start your engines....

The babies are 9 months old today!! They are shaping up to be awesome dogs. Brother is begging to be neutered by acting like an idiot, but other than that, he's looking great. He isn't as fast as his sisters and prefers to run with the old geezers. Jockey is comfortable in lead and will pass other people and dogs. She is one heck of a force. I ran her with Tune the other day and she kicked butt. She's such a great dog. May is solid with an easy going personality. in front, she is just like her daddy and always runs on the left. If she's in the middle or back, she's unstoppable. Little Star face is so sweet and proving to be a hard worker.


Running, running, running. Nothing has been super exciting lately, so I've let the updates slip a little. Last week, the weather went to hell and so did the trails, so we had to take a almost a whole week off. The only giant update is that I will begin to make payments on Heini! There's no way I can give that little girl back. She has been leading perfectly, except for that one turn that EVERYONE misses EVERYDAY (ugh!). I took all 6 hounds today and we did 8 miles. I had only had to fight them around one corner...it was a right turn that we usually take, but I wanted to pass it. Man, Fox simply wouldn't hear of it. Took forever to convince them to stop so that I could turn them around, but we managed 8 miles in the end.

I'm running a few more days this week and then race season begins! If it snows just a little more, Ft Custer will actually GO!

"she just laughs/ the boulevard is not that bad"

A very productive day. We've been making new doghouses so that they all match. And let me tell you, it looks flippin' spectacular. Everyone is kenneled with a partner, except for Roary- because she's prone to eating other dogs. Sosa and Brew are alone, but they're in smaller kennels, so they have to be. Brew loves his new spot right up next to the house. Brother is, of course, acting like a baby and begging me to put him back with his sisters. He's trying to get me to believe that Klonnie is the most. horrible. dog. ever. but, for some reason, I just don't buy into it. (probably because Klonnie is the most submissive, easy-going fur ball ever.) Reb and Yukon have made out like bandits. They have the whole barn section, or "down below" as we call it, to their bachelor selves. In fact, Yukon has yet to realize he is inside a fence.
Today's run was the fun part. I couldn't do the full 5.4 with the main team because the giant hill is covered in ice, so I went 4. Fox and Freddie lead, Keytone and Heini behind- no pun intended. They were pretty solid, but I think they're just getting sick of the road. Fox seems to be nervous about running over the icy spots, with good reason, and wasn't comfortable with any speed. I kept them at around 15/16mph because I didn't want any slipping and shoulder injuries. The second team was 100% perfect. Tune and Oak were in lead with May and Joppie in the middle and Brew with Star in back. Brew gave his best run in a while. I should have added length to Star's neckline, but she tried.
The absolute best part was when we ran by the neighbor's house and they came outside to take pictures and cheer. It was pretty much a parade- an awesome parade that consisted of 6 dogs, a 4wheeler and a Ford F150. I mean, I can see why they were in awe...we DID just wash the truck. Next time, I should definitely take tootsie rolls and remember to watch the Princess Diaries for lessons on a flawless, delicate wave. And, you never know, someday maybe I can get Santa himself to round out the procession. Eat your heart out Macy's.

131 run, run, run

I know, I love the title also. I'm rather proud of my rhyming abilities being that I've begun studying for exams and have almost no brain power to speak of at the moment. Ah well, the dogs are always more important.
As of November 30th, the main team had 131 miles, give or take a run or two. Fred is 9 miles off because she missed two 4.5 mile runs when her leg was sore. Fox is 2.5 miles off because I used her with the B team to give her a break, so she ran 3 miles instead of 5.4. Keytone is the golden girl....she holds the highest mileage so far! That dog is nothing but driven. The main 4 and Tune went 5.4 tonight. Tomorrow will be the third run in a row and it was really warm today (50), making them sluggish as hell, so tomorrow I'll only do a quick 2 or 3 mile for spirits and such. I'd like to only go 2, but that last mile is SO tempting when they're FLYING from a short run. Also, I ran May and Joppie on the road behind Tune and they were trucking. I held them at 12mph, but on a rig they would have easily hit 15mph. My big decision? The big, giant, exciting news? I've decided (barring any big changes) to run the pups at the Ft. Custer RACE. Ahhh so thrilled! I ran the idea by Lynzie, and we decided that since they know the trail and since I HAVE run them alone in training with no pressure, one big weekend could only be a good thing....and we'd be on our home trails, so it would be a walk in the park. I've got to decide on dog number 3...final decisions on the matter will come later.
More good news: Trotter is loving his new home. Originally, I had thought he'd make my main (or at least B) team. When he displayed a lack of confidence, I made the choice to re-home him instead of having him sit around all winter without much exercise. He's the star of his new group and I can't wait to see him kicking butt this season (even if it's mine!).
Lori's monsters are growing like weeds. I think I'll hide Tillie in my pocket when I return the rest of the pups....she would be a little cramped, but I would feed her bread and birds to keep her quiet! Haha I'd love to keep that little sweetie (but I'd still let Lori break her!).
Oakley still has a nasty obsession with squirrels. If Petunia wasn't a bull, Oakley would have re-routed us many times on Friday's run. She tells me that the pesky things call her "Paco" and ask her to dance....an offer that she some day vows to accept...
I'm itching to get back on the rig. I've done more atv training this season than ever. It's excellent for speed, but I feel more relaxed on the trusty rig of death...ironic. Now that it's muzzleloader season, we'll be going to Ft. Custer again. I'll keep using the 4wheeler on and off, but that rig is calling my name.

Okay, one last parting shot: last season, we were on sleds by DECEMBER 12TH and stayed on sleds until late February. Keep your eyes crossed!