Puppies are so curious, taking in all the activities of the outside world. Soon they will be joining their pack mates in the kennel & a whole new adventure will begin! 
As the title suggests, we finally are starting to get Spring like conditions here. The snow is slowly disappearing, some open water can be seen on the lake, some of the migratory birds have returned and the squirrels are scurrying about forging for food. The forecast for the coming week is for temperatures in the high teens & low 20's Celsius with a little rain. Soon the trees will start to bud & a new canopy of green will cover the forest. The deep blue color of the lake will contrast with the rich blues of the Sky separated by a ridge of vibrant green. 
Spring here is so beautiful!
It is also my pleasure to announce Julia King will be joining the Miortuk Team this Fall to pursue her dream of Mushing! You can find out more about Julia on the Handler/Trainee page.
 Welcome aboard Julia.
Until next week......  

Yes, I live a very sheltered life away from the complexity & inhumanity of society! My life here is simple and flows with the rhythm of the Nature in the forest. I can't change it! Nor do I want to! I just accept & appreciate each day as it unfolds. I strive to respect my environment, all I come into contact with & thus respect myself. If only others would do the same! 
My heart goes out the the victims of the Boston Bombings!
The above collage of photos illustrates the weather fluctuations experienced here this week. The only thing missing was the strong winds & heavy down pore of rain experienced on Friday night. With the warm weather & rain, the snow is disappearing quickly & signs of Spring are appearing. 
Soon the forest will awaken from its long Winter sleep. 
Due to the below zero temperatures at night, I have had to increase the fat content of the dogs feed to maintain a proper weight. Some of the dogs lost too much weight when I went to a reduced fat diet. With this change, their weight is returning to proper levels. At this time of year, it is very difficult to maintain desired weight levels. 
This is a great time of the year with no training agenda, to just relax & spend quality bonding time with each dog. It is truly therapeutic for them as well as for me!
Until next week........        

Winter took longer to start & now it won't quite! 
This week, we had two snow storms pass here one on Tuesday leaving about 3" of wet snow & on Friday into Saturday another 10" of wet snow! However, with the mild temperatures, the snow is melting quickly. From Friday's storm, only about 3" is left. 
WHEN IS SPRING WEATHER GOING TO STAY!
However, the forest was beautiful with its fresh blanket of new snow.
Our Winter visitor, the Ermine (Wally) was in the basement again this week looking for food & playing games of hide & seek with me. He is quite comfortable around me & is fun to watch. Wally's main diet is mice, so he is a welcome guest & a great mouse trap. After his visit, he leaves the chalet & seeks food outside in his territory. He is now starting to change the color of his coat from Winter white to Summer brown.
Saturday, I gave Tepeu & Yaluk their booster vaccination. They will be four months old on the 20th of April. They are growing into beautifully built & very energetic young dogs.
Soon we will be introducing the Hobbits to pulling in harness. That should be a lot of fun!
Until next week.........

Spring weather here can change very quickly. But so can the growth of puppies. The photos are of Yakuk & Tepeu from one day old until 3 months old. How quickly they change! In another month (when they are 4 months old), they will be going out to join their pack mates in the kennel. They have quickly changed from being dependent to very independent, active adolescents. Both of them are very high energy pups with plenty of attitude. They should be a lot of fun to run as Yearlings!
As the title of the Blog suggests, it has been anything but Spring like here. We have received snow & high winds almost everyday. Although there has been very little new accumulation of snow, we also have not lost too much of the snow gathered through the Winter. Even the lake is still frozen & showing not signs of breaking up.
However, there are signs of Spring with more activity with the residents of the forest that were dormant through the Winter & some of the migratory birds are returning.
Soon the forest will awaken from its long Winter sleep!
Until next week.........