It has been another hot/humid/rainy week here!
However, the flies are disappearing!
Getting things ready for the start of the training season and everything is just about ready to go.
Just to give a glimpse of things to come: here is a video taken Spring 2016 training puppies.
​Until next week....... 

Another crazy week here with unsettled weather.
From warm/humid sunnys days to Thunder/Lightning Storms!
It has been an incredibly wet Summer and recently with torrential downpours.
However, Fall will soon be here and another season of running the dogs will start.
The one photo above is of the Fireweed that is now in full bloom. When it goes to silk (seed), it will indicate in 6 weeks our first snowfall. You will be kept posted of when this annual occurrence happens.
On a positive note, the wild raspberries are plentiful this year.
Last night was the Annual Méchoui du club des épinettes. This a great party centering around BBQ'd Pork slow roasted/smoked over a wood fire, fresh Quebec Corn on the Cob and several side dishes. The Club had set up tenting for the participants to keep them dry. It was needed, as a thunderstorm/rains occurred throughout the early portion of the Get Together. 
No one got wet and the weather did not dampen the great time had by all.
 A special shout out to Denis Temblay for the BBQ'D Pork Roasts.
Until next week.......
​

It was hot/humid week here resulting several big storms with thunder/lightning and torrential rains.
However, Friday was the impediment of this of this freaky weather.
Around mid-day, we had a horrendous storm with thunder/lightning, extremely violent winds and a deluge of rain lasting for a little over one hour resulting in downed trees and flooding. On the service road here there was over 4" of rain on the road. Luckily the earthen base here is sand allowing the flooding to dissipate quickly. There was no damage around the kennel or with the chalet.
Never since living here for 20 years have I never witnessed a storm with this intensity here before. 
Throughout the weekend, waves of smaller rain storms passed through.
Today, the skies were still cloudy and the temperatures have dropped to the mid-teens Celsius.
It was still a great weekend as friends came up and we enjoyed fantastic food and great company.
​Until next week.......

Yes, this Musher is getting bored with summer and is getting anxious to start running the dogs.
Although Summer is a nice break, the hot/humid weather and the flies don't necessarily mix well with the mushing lifestyle.
The dogs are getting more hemped up everyday as the nights here are getting cooler (10C) and with the new diet, they are ready to go!
They are digging more holes and more excited anticipating the new season.
Slowly everything is getting in place here with plans being made for what races plan on attending and setting the calendar to mark down the dates.
Next, will be setting up the training plan to prepare the dogs for those races.
If all goes well, it should be a fun/exciting season.
The yearling from last year (Blue/Indigo Breeding) are looking great and after their performance last season, should be ready to perform.
The way things look now with a combination of experienced leaders, mature and young dogs, we should be able to produce a very competitive team with lots of depth.
Yes, it is the same the beginning of every season, the dreams of the musher are high.
Now, do everything possible to produce the desired results.
That is the job of the musher!!
​Until next week......

What seems ordinary in the city can be complicated in a remote area.
The last two weeks proved this to be true.
Last week I set up a dentist appointment and the day before checked to make sure the truck would start (been sitting here for several weeks not being used).
Of course it didn't start, so the batteries were recharged and then it started reluctantly. It didn't sound right, so I checked under the hood to discover the Serpentine Belt was broke due to the Alternator failure.
Living 36 km from the repair shop, the vehicle had to be towed to the village. With the village being far from the closest parts supplier, the truck wouldn't be fixed until the following day. I do have a great garage in the village!
Therefore, the dentist appointment had to be changed until a later date. Also, a ride had to be arranged to go the village to pick up the now repaired vehicle.
That week, I ordered something on the internet to be delivered to my postal address for delivery. When going to the village the following week discovered the package had not been delivered, after seven days since placing the order. After calling the supplier, it was discovered the package was sent UPS as it contained toxic materials ( mosquito repellent) and UPS does not deliver here in the forest. The supplier & UPS had to be contacted to reroute the package to an address in the village for pickup. I also had to notify the company in the village that a parcel of mine would be delivered to them. I will know later on today if everything worked out with the delivery. If so, then another 72 km round trip to pickup the package.
Even though living here in a remote area has its challenges, I wouldn't change living here. 
It is still a paradise!
​Until next week......

No matter what season it is here at Miortuk, Nature is always beautiful.
So lucky to be able to enjoy, especially in the off season, the peace and beauty here in the forest.
Life feels so good here for me, that I hate to leave here even for a short trip to the village.
With the wet/humid weather and the number of flies/mosquitoes here this year, the number of visitors to the forest is down leaving the forest very quiet.
This week was no exception with rainy weather in the beginning and changing to fantastic sunny/warm days by week end.
Above photos chronicle the week.
The last few weeks, the dogs have been on a little different diet schedule to help increase their weight before Fall training.
They are looking great!
However, they are getting a little more energetic and are anticipating the new season of running which is still a couple of months away.
To relieve their extra energy, they have been excavating their areas creating huge craters in the sand tipping over their houses. Also with their digging, throwing sand into their neighbours area. 
It is actually quite comical to see!
Well off tomorrow to do the every five week meat pickup for the dogs.
Another trip out of my solitude!
​Ah yes, the challenges that have to be faced.
​Until next week.......

We are very fortunate here to have the wet/humid weather as compared to other parts of Canada.
The West Coast (BC) is suffering from a drought causing some devastating forest fires, the prairie provinces are experiencing a suffocating heat wave and here in the east a rainy humid conditions.
The weather, we are experiencing here is surely a preference to the conditions in the rest of Canada.
The good news here is the Black Flies are gone and the mosquitoes are not quite as plentiful as last week.
However, the House Flies are plentiful and the Horse Flies are very big!
The damp weather, is not necessarily good for my diet as I tend to spend more time cooking and inventing "healthy" meals. Just joking!
The above Mac Charland is a pancake, topped with sliced breakfast sausage, topped with another pancake, topped with a fried egg, topped with another pancake and then topped with a generous helping of maple syrup. 
The Canadian is a deep fried hot dog wrapped with bacon on a bun and garnished.
Luckily the dogs eat a healthier menu than the musher!
YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE, so enjoy!
​Until next week......

From morning to night and from birth to adults, thank you Canada for life here at Miortuk!

As the song says: One is the loneliest number, does not apply to life here in the Northern Forest!
As you can see from the above photos, you are never alone here with the mosquitoes to my canine family, I am not alone!
Yes, this is a little humor! But, one has to have one (sense of humor) when dealing with the early Summer abundance of flies.
As a side note: swatting mosquitoes and houseflies is great for improving your hand/eye coordination and reflexes.
This week, the focus here was stormy weather and flies. With all the dampness/humidity the insect population exploded.
We are currently enjoying Black Flies (just about finished), Horseflies (big ones), Deer Flies, Houseflies and of course Mosquitoes!
Although these critters are annoying, their presence normally don't last too long and if protected don't bite.
The dogs are not bothered this year by most of the flies with the exception of the Horse Flies that try to bite them. Luckily they are not in abundance.
The dogs are enjoying their refurbished kennel with all the fresh new sand.
Makes digging that much easier!
With the wet weather, cooking makes up for the dreariness!
Always a bright side!
Another positive, it is with great please to announce the Jack Trigg will be joining the Miortuk Team for the 2017/18 season.
​Until next week......

What a difference 6 hours can make.
Thanks to the work of Denis Tremblay, a good friend and fellow musher, the kennel was transformed and refreshed in only 6 hours!
That meant all the dogs were moved out of the kennel to stake out chains, all the houses and pins removed from the kennel. Kennel then leveled, 12 dump truck loads of new sand brought in, then the new sand spread/leveled, pins and houses reinstalled and finally dogs returned to their newly refurbished kennel.
A remarkable job!!!
Merci Denis, I am so grateful!
So are the dogs with nice new/fresh sand to dig in. 
Now keep it raked daily to fill in their excavations.
LIFE WITH SLED DOGS!
You got too love it!
We had a few beautiful sunsets as seen in the above photos.
Also this week, hot humid weather brought out an incredible abundance of mosquitoes. 
Just horrific!!!
But, on the good news, the Dragonflies have hatched and are busily eating up the pesky mosquitoes. With a bumper crop of mosquitoes, they have their work cut out for them. Dragonflies will eat up to 15% of their body weight daily.
It is interesting how Nature takes care of itself.
This week Lena went to a new home were she will be run and bred. Lena is a big female and her new musher is looking to produce larger dogs. This was the best move for her. She was a great Wheel Dog here and her work ethic was greatly appreciated.
I would also like to thank Valerie and Laurent Gonsolin for their assistance in making this relocation happen.
I am a lucky musher!
​Until next week......