Retired...a tale of woe and intrigue

We bought the tractor early in the winter of 92/93 when it looked like we were going to have another record breaking season like 90/91. We had 148" of snowfall that winter (that's over 12 ft or almost 4 meters to the French) and no way to plow it. The JD dealer didn't have any compact/utility tractors in Fairbanks, but they did have a used one, a model 870 in Soldotna, down on the Kenai Peninsula. So sight unseen, we ordered it up. Since then, we have used it for so many things besides plowing snow, it's hard to believe you could survive here without one (Grrrate 6/19/11).
The other day I noticed that a large crack in the sidewall of one front tire was starting to bulge out. Now it's had lots of cracks for sometime, even had a flat that had to be fixed a while back, so I thought no problem, we'll just bring it to a tire shop and they'll patch 'er right up, be just like new. But when I brought it in, they took one look and said nope, can't fix that, needs a new tire. So a couple of hundred bucks later I was the proud owner of a brand new 7X14 R1 tractor tire.
But then I got home and compared it to the other front tire, they're not quite the same, width and height wise. Now that's no big deal with a regular tractor, but this one's special; multi-speed tranny, triple range axle, four wheel drive model, so the tires have to exactly match up. So I call them back and they say that was the only one in stock, but they'll call when they get more in. So a few weeks go by, no call. I finally call them and sure enough, they lost my number but had the tires. When I go out to take off the other old tire, the new ones completely flat. So then I have to jack up and block the front of the tractor to remove both tires. The new one comes right off, but the old one's never been off in 25 years, so it took a breaker bar with a two ft pipe extension to loosen the lugs. By then the tendonitis in my elbows was awesome.
The next morning I took them into the tire shop, expecting the worst. Fortunately, the shop foreman is there, listens to my tale of woe and intrigue, and offers to replace both tires (old and new one) with two new (matching) tires and tubes, while only charging for the one. So now the old JD has two brand new tires. Can't wait to do the rear ones.

The new front tires, good for another 25 years?

Annual Maintenance...

Just like a motorcycle or snow machine, a dog team needs maintenance too. Besides vaccines, food supplements, and regular exercise, the younger dogs need to be trained to take over the jobs that the older more experienced ones have been doing. The most important, of course, is lead dog. Now we're training Jabba and Easter (or little Missy as Andy calls her), to take over for Barney and Spuds, who are both eleven. Jabba's been running up front for awhile now and he's doing great (Out to the Whites and a new leader...4/1/13). Just started with Missy (or pissy Missy, as I call her, cause she's so full of piss and vinegar). She gets to go up front after the turn around and we're heading for home. So far she's doing fine, but it should be interesting the first time we have to pass another team.

Missy and Barney up front, ready to rock. Obi, behind Missy is already rolling.

Headin' for home down the valley bottom.

Runnin' with Bill...

Every once in a while my friend Bill brings his dog team over so we can practice running two teams (Trail Report 2/22/10). The dogs get really excited when there's another team close by, so we do this occasionally to try to get them used to it. Did some passing practice on the way back home. Bill's dogs did great, ours not so much. Like they say, just keep on practicing, but don't give up your day job. But of course this is my day job now, so maybe I need to start volunteering? Had a great day for it though, sunny and about ten above, so really enjoyed getting the experience.

Takin' a break on the way out.

Bill's team on the way home.

Back on track...

After a short diversion to politics (Yuge announcement...1/21/16), it's back out to the dog trail, a lot better place to be.
They (the two rivers dog mushers) had a race down through the valley where we run the dogs. Usually they skirt this area to the east, but probably due to winter logging going on in the area they normally use, they ran through almost the entire valley from west to east. I was kind of psyched, thinking we'd get a bunch of passes with other teams, which seldom happens now with only one other dog musher in the valley. But despite expecting to meet the race leaders on the way back home, we didn't see any other teams. Kind of disappointed afterwards, but we did almost get run over by two snow machines on a blind curve. The dogs ran by them just fine, so at least they got some practice passing, even if it wasn't what was expected.

Crossing the pond near the creek.

Takin' a break down in the valley.

Yuge announcement...

Trump, the greatest circus performer since P.T (a sucker born every minute) Barnum has had his yuge announcement: Sarah Palin is endorsing him for president. Just when it seemed like she'd crawled back under the rock that she'd hid under after resigning as governor of Alaska and burning her bridges on Faux news and the reality show circuit, she's back. Her rambling, almost incoherent speech is little changed from her failed stump speeches in 2008. As one pundit remarked, "the only thing Palin hates more than Obama is punctuation."
But the best part is still her almost total lack of knowledge of how the government works:
Palin was asked on CNN what position she would like to have in Trump’s administration. Without missing a beat, Palin said she’d want to head the Department of Energy — but only so she could eventually get rid of it.
“I think a lot about the Department of Energy, because energy is my baby: oil and gas and minerals, those things that God has dumped on this part of the Earth for mankind’s use,” she said. “If I were head of that, I’d get rid of it.”Palin also said that, as energy secretary, she would give individual states more control over oil and gas development within their borders. 
However, the Department of Energy does not regulate oil and gas development — that responsibility goes to the Department of the Interior. The Department of Energy mainly oversees U.S. nuclear programs and conducts energy research. The current Energy Secretary, Ernest Moniz, is a nuclear physicist.

(http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/01/19/3740724/sarah-palin-donald-trump-endorsement/)

One thing's for sure, Sarah Palin's no nuclear scientist.

Cold weather runnin'...

The warm spell that started after Christmas is about over, so we've got to deal with cold weather that normally comes in January.  While it hasn't been really cold yet, it's been cool enough (-10 to -15); that's still something you need to pay attention to when you're out. Haven't had to break out the Carhart arctic gear or Eddy Bauer down parka yet, but it's getting close. Ran today with my normal gear, light parka and overpants, and it was fine. but soon, as the distance increases and the temps drop, well it'll be a lot more interesting trying to stay warm.

Hooking 'em up again...

The cold spell that started just before Christmas ended rather quickly when a chinook blew into the valley (http://ak-wx.blogspot.com/2016/01/chinook-winds.html). It soon got above freezing and broke high temperature records all over northern Alaska. It was almost too warm to run dogs, but did manage to get them out a few times during the warm spell. Now that it's cooled off again, we're finally back to a regular training schedule.

Taking a break on the way out.

Heading up the hill on the way home.

So here's the weather bureau's summary for the month:

Monthly weather summary for December for Fairbanks, Alaska...

December 2015 was another tranquil month  with very little snowfall and no extreme cold temperatures.
The average maximum temperature was 6.5 degrees above which was 1.7 degrees above the normal maximum temperature of 4.8 degrees and ranks as the 28th warmest of 111 years of record. The average minimum temperature was 10.8 below which was 2.1 degrees above the normal minimum temperature of 12.9 degrees below and ranks as the 31st warmest of 112 years of record. The mean temperature was 2.2 below which was 1.9 degrees above the normal mean temperature of 4.1 degrees below and ranks as the 27th warmest of 111 years of record.
The highest temperature was 45 degrees which occurred on the 30th. The temperature soared to break a daily high temperature record as a result of strong chinook winds blowing over the Alaska range. This temperature shattered the previous record of 35 degrees set in 1982. The average temperature departures from normal were 36 and 32 degrees on the 30th and 31st and helped push the monthly average above normal where most of the month of December hovered at or slightly below average.
The coldest temperature was 29 below, which occurred on the 25th, and is the coldest temperature of the season to date.
December 2015 was exceptionally dry with only 1.1 inches of snow falling, which ranks as the 98th snowiest of 101 year of record. Normal snowfall for December is 12.1 inches. The snowfall melted down to a paltry 0.07 inches which ranks as the 5th driest of 101 years of record. The normal precipitation for December is 0.64 inches.
Looking forward to January...the average high temperature drops from 2 above on the 1st to zero by the 12th and then climbs back to 3 above by the 31st. The average low temperature drops form 16 below on the 1st to 18 below on the 14th and then climbs back to 16 below again by the 31st. The average temperature continues to drop and bottoms out at around 8 below which is the lowest monthly average temperature for Fairbanks. Temperatures in January have ranged form 52 above in 2009 to 66 below in 1934.
While average snowfall in January is 10.3 inches, as much as 40.2 inches of snow fell in 1993. Possible sunshine increases dramatically during the month with 4 hours and 1 minute on the 1st increasing by an average of 6 minutes per day to 6 hours and 49 minutes by the 31st.
The outlook from the climate prediction center calls for above normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.

The sun just barely clears the ridge top in early January.

Happy New Year...

Tried to get some decent sunset photos since this is the time of year when they're pretty spectacular (Winter Solstice...12/20/14)  but this is the best I could do. Happy new year:

Another sunrise...

And a sunset...

Well the sun finally came out the day after new years, so here's a few more:

Need to cut down some trees to get a better view from the deck.

Looking down the valley behind our place. The snow covered hills in the distance are the site of the locally world famous chena granite tors.

Merry christmas...

In the past I've always started our yuletide greetings with "happy holidays or season's greetings." But now that Fox news and the repugnant ditto heads apparently are on the rampage because the libtards "want to take christ out of christmas, I feel I must use the approved christmas greeting. This despite the fact that most of what we currently do to celebrate christmas has been taken from old pagan solstice traditions (Winter solstice, 12/20/14) and that retailers and advertisers care little about christ, just about maximizing revenue with endless holiday sales.
But I digress. We hosted the neighborhood "christmas eve celebration" for the first time in a few years.   Since we don't normally do much, if any, seasonal decorating, I felt compelled by whatever holiday spirit to take a few photos (I forgot to take any during the party, but maybe I'll get one from someone who did).

Merry christmas to all...

And to all a good night.

First dog run...

Finally got out and put the dog trail in. There were a couple of trees across the trail, but a little chain saw work was all that was needed to clear the way. The main trail down the valley is well used, so only had about two miles to break out, then go back the next day and pull the drag over it to get some compaction. Ran dogs today and it was great to finally get them out for the first time this winter. Barney, my fearless leader, just turned eleven, but he also ran great and appears to have another season in him. Since we're about the same age (in dog years), I figure that's a pretty good sign.

Barney and Jabba look ready to go for another winter on the trail.

Dog daze...

Despite all the snow we've gotten so far this winter, I still haven't gotten out on the trail. Andy snow-shoed in the upper part. She found several large trees had fallen down onto the trail on the back side of the hill, so will need to do some serious chain saw work as soon as the knee gets a little stronger. In the meantime, the dogs get let off every day so at least they can run around for a bit and not be completely out of shape.

The dogs stick around Andy as long as there's dog biscuits left in the pouch.

Obi usually winds up on the bottom of the pile when they play "dog down".

Warm and snowy...

The weather bureau came out with their official summary for November (lightly edited for brevity). As expected, the month was warmer with  a lot more snow than normal:(Http://www.arh.noaa.gov/textforecasts.php?type=statement).

Monthly weather summary for November for Fairbanks, Alaska...

November 2015 was warm, wet and snowy with persistent snowfall.
Measurable snow fell on twenty days during the month and a trace of snow fell on 4 days.
The snow depth at the airport was 15 inches at the end of the month.
Season to date snowfall at the airport is now 50.1 inches
with September to November of 2015 ranking as the 5th
snowiest September to November periods on record.
So far, snowfall this year exceeded the snowfall for the entire winter of 2014 to 2015 of 43.8 inches.
A total of 25.4 inches of snow fell during November,which was 12.2 inches above normal.
This ranks as the 7th snowiest November. Nearly all of the precipitation fell as snow except for a brief period of freezing rain that fell on the 26th. A total of 1.78 inches of precipitation
fell at the airport which was 1.11 inches above the normal and ranks as the 5th wettest November.

November 2015 was much warmer than average with an average high temperature of 16.9 degrees which was 6.0 degrees above the normal. The average low temperature was 1.3 degrees which was 7.0 degrees above the normal. The average temperature was 9.1 degrees which was 6.5 degrees above the normal average temperature of 2.6 degrees. This ranks as the 29th warmest November.

Looking forward to December...the average high temperature drops from 7 above on the 1st to 2 above on the 31st. The average low temperature drops from 11 below on the 1st to 16 below on the 31st. In the last 111 years the temperatures have varied from a high of 58 above in 1934 to a low of 62 below in 1961. Average snowfall is 12 inches but has been as much as 50.7 inches in 1984 to as little as a trace in 1969.

December is the darkest month of the year with possible sunshine decreasing from 4 hours and 42 minutes on the 1st to 3 hours and 42 minutes on the solstice. By the 31st possible sunshine increases to 3 hours and 58 minutes.