Yard Litter

The yard is once again littered with agility equipment. I was inspired by returning to class and the 62 degree weather we are having.

The dog walk is temporarily set up on saw horses. I need to re-train the difference between the dog walk and teeter. Both look the same to the dog as they approach them. The angle and board size are the same. On the teeter, the dog must pause until the board pivots. In class, Willy did not have any problems with the teeter but got onto the dog walk, paused 1/2 way up and nothing happened. Watching him, it was obvious that to him the dog walk was a broken teeter - it did not pivot. He jumped off rather than go on up. I am gradually re-introducing him to the dog walk by increasing the height thus angle of the board. When we get to full height, I will reintroduce the teeter and make sure he has name recognition for both. He did not have any problems with either obstacle when last in class months ago. I anticipate the process will go quickly.

The jumps are a pattern to get him to comfortably work away from me. He is so fast, I will need him to work on both verbal and signal directionals when he is running. McKenzie would not work at a distance but I could keep up with her.

Finally Back In Class

Today was the first day I have been back in agility class since the middle of August. I also admit I have not worked with the dogs at all since then. This is the course that we set up. It may look easy but there are a lot of traps and tight turns. Willy was amazing and loved his runs. I came home inspired and set up a course for us to practice on. It was so good to see all my dog friends and be problem solving a complex course again.

Road Rash

After my flight over the handlebars while scooterjoring with my little yellow scooter, I started my search for a "real" rig. Real rigs are heavy and expensive so I settled for this white rig. It came with a seriously bent wheel hub. But, a mechanic from Chemult, upon seeing me try to move my rig without the use of one wheel, took pity on me. While I assisted the chute boss at the dog sled race, he took my wheel to his shop and straightened it almost good as new.

little gladiator and bigger white rig

"Team Nookies" rigjoring power

All went well on our maiden trip for about 50'. I had been concerned that the dogs would not be able to pull the bigger rig. No problem. In fact when I went to apply the break to slow them on a corner, we were going so fast, my weight change caused the rig to topple.

not the knee of your average old lady

My thigh and hand did not fair too well either. Again my helmet was tested. The dogs were still very excited to run and I knew I needed to get back on the rig before my conscientious mind said "enough!". We continued out the road to the mail box. During the remainder of the trip I found that the breaks could not keep the wheels from turning. This was especially noticeable going downhill at full speed. My conscientious mind was screaming full volume at that point. I was able to stay upright and keep from running over the dogs but not hold them back at all. No more trips until the breaks are fixed.

Rose City Classic

My picture programs have been giving me fits all week. I can finally download pictures. However, I still can't edit them.

Thursday I loaded up the motorhome and headed for Portland. My home for a couple of days was a very crowded parking lot, full of other motorhomes, each containing lots of dogs. We were located between the PDX runways and I-5 freeway. Even though pouring rain drowned out some of the noise, sleep was not on the agenda. The occasion was the AKC Rose City Classic. Over 5000 dogs were entered in the four day event. Add owners, handlers, judges, vendors and spectators and you have an amazing spectacle. And lots of treats as Willy found out. No one was immune to his Silly Willy, helicopter ears, doe-eyed pose.

Willy and I were there on behalf of the Chinook breed. (McKenzie, Cedar and Rocsha went with me last year). The breed is about to be AKC recognised. Chinooks participated in confirmation; our own Meet the Breed booth; the Foundation Stock Meet the Breed booth; the AKC Meet the Breed booth and put on a judge's education about the Chinook breed to about 50 judges from all over the U.S.

BrownStone Iditarod Trail Song - Koyuk -

took Best of Breed

handsome boy, Koyuk at 10 monthsCarie negotiates the breed ring area with a tangle of Chinooks Carie, Lonna and me with our Chinooks in the

"Meet the Breed" boothFriday, 13 Chinooks negotiated the grooming buildingSusan (McKenzie's breeder), with three of her dogs, listened to the Judge's Ed presentationAfter the presentation, the judges got hands-on time with each of our Chinooks

I did not stay for the entire event. The ski slopes and mushing trails awaited me.

Chemult Race Weekend

It always rains on my birthday. This year was not an exception - actually we had record rains and major flooding including in the mountains where I was camping. The occasion, besides being my birthday of course, was the Chemult Dog Sled Races.

This year we had 53 teams from as far away as northern Alaska.

Dual starts made the starting line very exciting. It takes several people to hold back the eager, strong dogs.

A very close finish. Bib 61 beat bib 62 by a nose after passing back and forth countless times over the 6.6 mile course.Jeff King, four time Iditarod winner, at the finish line for the 4.4 mile race.

This team is still going strong after racing 16.8 miles on wet, punchy snow. Sunday, I awoke to a distinctive list in the motorhome. All of the snow under it had been washed away overnight. The weather remained continual, pouring rain throughout the day. I only took out the camera for a couple staging area shots.

Yuck!

Suitable Friend

In the next blog, Muku Christmas, Deavah wrote that when Muku found a suitable friend she was off and running.

Deavah's picture reminded me so much of Cedar and her best friend Oz. Daughter Muku and her new friend.

Muku Christmas

Hi Kay Lee, We had a great holiday with Muku. She was very helpful in opening presents, and enjoyed playing "cat in the box" with our poor cat Huli, who continues to torment Muku by refusing to play with her. Brad and I took a couple of days off with Muku and headed off to Willows Lodge in Woodinville, WA to taste wine and to relax. It's a great place for dogs too as they provided Muku with her own bed in front of the fireplace, and there was a great running and walking path nearby. The wine tasting rooms almost all allow dogs in, so she joined us for that as well. We also were told about a 2 acre dog off-leash park in nearby Redmond, so we headed over there a few times to let Muku play. She was a little overwhelmed at first by the sheer number of dogs, but as soon as she found a suitable friend she was off and running. At home, Muku is still enjoying trail running with me and is starting to do some longer runs. It's currently snowing here so Brad is outside with her right now, and will probably have trouble dragging her back in to bed.
Hope all is well with you.

Deavah, Brad, Ben and Muku

Visitors

Yesterday we had visitors. This little guy must have come in with the firewood. He stayed nice and warm on the ceiling above the wood stove until after dark when I moved him outside.
Lupin and her family also came for a visit. Poor Silly Willy remains a forelorned host. His e-collar made one too many, full speed hits. I had not noticed the deer bedded down in the back yard when I let him out for his midnight pee. Even though it was dark, I knew right where he was. Not only does his collection of tags jingle against the e-collar when he runs, but there is a distinctive thunk when he nails an unyielding object - like a tree. He returned with the e-collar shattered into pieces.

There are now 102 uses of duct tape.

Nome Christmas

Happy New Year All, Best to all,
Sue

Koyuk Update

Today Jeremy and Oscar brought wild girl Willow over for a visit. She is much larger than her mother Cedar and all excited muscle.

I am a couple days late getting Koyuk's pictures and Shanna's update blogged.
Kay Lee,

I took Koyuk to Utah for her first time for Christmas. She's too big for your medium crate now, and as a larger one won't fit in my car Julie Flannery recommended a seatbelt harness. We used that and she didn't have a problem with it. Anyway, she LOVED the snow!

She stayed at my Mom's house, my sister's house, and my Dad's apartment and was great at all of the houses. She is like a niece and granddaughter to my family so everyone was excited to have her. As I mentioned before she was really nervous with kids. I took her to Temple Square amongst loads of people, and my little cousins and she was great. For Christmas I took her to my grandparents with all the family, little kids, food, and everything, and my Grandma said she was a very sweet dog. Near the end she would just sleep next to me.

Thanks again! Shanna

1st Sled Run of the Year

Today we did the first sled run of the year. McKenzie parked herself in the van as I was loading the gear and sled so she too went along. I can't say she was excited about being hooked to the gangline though. I did not put a neck line on her which allowed her to go at her own pace within limits of being run over by the sled.
The Waldo road is a gradual up hill for several miles. Snowmobilers frequent it in the winter. Their tracks made an excellent, firm surface for us. Today, except for the tracks of a cross-country skier, we had the road to ourselves. This picture was taken at about one mile up the road. I waited until McKenzie got into the rhythm of pulling in the right direction before letting them turn around. The mile back was fast and fun.

Conehead

I don't think there is anything more pathetic than a dog with an e-collar. Even the other dogs won't let you play their games.
The ground is again covered with ice but most of the snow is gone. Unfortunately, yesterday I missed the most pathetic of all picture - Willy trying to "snorkel" in the snow with the e-collar on. I have to admit, I was laughing too hard to run in and get the camera.

Poor Silly Willy has hot spots on his rump that he won't leave alone - thus the e-collar. He has however taken full advantage of the snow and ice to roll, scratch and cool his itchy behind.

Road Crew

Our road has been a sheet of ice for 6 days making running the scooter very unsafe. This morning it looks to be warming up - yeah!I will have a major speed bump - ditch actually - to negotiate when I do the mail run later this afternoon. The ridge line trees behind the house have grown enough that they interfere with satellite TV signal transmission. Only a minor annoyance for local news but now an emergency. The BCS championship game is only days away - GO OREGON! The satellite guy said that we would have to dig a ditch across the garden, lawn and road and put the dish were an ornamental plum tree stood. Tree versus satellite dish? As an environmentalist, I have always harbored Auden Nash's "I think I shall never see, a sign as beautiful as a tree" sentiment. (His poem was published under a series of 3 pictures: #1 a beautiful evergreen tree. #2 the tree cut down. #3 a billboard standing over the cut down tree.) I digress. We compromised and cut the offending branches off the tree but left it standing. Fortunately we have really good friends who love to help out around here. Dennis is a professional dirt mover. He located the power and telephone lines; got my very frozen tractor motor to run and dug the trench. Meanwhile Courtney dug through Dennis' pick-up, got out the road crew implements and Dave supervised the whole process.

2010 Review

A picture per month, 2010 in review - sounded like a good idea until I started sorting sorting pictures. How do you limit a few hundred puppy pictures to just 3? Do you ignore all but one person during the holiday season? I couldn't do either. 2010 was a year of extreme lows and highs; of dogs; and most importantly of family and friends.

January

A triple celebration: my birthday, Vanessa, my niece's birthday and Kendra, my niece's baby shower.

Vanessa, my sister Linda, Emily, Kendra (with Luke and Abby) and Natalie

February

I won my first dog sled race. Last to start, I had to pass all the other teams with 4, borrowed, bitches in season. my dad turned 94
March

The whelping of the BrownStone Iditarod Trail litter

a few hours old first snow adventure for the Chinook sled dogs

April

We went on a business trip to Maui. I got to snuba.Save French Pete reunion puppies are growing
May

all the puppies but Koyuk went to their forever homes Dave's brother John, Dave, sister Susan and cousins from Nebraska came to see Neil

Dave's dad, Neil died
McKenzie titled in agility
June

Chucks birthday brought my niece Amanda and her family back to Oregon for a visit.

grand-daughters showing Chuck how to work his new Wii

"but this is what puppies are supposed to do"

July

Like the 50th and 75th birthdays, I celebrated Camp Fire's 100th at Camp Onahlee, a sacred place to me.

August
Dave suffered two heart attacks.

Dave insisted on helping the ski patrol "judge" the Eugene Celebration parade.September
Over 50 friends came to celebrate Dave's birthday and recovery
I went on a much needed retreat with two close friends - Nonna and Jackie
October
My annual backpacking trip with the dogs November
I joined Dave at an Oregon game. View from row 1, 50 yd line
dryland mushing ended with a broken wrist and smiles
December
Dave was able to go back to work. His recovery, once thought doubtful, has amazed his doctors. He continues to work very hard at the necessary life style changes.

The holidays are for family and friends - especially the children.

Clara, Kerstin and Anna making cookies My dog club Christmas party
Four generations, 16 members, of the Brown/Terrel family celebrated together.

great-niece Sarah giving a piano recital DaveNephew JJ and his son Andy
Four generations, 13 members, of the Lee/Brown family celebrated together

the twins

the twins, Emily, Vanessa, Iris and of course the dogs
very special guests - Gwyneth, Luther, Nonna and Nonna's mother from Wales

Well - a few more than 12 pictures but everyone is a treasured memory and not to be left out.