartin and Bethany Patty. They brought a boxer, Sarge; two Boston terriers, Charlie and Tinks; and Allie.The entry fees went toward youth programming through Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority. Powell said she thinks they raised approximately $450.“We’ve had a really good turnout,” Powell said. “We’ve had close to 30 dogs out."

We had a blast at the Doggie Dash. It was a nice cool morning and Bonnie did perfectly. I wasn't sure how she would do with distractions but she was perfectly focused and went right "on by" with merely a passing glance at whatever distraction we encountered (although there *was* this one squirrel...). The run was on a paved trail and I bootied Bonnie although we probably would have been fine without them. I think people thought I was weird.

After that, we went to the grand opening of Pet Sense pet supply store in Rome, which is one of those stores that allows you to bring your pets. So Bonnie got some extra socializing time there. It's the kind of place that Calypso would loooooove but Bonnie was more...cynical. I found a giant sqeaking chicken and Calypso's reaction would have been "Heeeeeeey a SQUEEEEAKKKY!!!!! YAYYYY!!!!" but Bonnie looked at it, head to the side, as if to say "Um, is that a giant squeaking chicken? Why is there a giant squeaking chicken in here? Why are you squeaking it at me? What the...?"

I picked up some new dog bowls while I was there, as well as treats and other supplies. I hope the store does well because it's really nice and there hasn't been a decent pet supply store in Rome for years.

In other news, I think I mentioned I had passed the GED? Well, what I know I didn't mention is that the examiner at Northwest Tech told me I had the highest score in Writing that she had ever seen. Not to brag or anything....On the other hand, I don't think I fit the bill of the typical person who takes the GED...

But that aside, pretty much the same routine going on here. It did hit 35 degrees F yesterday morning. GREAT run! Fall is definitely underway - FINALLY! It couldn't have come soon enough if you ask me.

More soon!

A

I'm Baaaaaack

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 3:18pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 90 degrees F (32 C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, hot
Forecast: Partly cloudy with chance of thunderstorms today, mostly sunny tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 60s

Susan on a canicross run last week

Hey all,

Yeah, it's been WAY too long since my last blog post. Even longer than it should have been because my last post disappeared into a black hole even after it was up and posted on my other blog.

My other blog. Right - http://sleddoggin.com/blogs/wolfmoonsleddog/ Where I have been blogging since September 2007. The webmaster from sleddoggin.com is taking a break for a while and he warned me before he left that the site would be unsupported. However I decided to keep my blog/website where it was because I was used to it and I didn't want to go through the hassle of trying to move all the content to another site. But then, a couple of weeks back I got on my sleddoggin.com blog to write an update and discovered that the last post I had published was GONE and so was my blog header. Worried that some of my other hard work might inexplicably vanish, I transferred all of the text posts here to this blogspot site (which I already had up with a link to my other blog) and the rest of the website to http://wolfmoonsiberians.wordpress.com/ That site will function as my main information website for Wolf Moon Siberians. It's kind of messy right now but I'll get it fixed up in the next few weeks. And I'm in the process of transferring all the photos from the sleddoggin blog to THIS blog...

I am, however, excited to report that I can now post videos to my blog so you'll get to see some Wolf Moon videos in the near future.

But enough about that, how about an update on the kennel. Really not too much to report, we've had a couple of nice mornings - even hit 48 degrees F a couple of weeks back. I've been doing canicross runs when I can - taking Bonnie and Susie out individually. It's fun to work with them one on one like that. They have such a beautiful gait and quickly settle in to a nice trot. Susan is phenomenal; guess her leading experience payed off big time.

Bonnie is just as enthusiastic but a little more easily distracted. She gets excited at little birds flitting around on the side of the trail, or where other trails branch off. But she's a fast learner and quickly figures out what is wanted of her. She just launches into her harness and pulls.

Calypso is recovering very well. She now has fur back on her leg and she is using it a lot more now. Obviously I'm not taking her running right now but she's getting a little more exercise and is delighted that I'm letting her play more.

Wilson and April are fine. I think I've mentioned before that Willy has finally shed his excess pounds this Summer and looks quite good. He has gotten a little more food-obsessed though and screams bloody murder if anyone (ie. Bonnie) starts nosing around his food bowl. Fortunately I pick up the bowls after everyone eats so this isn't really an issue.

April is still getting around about the same. She's stiff but still happy and enjoying life.

And me? Well I took that GED and passed, so I can start working on my CVT degree when I get that little piece of paper...Yay squared!

Oh, one of my friends at the Chattanooga Nature Center sent me this article yesterday:

From: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_184461.asp

Dryland Sled Dog Racing Demo At Bark In The Park Oct. 9posted September 20, 2010There will be an short demonstration of Dryland Sled Dog Racing at the third annual Bark in the Park 2010 event on Saturday, Oct. 9, at Heritage Park. Dryland dog sledding, long used to train and condition sled dogs in the off season for races such as the famous "Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race" in Alaska, is rapidly becoming a sport of its own. In Dryland Sled Dog Racing, competitors use a rig (three-four wheeled cart with a locking brake and handle/steering wheel) instead of a sled and race on dirt trails instead of snow. The primary dog used for these races is a Siberian Husky, an independent dog that loves the company of people and other dogs and has an instinctive love of running. Prior to the demo, participants will be able to see the racing rig up close (as well as the dogs) and will be able to ask questions about Dryland Sled Dog Racing and the foster care and adoption of Siberian Huskies.
Admission to Bark in the Park 2010 is free with a small charge for some activities. Heritage Park is located just off East Brainerd Road (behind the Pizza Hut) at 1428 Jenkins Road. The event will be held from 10 .m.-2 p.m. rain or shine and proceeds will support the funding of the new off-leash dog park at Heritage Park (grand opening at the event).Activities at the event include dog adoptions, free "Dogs at Work" demos (police/drug/Goodwill service dogs), free agility and obedience demos, Meet the Breed, a Pet "PAWlour" with nail painting, glitter and hair bows, photos with your dog by a professional photographer, dog fun races (by weight class), contests (best costume, best trick and owner look-alike (male/female)), free face painting for the kids, food and a fire engine. There will also be door prizes and a free spin-the-wheel for additional prizes.Since Oct. 9 is the same day as the Tennessee vs. Georgia football game, there will be a fundraising competition between Tennessee's "Smokey" and Georgia's "Uga" mascots. A bluetick coonhound and a bulldog will be dressed up as these mascots and will be collecting cash votes for the favorite. The mascot that raises the most amount of cash will be declared the winner.There will be a dog parade at the end of the event, led by "Hari", the Bark in the Park mascot.Visit www.chattbarkinthepark.org for more information about the event and join facebook at "Chattanooga Bark in the Park".Vendor spaces are $50 for a 10x10 booth space and are still available. Contact chattbitp@gmail.com to participate as a vendor.

[end of article]

Doesn't say which team this is, and I thought I knew much of what was going on in the SE dryland mushing world.

There's also a canicross event to be held in Rome (GA) next month. Well, they don't call it that but it's a run with your dog race so it's basically the same thing.

Looks like there are FINALLY some interesting events going on nearby. This has been a really frustrating Summer for me. But then, Summer is my least favorite Season. I'd rather be out on the runners with a team on a moonlit trail at 30 below. No, I am not normal.

It feels so weird not being at MCK this year. I keep thinking back like "a year ago this time I was..." (a year ago this time I was helping with kennel chores, Fall training and getting ready for my roadtrip to Yellowstone).

This year at MCK, the handling team is Lori and Kim. Not sure if Phil will be back or if anyone else will be joining the crew. I hope to get back to the kennel at least for a visit or two and to get my so-cold-that-boiling-water-freezes-in-the-air fix this mushing Season.

Also new this year, Manitou Crossing Kennels has a Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Manitou-Crossing-Kennels/150103878344629?v=wall&ref=ts Be sure to check it out, and "like" it if you are on Facebook. They've been posting some AWESOME pictures and blog entries there. Great photos of Jen and Ellie training teams. I'm happy to see how things are going up there...but man I miss the Northwoods and crisp mornings on the ATV...

Fall IS approaching in Georgia but it's a lot harder to tell. It isn't *quite* as humid and the light is at a different angle. Leaves are turning, but it's still TOO FREAKING HOT! Supposed to cool down in a few days so I guess that's a good thing.

Hmmm, not sure what else there is to report. Went to see "Inception" and liked it and spent the rest of the day trying to interpret it...

I'll write more soon. Many apologies for not posting much this past month.

Cheers!

A

Calypso, Impy and Writing Projects

Calypso, Impy and Writing Projects
Aug 16th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 6:08pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 94 degrees F (34C)
Conditions: Mostly clear, hot, humid
Forecast: Scattered showers tonight, thunderstorms tomorrow. Lows in the 70s, highs in the 80s

Above is post-surgery Calypso. Left photo shows her leg. This was taken several days ago and it looks waaaaay better than that picture shows. It is fast improving. Right photo shows Calypso resting on her “bed” in the living room. She loves this bed and is constantly nesting in it. In fact, as I am writing this, she is stretched out on it with her head under the sofa. Funny dog.

Calypso is recovering nicely and I couldn’t be happier with how things are going. SO glad to have the surgery behind us now. Although Calypso is NOT liking the E-collar (Elizabethan collar. It looks like a lampshade and prevents her from licking the incision) that she has to wear at night. Fortunately I can keep an eye on her during the day and she doesn’t have to wear it then.

So I had a very interesting weekend. Early Saturday morning (after my patented Calypso Alarm Clock System DEMANDED I rise and shine at about 6:30. One of these mornings I’m going to get an audio recording of her morning wake-up call and make a million dollars selling it as haunted house sounds for Halloween) a chocolate lab/mix of about 5 or 6 months of age showed up at our house and proclaimed himself to be The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave! (SNL reference there). Of course this was the worst possible time for a stray to show up but I had to do something. We made calls, talked to neighbors, etc. Nobody knew where the little guy, whom I started calling Impy, had come from. And we weren’t in a position to keep him…

Fortunately one of the calls I had made was to our vet and they knew someone who was interested in adopting such a dog. So Impy is currently at the clinic, waiting for what will hopefully be his new family.

Bonnie, Susie, April and Willy are doing okay. The weather has been gross but it’s supposed to be cooler over the next few days, so that’s good. I can’t wait until we can start training again and I feel like going outside during the daytime.

In the meantime, I have been writing. But not North City. Translating a season of webisodes into a novel turned out to be more troublesome than I had anticipated. I worked on the first chapter but I was having less fun the further it went along. It just seemed flat.

So I put that project on the back burner and started on something different. Since I’ve been wanting to roadtrip out to Yellowstone again so badly right now (though I don’t think that’s going to happen this Fall, unfortunately) I decided to write something that took place in Yellowstone.

It’s actually a re-write of something I wrote when I was ten, then re-wrote when I was twelve, then totally revamped and tried to make overly complicated when I was sixteen, before finally giving up. I’ve scrapped most of the overblown third draft and gone back to writing an adaptation of the first and second drafts. Obviously there are many changes, and I’m writing it with a waaaaaaaay different perspective than I did when I was ten but the basic storyline is the same.

It’s a children’s book, but not a kiddie book. And I’m having SO MUCH FUN WRITING IT! I’m on chapter 3 right now and the characters are already taking over (something that just wasn’t happening with North City). No title yet for this one, so I’ll probably be referring to it as “The Yellowstone Story.” I’ll keep you informed.

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One Response to “Calypso, Impy and Writing Projects”
Dave Lukosik on 17 Aug 2010 at 8:24 pm # edit this

Happy to read Calypso’s knee surgery went well and she is recovering and “resting” comfortably on her “bed”!

On Calypso's Surgery And "Due South"

On Calypso’s Surgery And “Due South”
Aug 7th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 12:58pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 85 degrees F (29 C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, hot, humid
Forecast: Partly cloudy today and tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s.

It’s a hot August day at home…

Calypso had knee surgery yesterday and is now back home and resting beside the chair where I am sitting. We’re looking forward (not really) to six to eight more weeks of restricted exercise for her. Maybe it’ll be cooler by the time this is “over.” The heat here is unreal. This is why I always leave GA in August (well, one reason). Because there is nothing I like about this kind of weather…However I understand that it’s not just the Southeast that is being hit with a horrendous heat-wave. I talked to Jen the other day and she told me it was 91 degrees on the North Shore. And that’s usually one of the coolest places in MN so I shudder to think what temperatures were like elsewhere in the state.

It feels weird going into August with no plans to escape go anywhere. The past two years it was back up to Minnesota. In 2007 my parents and I went to Alaska for the first time. But this year…I want to go somewhere where I can step outside without wanting to curl up and melt. I keep thinking about the Rockies and my trip out there last Fall. Seems like Yellowstone is one of the few places with decent weather right now. In the 30s there at night, I understand. Sweet!

But in the meantime, I’ve got things to do here. And I don’t even want to talk about the run-around about trying to find somewhere that offers the GED test in months other than May or June. Seriously…I just want to get that done and OVER WITH so I can actually move forward instead of standing in the mud like I feel I’m doing right now.

But I said I wasn’t going to talk about that right now.

Other things are going smoothly. And Calypso, yes. I was going to talk about Calypso.

She is a bit out of it right now and content to sleep and not do anything, which I guess is better than having her wanting to be bouncing off the walls when she should be resting. She looks kind of funny with most of the fur shaved off her left leg. Poor thing.

The other dogs are okay. We had Bonnie and Susan dashing around the house yesterday and then they both went and hopped on my bed. I swear, all they had to do was sit there and they got more and more hyper without doing ANYTHING. I said something to them and it was like the Great Explosion Of Wagging Tails And Doggy Laughs.

In the meantime, I’ve been re-watching episodes of Due South. I LOVE that show. If you’ve never heard it, do yourself a favor and at least find a copy of the pilot movie.

Due South aired for four seasons stretched between 1994 and 1999 but only the first two seasons aired in the US. The show was extremely popular in Canada and the UK (so popular that there were - and still are - Due South conventions) but for a long time it was near-impossible to find on DVD in America.

I found out about it because one of the main characters is a wolf hybrid played by a Siberian husky (except in the movie where he is played by a more wolfy-looking dog). Now of course I have a great internal struggle because, as I was saying loudly a few posts back, it drives me insane when people think my Siberians are wolves. And here is a show that is furthering that misidentification yet I absolutely LOVE THE SHOW!

The premise of Due South is as follows: Benton Fraser of the RCMP, along with his deaf, lip-reading wolf hybrid, Diefenbaker, are transfered to the Chicago consulate. There they meet up with detective Ray Vecchio and join forces to fight crime. It’s a culture clash comedy mixed with police/crime drama. Not slapstick funny but more subtly amusing.

I think the first two seasons are my favorites. After that, Ray goes undercover and Fraser teams up with a different cop, Stanley Kowalski. It’s still good but it seems to get a little sillier and far-fetched (okay, I know the whole thing is far-fetched). Seasons 3 and 4 are just kind of a different animal…Definitely worth seeing but I prefer 1 and 2.

And there’s a Car. All great TV shows of this type have to have a Car. This one is a 1971 Buick Riviera owned by Ray…and did I mention that Due South has awesome car chases (and dogsled chases in the movie)?

So yeah, I hadn’t watched the show since I first got hold of the VHS tapes and DVDs when I was about 14. So I’m really enjoying it second time around!

Also, as some of you probably already know, today is Beargrease sign-up. Of course I’m not going to be up there this year so I won’t be running the 2011 BG150 but stay tuned because I’m going to post the list of mushers who are as soon as it becomes available.

Over and out until next entry.

A

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2 Responses to “On Calypso’s Surgery And “Due South””
Dave Lukosik on 07 Aug 2010 at 8:27 pm # edit this

Beautiful log home in a beautiful setting! Wish I could change the weather thermostat! Read today that a huge chunk of ice broke free from one of Greenland’s main glaciers and is a floating island 4x the size of Manhatten. Best wishes for a speedy surgical recovery for Calypso! Yes, I remember watching “Due South”, enjoyed the program but wish there were more scenes with the siberian. You have to look up Sgt Preston of the Yukon. This TV series ran in the 1950’s when I was a kid for 3 years. Filmed at Big Bear in Calif in the Winter, but it looked like the Yukon! Remember Quaker Puffed Rice and Wheat were the sponsors, the stuff was “shot from guns” to puff it up! Got my “one square inch of the Yukon deed” by sending in the box tops. I think my Mom threw it out in one of her room cleaning spreys in my room as a kid. Most of my model airplanes I put together got distroyed this way to! “Sorry that got broken while I dusted your room.” I feel for the people up North, they aren’t used to this heat and humidity like us Southerns and displaced Northerners from Illinois! Keep cool and sane!

wolfmoonsleddog on 16 Aug 2010 at 4:45 pm # edit this

Thanks Dave. We like our house a lot.

Apparently in Oak Ridge, TN (where my grandmother used to live) they get an average of eleven days in the 90s. This year they have gotten SIXTY days in the 90s. It’s unreal.

Yes, I wish Dief was more prominent in some of the “Due South” episodes. Fortunately I like the rest of the cast, as well.

I have some “Sgt. Preston Of The Yukon” episodes on DVD! Much fun! I haven’t watched them recently though. Might have to do that.

Hope you are keeping cool!

A

Life In A Day, Dreams And An Update On Kippy

Life In A Day, Dreams And An Update On Kippy
Jul 29th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:35pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 79 degrees F (26 C)
Conditions: Cloudy with light rain
Forecast: Cloudy tonight, partly cloudy tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s

Above is a screen capture from the footage I submitted to the Life In A Day project (http://www.youtube.com/lifeinaday). I don’t know whether or not they will choose to use any of my footage in the final film but when I read about the project I knew I had to record something to submit. Especially with my interest in filmmaking. Check it out, it’s pretty cool.

Things here are going well and I finally feel as if I am progressing on some of my other projects. It’s just a matter of deciding which things to say ‘no’ to when.

The weather has actually improved a little bit, although it’s still blazing hot (my friends Elisabeth and Abi and I met up at a pizza place a couple of days ago and laughed at the sign out front which read ‘It’s So Hot We Saw The Devil Chasing An Ice Cream Truck’) but we’ve gone back to having rain every afternoon, which makes a HUGE difference. Granted, some of it has come alongside pretty intense thunderstorms and a power outage (never had to worry about power lines going out at MCK) but I’m not complaining.

Although this Summer has had its frustrations and tough times, I am so much more emotionally stable than I was last Summer. Don’t take that wrong and think I was a danger to myself or anyone else at the time - I wasn’t. I was just in turmoil, trying to figure out if I was on the right path and trying to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t a teenager or even a kid anymore, and neither were my childhood friends. This Summer I feel on solid ground, so to speak. Case in point: dreams. I had horrible dreams last Summer. I dreamed I had panic attacks, etc.

This afternoon I took a nap and had a very different dream. And it was a lucid dream, which hasn’t happened to me in quite a while. I’ve had lucid dreams before, where I know I am dreaming and I’ve been known to go around feeling things (walls, tables, wire, etc.) in my dreams to see if they actually feel “real” (they do). But one thing I’ve never before been able to do is to control my dreams. I also never have falling dreams (unlike most people).

Until this one. I dreamed I was going to fall from some great height…only I knew I was dreaming so I just focused on NOT falling and just stood on thin air and thought about something I was writing in real life. I’m not joking. The main reason I didn’t want to fall was that I knew it would be fast. Whenever I’ve dreamed about going fast, it’s always too fast and I pretty much can’t handle it and wake up. When I was little I was always annoyed because I LOVED merry-go-rounds but whenever I dreamed about riding a merry-go-round it always went too fast and the dream stopped. But this time I knew I was dreaming and I knew I was in control. It was cool just standing in the air but it was also kind of boring. So I thought, ‘hey, why not’ and fell. And this time, yes it was too fast…but I knew it wasn’t real and I was determined to enjoy it. It was seriously cool, because if felt real. I landed in a lake and somewhere along the line I lost the lucidity and my dream turned into something weird about pushing my friends’ car up a steep mountain road in Wal-Mart. Then the phone rang and woke me up.

In other news, Kippy-Calypso is going to have to have surgery on her knee. Despite my trying to keep her excercise very limited, she definitely has a torn cruciate. I talked to my vet down here and I talked to Jen on the phone and we have decided on a procedure. So Calypso will go in for that in about a week. It really sucks and the recovery is going to be *fun* (not!) but I’m looking forward to her not gimping around.

So I think that’s about it. I’ve started on the first chapter of North City and am still getting the hang of it. It will get easier to write as I go along and get to know the characters better.

Hope everyone is staying cool.

Cheers!

A

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One Response to “Life In A Day, Dreams And An Update On Kippy”
Dave Lukosik on 07 Aug 2010 at 8:07 pm # edit this

Hope your video clip makes the cut! Read in the news today they got lots of entries and the entries will be available online soon. Let us know when yours is available.

The Completed Shed And A New Direction For ‘North City’

The Completed Shed And A New Direction For ‘North City’
Jul 23rd 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:34pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 86 degrees F (30 C)
Conditions: Cloudy, hot, humid
Forecast: Clear tonight and tomorrow. Lows in the 70s, high around 100

Witness the pretty much completed dog shed of Wolf Moon. Sweet! Our work has finally paid off and we have something to show for it!

In other news, Bluebonnet “Bonnie” would like for me to make a public service announcement stating that she is in no way, shape or form, affiliated with Tropical Storm Bonnie - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100722/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather

In the meantime, I have been thinking. My writing projects have not been going so well lately. I had several ideas floating around in my head for sci-fi, fantasy and kids’ stories. One in particular appealed to me a lot - it was expanding on a time-travel story that’s been in my head for years. Unfortunately I could not seem to make it work on paper. It just wouldn’t write. Urgh. I hate writer’s block.

In the meantime, the North City pilot was coming along but I was having doubts. Okay, it looked like I could do this but it was going to take a LOT of time and energy and seriously, getting a cast together would be a nightmare. And this is just for ONE PILOT. Never mind that I have enough material for TWO SEASONS. And even if we were somehow able to do it…To be honest, with the cast and crew I might be able to round up and my amature editing skills, it’d probably suck. No offense to anybody.

I just want this to be good.

So…what to do? Abandon the project. It was sounding kind of appealing. Wipe the slate clean and try to find a novel or SOMETHING that I could write.

Then I remembered. In Spring of 2008 I came up with what I thought was a great idea for a movie. I thought I’ve got to make that into a movie somehow. But what I wanted to do was waaaaaaaaaaay beyond my abilities, and I so badly didn’t want to tone it down. So I changed my plan and turned it into an approximately 600-page novel. It took me about four months to write it. No, I haven’t tried to get it published because there’s some things I want to fix first…

But that got me thinking. Duh. Instead of attempting doing a North City series that wouldn’t be able to live up to my expectations, turn it into a novel!

So that’s what I’m going to do.

Cheers!

A

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2 Responses to “The Completed Shed And A New Direction For ‘North City’”
Dave Lukosik on 26 Jul 2010 at 9:46 pm # edit this

Nice looking shed you got there! Nothing like building your own. Good luck on your “North City” novel. Just read your 2009 issue of Dog and Sled and enjoyed it!

wolfmoonsleddog on 29 Jul 2010 at 8:00 pm # edit this

Thanks! It was definitely cheaper than buying something pre-fab.

I’m going to try to get the 2010 “D&S” put together but it’s kind of on the back burner for now.

A

Hello Stress...

Hello Stress…
Jul 21st 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:27pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 81 degrees F (27C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, warm
Forecast: Partly cloudy tonight, chance of thunderstorms tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s

Hanging out with Bonnie

“You, Susan, buckets of water from the wells!
You, Miss Unity, you follow her with the grease pails!”
“And what are you going to do?” said Susan, grabbing two buckets.
“I’m going to worry like hell and that’s not an easy job, believe me!”
-Terry Pratchett, ‘Thief Of Time’



So WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FINISHED THE DOG SHED!!! Pictures of that coming soon. Just a couple of tweaks and the big Summer 2010 project will be complete! Next on the roster are the new doghouses and posts.

But my more immediate concern is whether Calypso is improving. I thought she was but then this morning she seemed to be favoring her leg as bad as ever. I really don’t want to have to deal with this - ugh! I want Calypso to be in perfect health. Just one stupid little thing like this and then…I’ll give it until at least Monday and see if there is improvement…I know it can take a while.

I’ve been able to hang out with a couple of my friends some and hope to be able to see them more next week, depending on what’s going on here…

I don’t know. I’m just feeling kind of low tonight and not sure why. I think I’m tired for one thing. I keep thinking of lots of little, medium-sized and big things I need to do and it seems the more things I actually GET done the more I feel like I’m NOT getting anything done. How weird is that?

Been going around about where to take the GED and worrying about how I will do…It’s a hassle trying to find somewhere to take it during Summer for some weird reason. And then, if you have to retake any of the sections, you have to wait months. Not that I plan to have to retake any. Quite the opposite, I plan NOT to, so if I DID have to retake any it would throw a huge wrench in my plans. Agh!

Got a chapter and a half left in my algebra book. So far so good on that.

I have several writing projects in my head but getting them out and onto some sort of media is a different story. Got to just sit down and ignore the five million distractions and just write them out.

And it’s too hot outside, even at night.

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3 Responses to “Hello Stress…”
Dave Lukosik on 26 Jul 2010 at 9:49 pm # edit this

Glad to see you two chilling out in the shade! Remember only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day Sun!

wolfmoonsleddog on 29 Jul 2010 at 8:01 pm # edit this

Shade is good. Shade is very good. Shade is the best invention since sliced bread.

Actually, the sliced bread part is arguable.

A

Dave Lukosik on 29 Jul 2010 at 8:45 pm # edit this

I totally agree! My backyard that is 80% shaded with hardwoods, pines, and red cedars is 10 degrees cooler than my neighbor who had all his trees cut down and replaced with grass! My siberians appreciate the shade!

Cheers!

Cheers!
Jul 17th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 2:26pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 88 degrees F (31C)
Conditions: Cloudy with a slight breeze
Forecast: Scattered thunderstorms today and tomorrow. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 70s

Today I just want to take a moment to say happy birthday to my Mom who, along with my Dad, is my strongest supporter, as well as an incredibly strong individual!

I have here the one and only picture of the one and only time we’ve gotten her out on a dogsled. That was in upstate New York, March 2002 - this was taken just after she drove that three-dog team for several miles through the snowy woods.

Tonight I believe my Mom and Dad and I will be going out to eat although I don’t know that we have decided exactly where. We’ll see where Mom decides to go - it’s her birthday after all!

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2 Responses to “Cheers!”
Dave Lukosik on 17 Jul 2010 at 12:56 pm # edit this

It’s hard to tell from the photo, but I think your Mom has a big smile on her face when she returned from the 3 dog sled run! Wishing you all a great Happy Birthday celebration this evening for your Mom!

wolfmoonsleddog on 23 Jul 2010 at 7:18 pm # edit this

I think she did. I know she enjoyed the second part of the run, once the dogs had calmed down and no longer were running like bats out of hell. LOL None of us had quite been prepared for that.

A

Pet Peeves And [maybe not-so-]Brilliant Ideas That Last A Day

Pet Peeves And [maybe not-so-]Brilliant Ideas That Last A Day
Jul 15th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast

Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:34pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 87 degrees F (31C)
Conditions: Mostly clear, hot
Forecast: Clear tonight, chance of thunderstorms tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 70s.


Image from http://www.cafepress.com/+before_you_ask_jr_baby_doll_double_sided,26160664

Hi everyone,

This is Alice White and I just want to clear a few things up. One of my big, big, big pet peeves (besides those monogram decals that people have on the back of their car windows) is when people make big assumptions.

First off, there is the usual question that every Siberian husky owner knows: “Is that a wolf?” We’re used to it and I really try not to let it get to me. July 4th this year I had three seperate people ask me if Bonnie was a wolf. I guess it must be the double coat, bushy tail and pointed ears. It just gets old after a while.

But that’s not what really got me wound up. The “dog has pointed ears=therefore dog is a wolf” assumption is more a case of mistaken identity. I’m talking about big assumptions.

Case in point, someone was talking to my Dad the other day - about fishing. My Dad enjoys fishing and so do I - I always skunk him. But I haven’t been fishing in a long time. My Dad and I mentioned this and the other person’s response was something along the lines of “Oh, she’s discovered boys.”

Um, no. I’ve just spent the better part of two years in Northern Minnesota which means there really wasn’t much opportunity to go fishing with my Dad who was back in GA. Plus I’ve been working part-time, writing, working with dogs, getting ready to take a test so I can work on getting my vet tech degree, and I hate the heat and we’ve had illness in the family, and I know what boys are thank you very much - some of my best friends have been boys, so saying I’ve “discovered” them is like saying I’ve “discovered” houses. Okay, so I know that’s not what you meant…

“No,” I said. “I discovered sled dogs.”

It wasn’t a big thing, really, but I found it insulting - the assumption that because I’m a 20-something year old girl (though this person may have assumed me to be a teenager) that I am obsessed with boys. No, that is SO not me.

Now my MN friends are laughing at me and I know why. And yes, I will readily admit that I have a crush on a certain rockstar. I think he’s really good-looking. So sue me. But (in my mind at least) that’s a far cry from what the fisherman was implying. So not that I am not interested in guys - but I have a life and identity that decidely does not revolve around them.

This is one reason why I haven’t been able to get into the Twilight craze. I’ll admit the books are interesting but I find myself constantly annoyed because the main character has no life/identity outside of boys (of course, they are romance novels so I guess that’s kind of the point). A lot of my friends LOVE this series though…and you’ll never find me telling anybody NOT to read a book. But I might reccomend some that I like a whole lot better…In fact, I’m compiling a list of much stronger female protagonists of science fiction and fantasy.

So anyway, this all boils down to getting stirred up by the fisherman’s random but very presumptive comment. And that long ramble is just my explanation of why it got to me so much.

And now, onto other things.

Calypso is doing okay. She may be doing a little better - it’s very hard to say. It’s hard to keep her from running around like a lunatic but it’s been easier than expected. Still, she’s a little sneak. I’ve kept the door to my bedroom shut so she won’t go leap onto the bed but this morning she discovered how to open said closed door. So now we have to especially watch it. Kippy is enjoying all the attention though - she’s such a ham! A very happy dog.

Aaaand, I have ideas running around my head faster than Calypso wants to be running around the house. It’s hard to focus on the projects I’m working on (ie. “North City”) when I get exciting *new* ideas.

For instance…a few weeks ago I was listening to a song and thinking about how its music video (more of a short film than a typical video) was unrelated to the actual topic of the song. I thought hey, I should get one of my friends together to do a spoof. Years ago, riding back from Chattanooga, we had come up with this elaborate (and very bizarre) story based on a dream I’d had. I thought why not base the music video around that song. My friend and I would film this short video, interspersed with lip-synching the song.

Or that was my glorious idea at least.

Then, last night, I was listening to a band I’d just discovered - the Arrogant Worms (that sounds like an Alice band, doesn’t it?). I’d already wanted to insert a scene into the non-existant music video that used part of a Weird Al song and now I was thinking that I had to have some Arrogant Worms stuff…

By the time I went to bed the idea was a full-fledged musical about two people on a roadtrip who keep running into fictional characters from different books and movies.

And it’s not something I even think I will seriously persue but I spent a LOT of time working it out in my head.

And that’s just one example.

Anyway, this evening I went out to eat at a nearby Chinese restaurant with one of my best friends. Elisabeth and I have known each other since we were about three and still have a great time whenever we meet up. So we had a very enjoyable dinner and caught up on relevent and irrelevent stuffs.

So that’s my long yadda-yadda for today. Catch you all later!

A




Image from http://www.cafepress.com/+before_you_ask_jr_baby_doll_double_sided,26160664

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5 Responses to “Pet Peeves And [maybe not-so-]Brilliant Ideas That Last A Day”
Dave Lukosik on 15 Jul 2010 at 9:01 pm # edit this

Cute Tee shirt! Saw Twilight 2 & 3, liked the wolves not the vampires, Bella is lame but Jacob is good. Edward is boring! I wonder if Disney will build a Twilight theme park? Don’t sweat the small stuff and keep your eye on the prize! Keep cool and hug a husky!

Toni Reitter on 15 Jul 2010 at 11:09 pm # edit this

OMG, the misconceptions about sled dogs in general are so frustrating, and this year it’s like all of these know it alls are coming through the line. They will sit there and argue with the dog’s OWNER and tell them they don’t know what breed they’re using. Oy.

and I am RIGHT there with you about the boy crazy comments. I have so many people that just want to hook me up with someone anyone because of my age and that’s what all girls my age are looking for. Well, yeah, it’d be nice, but I’m not going to throw myself at every guy who breathes. lol

I feel for ya, girl!

wolfmoonsleddog on 17 Jul 2010 at 12:53 pm # edit this

A “Twilight” theme park? Okay, that is just scary…Always preferred werewolves to vampires but not a huge fan of Jacob either.

Toni, I know where you are coming from. LOL! Oh the frustrations…

A

Peter Duncan on 18 Jul 2010 at 6:39 pm # edit this

Top notch rant !

The more I read your blog, the more I wish I hadn’t missed you during my visit to MCK. Funny, funny girl - that’s funny in a good way ;^)

wolfmoonsleddog on 23 Jul 2010 at 7:16 pm # edit this

Thanks, Peter!

I know, it’s a shame that I missed you - both at MCK and at Deer Creek (I think I was visiting the Berges while you were visiting the Frekings). I think we would have hit it off. Oh well, I need another excuse to get back up to Alaska sometime.

Hugs to your dogs, especially Oscar, Lightfoot and little wee Avery.

A

Poor Calypso

Poor Calypso
Jul 13th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 9:48am Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 76 degrees F (24C)
Conditions: Cloudy
Forecast: Mostly cloudy with thunderstorms today, lows in the 70s, partly cloudy tomorrow. Highs in the 90s

Calypso, looking much more sad than she actually is!

Although Calypso does have cause to be sad. Last week I saw that she was limping and it didn’t improve. I took her to the vet last Friday and she said she suspected a partially torn ACL in her left rear knee. This sucks, although we are hoping in will get better on its own. We kind of have Calypso under house arrest right now, which she is dealing with better than expected. She does seem miffed that we’re not letting her run and jump and she’s having limited contact with Bonnie and Susan because the three of them always like to romp around.

Kippy (Calypso) and Susie shared the same crate last night and I think they enjoyed that. Bonnie got to be the spoiled hog and slept on my bed.

Things are good, other than that. We just got great news this morning that means our off-topic issues are going as well as possible. Yay! Celebration here today, that’s for sure.

My Mom and I watched two movies recently. (500) Days Of Summer and Nell. Both were very, very good and I highly reccomend them.

In the meantime the dog shed looks great. We have a couple more strips to nail up and then all that’s left is the doors (and windows, if I decide to do that). It’s going to be great!

Next project: New doghouses and stakeout posts.

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3 Responses to “Poor Calypso”
Tiffany on 13 Jul 2010 at 8:26 am # edit this

So sad for Calypso! My dog, Jasmine, had to have her ACL replaced 3 months ago. She lives to run but hasn’t been able to yet. She’s building her strength back up and she has finally rejoined the rest of the dogs on our evening walks. I’m hoping she’ll be back to normal by the fall so she can resume bikejoring and going on biking trips with me in the winter. I hope Calypso is able to heal well and quickly!

wolfmoonsleddog on 14 Jul 2010 at 7:50 am # edit this

Sorry to hear about Jasmine. I hope she recovers well by the time colder weather rolls around. We are hoping that Calypso will heal up on her own and not have to go into surgery. Fortunately, like I mentioned, it looks like it is only a partial tear.

A

Dave Lukosik on 15 Jul 2010 at 8:52 pm # edit this

Hey Calypso, best wishes for a speedy recovery and take it easy!

4th Of July At Little River Canyon

4th Of July At Little River Canyon
Jul 5th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 7:22pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 88 degrees F (32C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, warm
Forecast: Clear today and tomorrow. Highs in the 90s, lows in the 60s

Another long post is in the works but in the meantime, here are a couple of pictures from Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama. I hadn’t been there in a LONG TIME - definitely not since it was designated a National Preserve. And yes, there are canyons in the Southeast!!

My family and I spent the 4th visiting the canyon, which was really crowded. Still, it was great to get out and about like we used to do! Good times. We saw another husky and about ten chihuahuas.


Bonnie observes a scenic overlook

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3 Responses to “4th Of July At Little River Canyon”
Dave Lukosik on 05 Jul 2010 at 8:26 pm # edit this

Looks like the southern most part of the Eastern Continental Divide. Have you visited Desoto Caverns in Alabama? Cool place this time of the year! Wish I could find some lighted caves to walk the Siberians this time of year!

Jessee & Team SSpirit on 11 Jul 2010 at 10:01 am # edit this

Gorgeous. never been there but always wanted to, that and the kentucky canyons. I went to Kure Beach (NC) for the fourth, but did not bring any dogs and was glad because I found they are really strict about dogs on the beach, thank goodness here I can just drive out the road to Wilsons creek and it’s beautiful river gorges!

wolfmoonsleddog on 13 Jul 2010 at 7:00 am # edit this

Dave - no I don’t think I have! There are so many neat caves and such in that area. There’s one very near here - Cave Spring cave - but I don’t think they allow pets. I love caves and karst systems.

Jessee - You should come over this way for a visit and we’ll go exploring. Besides Little River, there’s also Cloudland Canyon, Buck’s Pocket, Walls Of Jericho (utterly undeveloped but WELL worth the steep hike), etc. All dog friendly.

Most beaches are very strict about dogs. There’s a pretty nice one down near Savannah where my cousins take their pup. But that’s probably a pretty long drive for you!

Cheers!

A

Marble Mine/Taylor's Ridge Hike

Marble Mine/Taylor’s Ridge Hike
Jul 2nd 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 7:50pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 83 degrees F (28C)
Conditions: Partly cloudy, less humid
Forecast: Clearing tonight, sunny tomorrow. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s


Agh! I think she needs brushing again (and I just brushed her!). This is Susan on the trail up Taylor’s Ridge heading towards the Pinhoti Trail.

This morning I didn’t have to work and it actually felt COOL outside. The humidity was down and there was even a cool breeze. When you get that kind of weather, at this time of year, in this part of the country, you’d be crazy not to take advantage of it.

So early this morning I took Susan over to James Floyd State Park (known locally as Sloppy Floyd Park) and we went for a hike. Sloppy Floyd is somewhere I have been going since I was very, very small - mainly the playground/picnic area. My best friends and I always went there.

Weirdly enough, for all the time I spent in the picnic area/playground, I never had really explored the park’s hiking trails (except for brief forays around the edge of the lake). So that was my goal today. Susan and I hiked up to an old marble mine cut into the side of the ridge. A boardwalk leads to the back and water drips off the ledge above and seeps out of the rocks within the mine itself. There must be some sort of spring there too because the pool is quite large and the water is very clear.

There are two holes into the rock behind the boardwalk. One of them I could see the back of but the other I could not. Wish I’d brought a flashlight…

After poking around there for a bit, Susan and I hiked up Taylor’s Ridge to the top where the paths from the park join up with the Pinhoti trail. It was a gloriously clear day with very little humidity and haze - meaning the view was spectacular. We followed the Pinhoti for a while and then cut back down on another trail that said something like “Floyd State Park This Way”.

Then there was a sign that warned “Steep Grade, Foot Travel Only.”

Next time I’m hiking UP that way, not down. Fortunately Susan walks really well on a leash and knows not to pull my arm out of its socket so we were fine.

Susan loved going hiking and I enjoyed the time with her. It’s always fun to be one-on-one with my dogs. And we both got good exercise. By the time we left the temperature had warmed up ten degrees but it was only in the 70s (geez, I hate saying “only in the 70s” as if that’s actually cold).

My aunt is visiting this weekend and she and my Mom and Dad and I just went out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants. Woo-hoo. Now we are going to watch a movie - Girl Most Likely To. I’ve never seen it so we’ll see how it is.

Over and out for now. I’ll close with a picture of the marble mine.




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4 Responses to “Marble Mine/Taylor’s Ridge Hike”
Dave Lukosik on 03 Jul 2010 at 10:03 pm # edit this

Sounds and looks like a nice hike! I have been using a Musher’s belt with a bungee cord and carbiner to attach the 6 ft lead, saves wear and tear on your arm, shoulder, wrist!

wolfmoonsleddog on 05 Jul 2010 at 4:45 pm # edit this

It was. That’s a good idea about the belt and something I might try as I have one in one of my boxes of equipment (that will be going in the storage shed when it’s finished!).

Dave Lukosik on 06 Jul 2010 at 7:22 pm # edit this

Just be careful where you wear that belt! For months I was wearing it too low until I figured out that the Sciatic nerve pain in my leg was coming from a pinched nerve from the placement of the belt while hiking with 2 Siberians at a time! News Flash! Zoya DeNure won back her $4,000 2011 Iditarod entry fee at the First day to register picnic and drawing! Checkout her website at Crazy Dog Kennels!

wolfmoonsleddog on 13 Jul 2010 at 6:54 am # edit this

Thanks - I’ll keep that in mind.

Zoya and John are awesome! I met them in Fall ‘07 and they have a fantastic kennel and I love their attitude towards their dogs. I was going to work for them this Summer but, as you know, that fell through.

Will definitely be cheering Zoya on in Iditarod 2011!!

A

Mushers Sign Up For 2011 Iditarod

Mushers Sign Up For 2011 Iditarod
Jun 29th 2010
wolfmoonsleddog
Southeast
Location: Armuchee, GA
Time - 8:20pm Eastern Daylight Time
Temperature: 82 degrees F (28C)
Conditions: Mostly clear
Forecast: Chance of thunderstorms tonight and tomorrow. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s.


Above: Ana, who will NOT be running the Iditrod.

So the sign-up for the 2011 Iditarod opened last weekend and, although there will be more entrants added to this list later, here are the 45 teams who signed up last Saturday:

Mitch Seavey, Sterling;
Hugh Neff, Tok;
Sebastian Schnuelle, Paxson;
Mike Williams Jr, Akiak;
Paul Gebhardt, Kasilof;
Aliy Zirkle, Two Rivers;
Jim Lanier, Chugiak;
Jodi Bailey, Chatanika;
Melissa Owens, Nome;
G.B. Jones, Knik;
Ken Anderson, Two Rivers;
Dallas Seavey, Willow;
Brennan Norden, Kasilof;
Kelley Griffin, Wasilla;
DeeDee Jonrowe, Willow;
Kristy Berington, Kasilof;
Wattie McDonald, Scotland;
Michael Suprenant, Chugiak;
Bruce Linton, Kasilof;
Scott Janssen, Anchorage;
Hans Gatt, Whitehorse;
Ellen Halvorson, Wasilla;
Judy Currier, Fairbanks;
Bob Storey, Willow;
Newton Marshall, Jamaica;
Billy Snodgrass, Dubois, Wyo.;
Lance Mackey, Fairbanks;
Martin Buser, Big Lake;
Jessica Hendricks, Two Rivers;
Michelle Philips, Tagish, Yukon;
Gerry Willomitzer, Whitehorse;
Allen Moore, Two Rivers;
Karin Hendrickson, Willow;
Zoya DeNure, Paxson;
Ramey Smyth, Willow;
Magnus Kaltenborn, Big Lake;
Trent Herbst, Ketchum, Idaho;
Angie Taggart, Ketchikan;
Ray Redington Jr., Knik;
Linwood Fiedler, Willow,
Lachlan Clarke, Buena Vista, Colo.;
Kris Hoffman, Steamboat Springs, Colo.;
Tom Thurston, Oak Creek, Colo.;
Mike Santos, Cantwell;
Robert Bundtzen, Anchorage;
Kelly Maixner, Big Lake.
Obviously missing from this list is Jeff King, who retired after the 2010 Iditarod. Well, retired as much as someone like Jeff King can…
However, even without King in the mix, the 2011 field looks to be very competitive (hey, we’ve got Lance Mackey going up against a record that -so far- nobody has been able to beat) and there are plenty of familiar faces showing up. On the other hand there are depressingly few rookies. It is getting harder and harder for rookies to qualify for the race. Whether this is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
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6 Responses to “Mushers Sign Up For 2011 Iditarod”
Toni Reitter on 29 Jun 2010 at 7:44 pm # edit this

I think the restraints they’ve put on rookies is needed. After so many (including a Seavey!) got caught in the blizzard in 2009 and some were NOT at ALL prepared to deal with it (we came dangerously close to our first musher death). I can’t help but think the latest rules have really helped with dog safety and health. No dog deaths for the first time EVER, which is in and of itself something to celebrate

all of this I know you know… but I have to think it’s a good thing!

Carly on 01 Jul 2010 at 4:02 am # edit this

Agreed! I am glad they tightened up the requirements. After 2009, something had to be done to protect the dogs AND the mushers so everyone is as prepared for the trail as possible.

I see Schnuelle couldn’t give it up, although he mused on it this year.

Thank you for posting this!

wolfmoonsleddog on 03 Jul 2010 at 7:54 am # edit this

You’re welcome! Always interested to see who signs up for the Iditarod.

It’s hard to know how the rule changes will play out. Obviously this year’s Iditarod was GREAT and a MAJOR improvement over 2009.

The changes do, however, make it harder for even legitamate rookies to qualify. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out, either way…

A

Dave Lukosik on 03 Jul 2010 at 9:59 pm # edit this

Having been an Iditarod fan since 1977,when I lived in Anchorage(1976-81) and saw several of the race starts. In my opinion, if most major things go right for a rookie he/she can survive the race and maybe even finish it! But given a major weather event, dog team problem, outdoor camping problem, etc a rookie can have a disaster and be a liability to the race, the dogs, and the musher. There have been several near deaths in the rookie ranks and some of the experienced mushers survived because of their extensive experience in cold weather and on the trail. Let’s get rid of the ego-tripping rookies that just want bragging rights and an Iditarod Finishers belt buckle if they are lucky. Someone that really works to get the long distance mushing experience and has the where with all to finance and run the race should be given the opportunity to participate! Note DB Jones is running again! Hope Jeff King changes his mind and runs the race!

wolfmoonsleddog on 05 Jul 2010 at 4:49 pm # edit this

Huh, I just wrote a long reply and it disappeared. Okay not writing it over again so:

1) David, I agree but I think some qualified rookies are being turned off by the whole hassle and increasing costs of running the race (ie. entry fee is approx. 4 times what it was)

2) Good to see GB back. I don’t think Jeff will be back, he’s down to 30-something dogs now and selling 11 more.

3) Sorry this is short. I’m not trying to come across as snippy - I’m just miffed that my nice long post ran away and I really don’t feel like typing all of that over again.

Cheers and have a good day!

A

Dave Lukosik on 05 Jul 2010 at 8:17 pm # edit this

I know the feeling! One wrong key stroke and zap! All your thoughts and key strokes are gone! Yes, the entry fee is getting out of sight! One thing for sure, the Iditarod Race gives alot of people inside and outside Alaska something to do and look forward to during the long Alaskan Winter! I remember that well from living thru 5 long Winters up there!