BrownStone Chinooks is devoted to fostering the excellent health and wonderful temperament of Chinook dogs. Hard-working Chinooks excel in many activities such as agility, obedience, back yard play, hiking, dog powered sports, search and rescue, and as service dogs. The affectionate Chinook is an excellent family dog matching its activity level to that of its companions - be it strenuous exercise or snuggling on the couch.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

More La Pine Mushing

A friend sent me some pictures of Team Nookies at LaPine.

Ferrari's new brakes did not hold with Koyuk on the team. I am trying to release them as we were racing through the staging area.The next day the snow was gone but it was 15 degrees as we ran through gauntlet of a several hundred excited sled dogs in the staging area.Team Nookies with after burner Koyuk going strong.All smiles at the end of four brisk miles.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Lisa M

A friend just died. I never saw Lisa not smiling and laughing. Everyone around her had to smile and laugh too. She was like that even when life dealt her some pretty tough times. I am having a hard time dealing with her sudden death and finding the words to say. Words are never enough at a time like this. Lisa bred, raised and trained the world's best mannered and talented Bull Terriers (the dog with the egg shaped head you see on the Target ads). Bullies are banned from many areas, even whole countries. Lisa proved even with their squished, out-of-shape brain they could do wonders. She put the first ever tracking title on a Bully. Her dogs titled in agility, rally-O, obedience and tracking. They showed as national champions in conformation. Lisa leaves behind a husband and four Bullies. Like them, I will really miss her.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Beautiful Thanksgiving

Ma Nature beautifully decorated our yard for Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is a time for families. I went to my sister's house for the food and festivities.

My Beautiful Great Niece Abby before she fell backwards off the rocking horse.
My Great Nephew Luke was so busy, this with his Aunt Natalie was the only picture I was able to get of him.My sister and her husband cooked two complete Thanksgiving meals so everyone would have leftovers to take home. They only sat long enough for pictures then back to the kitchen.Iris and Dad. They just keep looking better.My beautiful sister with four of her gorgeous daughtersSleeping beauties resting up for Black Friday shopping.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

1 CPR Class + 4 Chinooks

Normally when we have guests, I can straighten, dust and vacuum. But today's guests would be on hands and knees on the floor within sight of bunnies under furniture. A more thorough fur-from-surface removal was necessary. With four dogs, any cleaning efforts done yesterday would have been fruitless. This morning I rushed around vacuum and dust cloth in hand, peering under everything at 3" above the floor eye level. The dogs thought this was great fun. My hands might have been busy but my face was at kiss height.
At 1 o'clock National Ski Patrollers and the Jr. Ski Patrol needing CPR certification came to our house for a class. Dog heaven: 13 sets of idle hands to give ear scratches.

When Dave began CPR on baby Anne, Koyuk thought he had a new toy for her. Baby Anne's whistling and arm wiggling with each compression was just too much to ignore. "obviously these kids are on the floor for kisses""Is he really dead? Sure looks dead.""don't hurt my baby""do I get to play with her after you are done?"
Everyone went home souvenir furry knees but a couple hours spent with four loving Chinooks made it worth it.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Let It Snow!

0700 - morning game of Chinook tag. 1000 - snow added another dimension and a lot of excitement to the mid-morning game of Chinook tag. How many Chinooks in this picture? Cedar ready to tag Willy and Koyuk McKenzie rejoins the gameThe joke around here is that I never get the excess Christmas greens cleaned off the front patio before our first snow buries them. This year Ma Nature decided to bury the fall leaves too.

Monday, November 14, 2011

La Pine Mushing Weekend

Last weekend I packed up the motorhome and took Cedar, Willy and Koyuk for four days of dryland mushing at La Pine. The state campground was filled with mushers and teams from BC to southern California to Idaho. Some mushers brought one dog and a scooter. Some brought 20-40 dogs and motorized quads. There were several, multiple-seat rigs giving passengers thrilling rides through the pines and sage behind impressive 8 to 16 dog teams.

Thursday we set-up camp and went for a couple mile run.

Friday morning we were on the trail in 15 degree sunshine. I have been wondering how to speed up Team Nookies. No longer a problem. Chill the air. Add Koyuk. Throw in a squirrel sighting or two and we flew over three miles. I also found that my brakes don't stand a chance of stopping the wheels turning when these guys want to go forward.

Resting in the sunshine.Saturday morning brought freezing rain ice covered with snow. The staging area was crowded with hundreds of excited dogs and their mushers. We met the Chinook team from Portland. Unfortunately Willy and Koyuk were too reactive from all the stress to try to combine our teams. Team Nookies had our longest and most adventurous run ever. We followed some large teams on a 4.5 mile course. By the time we were back to the trailhead 20 minutes later, most of the snow had melted. I pulled off the side of the trail to take pictures of other teams. Meanwhile... Team Nookies became hopelessly tangled.Saturday afternoon was jam packed with potluck entrees and desserts, wine and beer and mushing talk. Trail hardened mushers answered questions and were egged on to share some of their adventures. Much later, once the snow started, we abandoned the campfire to raid the leftovers and resume mushing tales.

Sunday morning I wanted to track with the dogs but it was so stormy that what treats didn't blow away, were eaten by flocks of migratory birds before I could complete even one track. Team Nookies did not go for a run. I decided that we should head back over the mountain pass before the roads got too bad. I also wanted to stop at the ski area to check in on Dave and the SPYteam members cleaning and stocking the patrol aid room.

Lonely McKenzie was very glad to see us when we finally got home. Happy to have the complete pack, she and the exhausted dogs soon crashed

Monday, November 7, 2011

Busy Sunday

Sunday started at 0400. After I had gotten my winter gear on, cleaned the kennel, fed the dogs and cat, made the crock pot stew, coffee and breakfast, Dave let me - the one who never willingly does early mornings - know that he had forgotten to change the clocks. I had a spare hour to get ready for the day.
We were up that early to attend the Ski Patrol On-The-Hill training which involved more first aid; search and rescue; general patrol stuff like radio communication, policies and procedures; and ski lift evacuation. Six of the SPYteam members were "injured skiers", "lost skiers" and "stuck on a broken down ski lift for hours in freezing temperatures skiers".

0730 - time for strong coffee, day old bagels and paperworkSPYteam members at the ready

SPYteam "lost skiers" "Injured" SPYteam member being bandaged, "packaged" and made ready for transport (by a former SPYteam member, now patroller)SPYteam member lowered from the ski lift after a very, long, cold wait

piece of cake - where's the hot cocoa? down time between scenariospatrollers lowering SPYteam members from the liftpiece of cake - where's the hot cocoa?
These kids are the best - even worth getting up much too early to work with. The 2011-2012 SPYteam is going to be so much fun and rewarding to work with.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Busy Saturday

After completing the entire OEC course, every year the National Ski Patrol members cover 1/3 of the Outdoor Emergency Medicine Course (equivalent to an EMT with a outdoor/winter environment twist) during a one day refresher. Everyone is expected to be able to handle a series of scenarios and skill stations. The Jr. Ski Patrollers - SPYteam - were patients for the 150 or so patrollers completing these senerios. After getting professionally applied mouloge - complete with squirting blood if necessary, the kids are taught the signs and symptoms they are to exhibit when each group of patrollers happen on their scene. Today the kids had chest pain; pelvic fractures; thermal burns; injured knees; femur fractures requiring re-alignment and ski boot removal; thoracic trauma/back pain after a fall in the bathroom behind the toilet; diabetic hypoglycemia with laceration to back of head and concussion; and laceration to arm with severe bleeding. Three of the kids were practice patients for helmet and boot removal; taking vital signs and securing to a backboard.

He has a pump for the blood coming out his arm wound. Waiting to find if they have any vitals Yes, that is a real defibulator.Removal of a helmet without injuring his neck. Successful toilet stall removal. Chest pain. He's hurting. Guess she won't be skiing any more today. Chest compressions while going downhill in a sled. I truly believe by the time the SPYteam members perform as patients for all the ski season patroller training, they too become competent first aiders. They know when a bandage has been securely applied. They see competence or discomfort in the different patrollers performing first aid. And they learn injury and illness symptoms from being a patient. As co-leader of the SPYteam, my job is to oversee the kids. Today this group of SPYteam members made a great start learning to be patrollers. Patrol trainins was not all I did today. Willy, Cedar and McKenzie were tested on their tracking progress. It was pouring rain the whole time. The dogs were to track where a stranger had walked. During the 20-40 minute between when the tracks were laid and the dogs were put on them, the rain and wind scattered the scent. My dogs performed amazingly. We then set tracks on the uncut grass and weeds on the parking mediums. The dogs had not tracked on grass before. Again they were amazing. I did not know exactly where the track was in the grass but all three followed it dead on - right through rain, weeds, tall grass and blackberry vines.