Blue is saying ,"Tell Me When To Go!" Yes, after a long Summer layoff, we are running again. The dogs are extremely excited & ready to go! 
We were able to get in two days of conditioning runs this week with  two teams of nine adults per team. The dogs & I certainly enjoyed getting back out running. I added a few videos on the Training page of the first two days of running.
The temperatures this week were far more conducive to running with morning temperatures around 0 Celsius to just above 0.  
Saturday, Michele arrived from Minnesota and started her adventure here in the Northern Forest. She got a quick introduction to the dogs Saturday night at feeding & she was welcomed with their enthusiasm. Charlot, the German Shepherd, is in his glory with a new  person to lavish him with attention.
We are looking to start the Yearlings this week in the running program & introduce them to the adult teams. It should be fun!
The puppies from Indy & Bella were born on the 22nd of September & there is more information on them on the Puppy Page. I hope to have photos of them for the next Blog.
Until next week.......

Pardon the quote from the movie "Forest Gump*", but that pretty well describes the week of weather we have had here. For the most part it has been wet & rainy with some cool mornings & the return of the humidity. It seems ironic that all Summer long it has been dry & now when it is time to run dogs it is wet! 
GO FIGURE!
I very much dislike running the dogs in the rain, getting them all wet & covered in dirt. Their harnesses also get wet & covered in grit which I am sure is not comfortable for them. I try to relate, that if its not fun for me, then it is not fun for them. 
That is just my philosophy!
Of coarse, along with the wet weather, I end up cooking different meals I don't usually have time for. This week was homemade Fish & Chips! The meal was delicious and it was two years since the last time I had this dish!
However, I can't really complain to much about the rain compared to the heavy rains & flooding in South Central Alaska. To all my Alaskan Friends my thoughts are with you.
If the temperatures & weather is as forecasted I plan on getting the adult dogs started on their conditioning program next week.
With the purchase of 3/4 ton pickup, I have decided to place my F150 up for sale. The info. can be found  on the Equipment For Sale page of the website. I also have a very good Mid Distance Sled for sale too those of you interested.
Until next week........

This morning the first signs of Autumn were apparent here with the 6.30am awakening by the honking cry of the first flock of migrating Canada Geese. The  Maple, Aspen & Birch trees  leaves are starting to change color with yellows & brilliant reds. In the photos above, the mists of the early mornings hang over the lake accented by the beautiful blue sky. The truck shows the results of the first frost of this Fall & the dogs are getting ready to run. 
This is a beautiful time of year with the seasonal changes in the forest & the anticipation of another great running season with the dogs.
It is also my pleasure to announce the joining of the Miortuk Team with addition of Michele Vasquez for this season & Tony Gonzales for next season. You can see their bios on the Handler/Trainee's Page. They will be accompanied by Carmella & Ben  for this season & next.
Welcome aboard Michele & Tony!
It is my hope to start running the adult dogs this week as the forecasts for the morning temperatures this week look conducive for training. After a few runs with the adults to get rid of the early running crazies, I will introduce the Yearlings to the team.
Until next week.......

Yes, sometimes in life everything just falls in place. That certainly is the case here with the truck box for the dogs being repaired & mounted, acquiring a newer Danler racing sled, filling the second Handler position for this coming season & filling the second Handler position for next season. That is a lot of actions for one week!
This week also was interesting from misty mornings to spectacular sunsets, a major storm the produced high winds & a large volume of rain resulting in another 5 hour hydro interruption. This is all in a week of variety from Mother Nature. Life can be very simple , if you just accept what happens & don't stress over things you can't control.
With the storm came some cooler temperatures that is definitely stimulating the dogs in anticipation of starting the running season. If these temperatures continue, I plan to start the conditioning program in a couple of weeks. 
Until next week........

This week saw the completion of another objective for this upcoming racing season. With the plans for attending more races & with the objective to take all the dogs in the kennel with me, I required a heavier duty truck to handle the load. I was fortunate enough to purchase this truck to fulfill my requirements.
Also this week, I started preparing the my other truck for sale. I plan on listing it on the Website next week. If anyone is interested contact me for the details.
It is hard to believe that is September 2nd already here & the dogs conditioning/training season will hopefully start in a couple of weeks. The mornings are now cool enough to start running the dogs.
The dogs are feeling the change in temperature & are showing signs that they are anticipating the start of another season. I am also very excited, as we should have a fun team this year with the oldest dogs being just 6 years old. It is a nice young team!
Until next week.......