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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Thumbs Up...

 On the days we don't run dogs, it's often a time to head out on the Ski Doo, if it'll start, to check out the trails. There's usually spots that need work, smoothing out with the trail groomer, or shoveling snow in the dips or overflow at the creek crossing. It's not real hard work, but after being out in the cold for a while, you look forward to getting back, relaxing, and getting a bite to eat. After I got back inside the other day, took off all the winter gear, and headed upstairs. I really had a taste for some cheese. So I got out a block of colby jack and a cheese slicer. Now normally I'd use a knife, but for some reason, dug out the slicer. As I tried to slice the cheese, the slicer wouldn't cut, so gave it a good hard pull. That's when it popped up off the block of cheese and sliced off the tip of my thumb. Surpised wouldn't have covered what I felt. Astounded, blown away, and pissed off. So after stopping the blood flow, took the flap of skin hanging from the tip of the thumb and stuck it back on. Put on a bandage, but it kept bleeding, so Andy got out some sticky gauze and wrapped it up tight, then taped it.

So far it's staying on and not bleeding through. Never did get that cheese snack.

Here's a pic from one of last weeks dog runs.

I should find a better place for a photo. Now I have to wait for the dogs to slow down on a straight, level stretch of trail, so I can take the camera out from under my parka, and that's usually the same general area on the trail back home.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Couch Potatoes...

 Back when we first got Mac, the MacKenzie River husky pup, we wanted to raise him right. We hadn't had a litter of pups in many years, most of our dogs now are rescues from the animal shelter or CL ads. So he got to come in the house a lot. Andy thought he needed to feel at home inside, so she taught him to jump on the couch. Well it wasn't my idea, but "sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree."

So here he was at about three months. The ears and feet were a preview of what was to come.
And here he is at three years old. He takes up half the couch now. With the colder weather, we've been bringing the dogs inside, a few at a time, to warm up and get some socialization. Mac takes his place on the couch whenever he can.
Here's a recent dog run. It's been clear and cold with the trail real icy and fast after the latest warm spell. So we only take five dogs to keep the speed down and we rotate the older dogs to give them a day off. Mac is in the middle on the right next to Earl. As much as he's grown, Mac still kinda dwarfs him.

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Out and About...

With the warmer weather, it's a lot better outside doing chores, running dogs, and just enjoying the winter. While it 's hard to appreciate how cold the weather was just a few weeks ago, the dogs, at least the fuzzy ones like Gus and Mac,  don't really care for the warmth either. The airport just set new records with temps. in the forties above. It's supposed to cool off and be below zero by next week, so at least those dogs will be happy again.

Here's a shot from yesterdays dog run. We had some snow overnight, so it's hard to see how much the yahoo Skidooers shredded the trail during the warm spell. They sure know how to have fun!

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

February Runs Hot and Cold...

As noted, January ended very cold and February started off the same way. Other than a few days in the minus teens, it was thirty to forty below for the first week or so.

Jack Black hung out by the wood stove upstairs or the Toyo heater downstairs during the cold spell. Other than feeding and letting the dogs off for a brief free run, we mostly stayed inside too.
The thermometer seemed stuck at minus 33 for more than a few days. Even the giraffes were cold.

But as luck would have it, a chinook blew through this week and we've been above freezing the past few days. Before this it was too cold to run dogs, now it's almost too warm, go figure!

Friday, February 2, 2024

Cold Ground Hogs...

 If there were ground hogs in Alaska, they'd been smart to stay in their burrows, cause it's been real cold today. The official high at the airport was -30, after a low of -49, so a ground hog smart enough to predict the weather would certainly have stayed inside. While it had warmed up to the teens below zero earlier in the week, then we were able to get out a bit more, run the dogs, and a few trips to town for shopping, it didn't last and the cold is back again. But we did get unexpected visitors one night...

The dogs started barking a little after dinner, so we turned on the outside light and saw a cow and calf moose munching on some low birch branches. Eventually they moved over to the mountain ash near the house. Andy turned on the back light and they were right next to the deck, stripping off the dried leaves and branches, not ten feet from the house. After they finished off the lower branches, they wandered around back and up the driveway, munching on the birch there. Apparently getting tired of the dogs barking, they ambled up to the road and disappeared. Just another Fairbanks moose encounter. 

Friday, January 26, 2024

Cold and Colder...

 It had been a pretty mild winter until last week when it started to cool off. Since then it's been down to -40° at the airport and -35° up here in the hills. Not looking like it's going to change anytime soon. We've mostly been sticking close to home and other than a run to town for groceries, not too much excitement here abouts. Since it's too cold to run dogs down in the valley, where it's usually 10° colder, we've been letting them off once a day for their free run.

The dogs love to get off to run, especially when Andy has a pouch full of dog biscuits.

The sunsets are decent this time of year and the low angle of the sun keeps it going for a while.

It's hard to resist a selfie at these temperatures!

Monday, January 15, 2024

Happy New Year?...

Started off the New Year with a dog run out into the valley. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but bounced off a small spruce tree coming out of the turn around loop, and flipped the sled on its side. I hung on for a while as the dogs careened down the trail, but eventually lost my grip. It was a long walk home. I definitely need to work on their stop commands. They made it back fine with no damage to the sled, but Andy sure was surprised. The next day woke up with a nasty sore throat, which slowly evolved into a head cold. So spent these last two weeks on the couch taking aspirin, vitamin C, and hot tea with Yukon Jack. Probably not the best cure, but worked for me.

Today we got out for the first run since New Years. Had to put in a new turn around to avoid the ubiquitous trees, so then we had a decent run with only minimal angst.

Made it around the new turn around in spite of some skidoo jockeys tearing up the trail.
Back in the dog yard, everybody's happy this time, especially the dog driver!

Monday, December 25, 2023

Christmas Run...

 Spent Christmas day getting all the gear ready and then taking the dogs out for their first run with the sled. Nothing exciting happened after we got'em hooked up and left the yard, that's always the circus part,  so an unremarkable run's a good thing. Spent most of yesterday pulling a groomer with the Skidoo and fixing the bad spots on the trail so that made for a smooth run.  Here's a video Andy shot crossing the road on the way home.

Went to our neighbor's place yesterday for a Christmas eve dinner. It seems to get smaller every year as some people move away or others pass on. Times change but life goes on. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Monday, December 11, 2023

Second Time Around...

The first cataract surgery went well, so now I get to have the same thing done on the other eye. It's not terribly painful, just feels like pea gravel stuck in the eye, so compared to other surgeries, it's not so much, but still not looking forward to it. Today was the last day to catch up on the things that needed to be done before hand.

It'd warmed up 30 degrees (-14 to +16F) from yesterday, so of course the first priority was to run dogs. I thought I'd be on a sled by now, but still not enough snow. Then took the Ski Doo over the hill and drug a truck tire over the trail. It's pretty rough down in the valley where the mega-tussocks rule, so will wait until there's more snow before switching to the sled. Finally got on the tractor, cleaned up around the dog yard, hauled in a load of birch that I'd bucked up, then scraped the little snow we'd gotten off the driveway. We're supposed to get a big dump of snow in a day or two, so figured I'd get'er as clean as I could before the storm hit. Amazing what you can get done in a day when you have to!

Monday, November 27, 2023

Eye Ballin'...

Today might have been the last 4-wheeler run, since I go into town tomorrow for eye surgery. The cataracts have gotten worse over the years; haven't been able to weld for several years now and the project list keeps getting longer. So after much procrastinating, bit the bullet, as they say, and scheduled the surgery. 

Still hoping we'll get more snow, so I got the Ski Doo wide track running yesterday and broke out the sled trail. It was a pretty bumpy ride out in the valley with the tussocks barely covered with snow. But I only got stuck once, didn't have to walk home, so that's a pretty good ride for me.
Gus and Earl are the regular leaders now. Gus has been pretty serious up front for awhile, and except for getting overly excited at the start, he knows the trail and ignores the neighbors dogs and passing cars. Earl still acts like a goofy pup, just likes to harass Gus and enjoy the experience!

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Still 4-wheelin...

 While we did get about a half a foot of snow this week, it's still not enough to put the sled trail in across the valley. The tussocks there are over a foot high, so you need at least that much snow to break out the trail. So until we get some more snow, we'll be wheelin!

The trail's mostly on subdivision roads now, except for a short stretch along side the highway. That part's always interesting, cause there's a lot of traffic going by and sometimes parked cars and trucks block the trail.
It seems there's a bit of relief when you get back to the dog yard, but also a little sad too, as another run's over.

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Toboggan's a go...

Last spring the old toboggan, the one in the photo at the top of the blog, suffered a major impact event (Busted  4/7/22). It needed repairs. so I cobbled together a quick fix, but wanted to do a better job, then maybe fix some other stuff too. So last week Andy helped me haul it into the garage to finally get'er done.

This is what it looked like after the fix last spring. The center stanchions are what's left of the laminated driving bow that broke when I crashed. The black top piece is off Andy's old sled.

Made new center stanchions out of some old rough cut birch, then planed and sanded all the wooden parts.

After making sure everything fit together, took it apart and varnished all the stanchions as well as the sled runners. 

So now it's back together, not looking too bad for an almost 40 year old sled. It's on it's second set of runners and third stanchion rebuild, but still not much different from the original.

Replaced the poly rope and bungee bracing for the back supports.with an aluminum X-brace off an old Tim White sled that's been gathering dust in the garage loft. Maybe it'll help this sled turn better than a skid of logs!