Yes, today Hototo, Honaw & Honovi are leaving here with Rosaire & going to their new home. It has only been three months, however, I am already emotionally attached to them. As I have interacted with the puppies everyday since their birth a close attachment occurs. It is difficult to part with them! However, I still have the pleasure of playing & working on the development of Halona, Hurit, Hok'ee & Hinto. It is with thanks to Rosaire, with the loan of Tony, that I was able to produce this wonderful litter.
On the Puppies Page there are a few new photos of the Pups taken after eating their breakfast. They are now 12 weeks old and have really grown. It is interesting to look back and see how quickly they have developed. 
On the "arrivals" side, tomorrow David arrives here and starts his stay at Miortuk. He will be initiated on Tuesday Morning to the first run of the season with the dogs. It should be a very exciting morning as the dogs are all ready,with the changing lower temperatures, to get running.
It should be a busy week here with David's arrival & the Fall conditioning starting for the dogs (& Musher) with the anticipation of a great racing season ahead. 
Until next week..........

Yes, I remember well the morning of 9/11! 
I had just come into the chalet after training two teams , I  turned on the TV  while having a coffee and saw the second plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought at first, it was a movie advertisement and then realized it was not.
So, in memory of that day 10 years ago, I am lovingly remembering the dogs that ran that day & have since passed away.
Until next week........

Halona showing affection for her brother Hinto or is it she is just moving in to see if there is any more food on his face? At any rate, it is a cute moment!
It has been a week of excitement here with numerous thunder storms, great lightning shows and a visit by the Vet Saturday to vaccinate all the dogs. 
As I write this, the thunder is rolling through the rainy, cloud ridden skies. Already to day, the hydro was interrupted once due to this storm.
It certainly is an exciting time when the Vet comes to vaccinate all the dogs. Some are very easy & stoic, others very excitable. It is some times a challenge with the more excitable dogs. The Puppies got their first vaccination and showed no fuss. Of coarse, they were being cradled in the arms of several assistants. We have to take all the pups out out at the same time, as to ensure each gets their vaccination ( too difficult to tell them apart). The pups showed no effect from the experience & it didn't slow them down afterwards. 
The squirrels are getting busy gathering their winter supplies and teasing (with their chatter) the hell out  of the adults in the kennel. The hunting instinct in this type of husky is certainly showing.
The weather this week has turned milder. Along with the warmer temperatures, the humidity is back.
Both David & Charlie have contacted me this week and confirmed their arrive times here at Miortuk. All the harnesses are now clean & two more freezers should arrive here in the next couple of weeks to ensure the frozen meat will be taken care of for the Winter. 
All is coming together for the upcoming season.
Until next week......

Yes, the nights are getting cooler and the dogs are getting ready to run. As you can see here, Blue is showing his enthusiasm to the cooler temperatures.
However, not everyday is cool enough yet and there is still, at times, high humidity. The conditioning/training will probably start around the 3rd week of September. By that time the temperatures are consistent enough to set up a good running program.
The Puppies are growing and eating more which corresponds with their more active play times. It is hard to believe that they are 9 weeks old already. I have added a new family portrait in the "puppies" page.
There has been a lot of crazy weather here in Eastern Canada this week with many heavy thunder storms and even tornadoes and now a major hurricane going up the east cost of North America. Luckily here, we have missed most of the real bad weather.
Until next week......

Yes, what could be more relaxing than watching Puppies play & spectacular Sunsets!
All the signs of Fall approaching are suddenly here with the Hornets building a Winter nest, the Humming Birds aggressively visiting the feeder to prepare for their migration South and the Musher washing his harnesses & checking equipment for the upcoming season. Also, the nights are getting cooler & the dogs more restless. This week, I also received a confirming email of David's arrival here next month.
Soon another running season will be upon us and along with this the planning of what races to attend and the training schedule required to prepare the team for these advents.
The Puppies were 8 weeks old on Friday and are very active as well as very aggressive eaters. I posted a clip on YouTube this week that shows the Puppies eating. It sure doesn't take long for the food to disappear! It seems like every other day, I have to increase the volume of food to meet their ravenous apatites. I also posted their pedigree this week.
The adults are all showing signs of their desire to start training with their restlessness and more aggressive attitude. However, the temperatures are still too warm & the humidity too high to safely run them.
Like the dogs, I am also getting more restless in anticipation of the upcoming season. I have to be patient as the start of the training will be here soon enough. So, it is time to sit back and relax with watching the Puppies & the Sunsets.
Until next week ........

In this series of photos, while Halona is singing; her brother's Hinto, Hototo & sister Hurit listen to her sweet song with approval!
The puppies are just over 7 weeks old now & are growing rapidly. Their individual personalities are starting to show & it is fun to see them interact with each other. My friend Rosaire was here yesterday & made his pick of the puppies ( as we are dividing the litter between us as he supplied Tony & I supplied Cobalt ). He picked two males(Hototo & Honaw) and one female (Honovi). He made some good picks are we are both happy with the results.In the "Puppy" section their is a family portrait of the Pups at 7 weeks old.
We had another crazy week of weather with storms & rain. This also caused a Hydro outage Wednesday night Around 7pm until Thursday at 1pm. However, the forest needed the rain as it was getting dry. A long power outage is a little unsettling as all the meat for the dogs is kept in freezers.
One of my neighbour,s friends landed his airplane on the Manawan road on Saturday when he came to visit. This certainly added some excitement.
Until next week....... 

Yes, it was a great week here playing with the Puppies and at the end of the day seeing beautiful sunsets. 
WHAT MORE COULD ONE ASK FOR!
The puppies were weaned this week and are doing great on their own. It was a very easy transition for the Pups ; however, Cobalt was missing her brood especially at night. The puppies are eating like crazy and I am having to increase their food intake almost daily. It doesn't take long to devour their meals. They are also getting far more active and are having vigorous play times after eating. Then a group sleep. I am enjoying a play time with them after the evening chores. This gives me time to interact with each one and also have some petting time holding one while watching the others play and compete for my attention. Their personalities are staring to develop and this is also fun to watch. The males look so much alike it is hard to tell them apart. The only real difference is the amount of white on their rear paws.
The adults are doing little as the heat & humidity returned this week.
This was the last week of the main two weeks of vacation here in Quebec. This increased the amount of traffic here adding to a lot more activity and distractions for both the dogs & me. This evening, after most vacationers have returned to the cities, the dogs will be exhausted and will basically sleep for a couple of days adjusting again to the peace & tranquillity of the forest.
My neighbour said he saw tracks from a large Wolf, not to far from my place, tracking a Moose & a Deer as their tracks were also in the same area. It is not unusual not to see the forest's natural inhabitants with so many humans in the area. However, on Thursday evening a Fox had visited my camp leaving his/her scat as a calling card.
Until next week.........

Here are a few photos of the Puppies adventuring outside the whelping house for the first time. Only 5 of the 7 were brave enough to take on this new adventure. Now all are participating in the outings. This wired pen section is a great way to keep the puppies clean, teach them to do their business outside their sleeping quarters and to teach them the feeling of different surfaces. This type of pen keeps the pups healthy and helps prevents diseases before they are old enough to be vaccinated. All the stool & urine pass right through the wire bottom for hygienic purposes and also makes for easy clean up. 
The Puppies are in their 5th week now and are eating normal food now along with the supplementation from the mother. This week Cobalt will be removed during the day & returned in the evening for 5 days. After that the puppies should be completely weaned from their mother. Their are some new photos on the "Puppies" page taken right after eating. They love to get totally into their food leaving a big clean up job for Cobalt. Cobalt is a good Mother teaching the Pups to go outside to urinate & defecate. As well as teaching them to eat solids by letting them share her food. During the daily play times with the Pups, I am getting to see their individual personalities and now staring to name them. It is difficult with the males as they pretty well all look alike with the only difference is the amount of white on their rear paws.
The weather here is a little more pleasant with some cooler temperatures. However, we still experience periods of high humidity.
Most of the fly problems are gone & the adult dogs are enjoying the peace & tranquillity. Amazingly they were not really affected by the heat & humidity. Of coarse the kennel is close to the lake and surrounded by the forest which offers plenty of shade.
Until next week.......

These images were caught around mid night on the 21st of July using a Mino Flip Video Camera and extracting still photos from it. As you can see, it was a violent electrical storm that developed into a heavy rain. This was the second such storm in two nights. We have had a hot/humid week here and these storms were the result.
The pups are growing fast and are far more active & robust in their play. The "Puppies Page" shows the Pups starting to experiment with normal food. As of this morning , they are all diving in the dishes to get their share, much to the serine of Cobalt. After the meal, Cobalt has a big job cleaning up the Puppies as they have plenty of food on them.
The adult dogs are handling the heat better than me. They don't seem to be affected at all by the weather. They are eating well and are well hydrated and then more active in the early evening when it cools down.
The heat wave is supposed to break this coming week and I am looking foreword to the cooler temperatures.
Until next week......

Here Halona (Of Happy Fortune {Native American}) looks out & seems to be contemplating the big world outside her whelping box. 
The litter this time was my "H" litter and I decided to give the puppies Native American Names. As it turned out, the 25th of June was also the anniversary for the last great Native American battle. In the Little Big Horn of South Dakota, the combined forces of the Plains Sioux & the Cheyenne defeated the US 7th Army led by General George Armstrong Custer commonly referred to as "Custer's Last Stand". Ironically, I had no knowledge of the significance of this date when I decided to name my pups in honour of Native Americans.
The puppies are now three weeks old and changing rapidly. They have opened their eyes now, are walking more and thus exploring more. They are staring to show their individual personalities and will be named suitably. It is fun trying to match names to their individual personality! The pups are playing more and have even ventured outside the whelping box. They are also starting to teeth. How quickly they change, even their muzzle's are extending.
The dogs in the kennel keep renovating their housing areas and love to chase the Butterflies they get to close. When the temperatures cool down in the evening, they get more interactive & play with each other.
The weather here this week has been beautiful with warm/hot sunny days and cooler nights. We have been blessed here with some nice cooling winds.
The Back Flies are finally gone , only to be replaced by the House Flies. These flies love to bite the ears of the dogs. I was introduced to a new product (SWAT) by Denis that keeps the flies off the dogs ears.
It has been a great week here in the Northern Forest!
Until next week.........