Happy Birthday McKenzie

My new computer went into 'no-go' mode after downloading Google Drive - which I needed to help with the Chinook Pedigree Research Project - so I spent the morning trying to open e-mail while the dogs and Kitty waited and waited  and waited on their couch in my office.

By the time we got back from a few hours with the computer geek, everyone was more than ready to get outside to enjoy McKenzie's 12th birthday.

CH PR Frontier Raindancer McKenzie, CGC, HIT, NJ, NA aka Kinzie, Houdini and Dowager of the BrownStone Chinooks Pack.

Birthday kisses from Cedar.

Kitty sent birthday wishes in her own way.

My beautiful birthday girl.

Pull Clinic

Yesterday Cedar, Koyuk and I were on the road at 0515. Anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a morning person and that it takes something really special to get me going, let alone driving, at that hour. Our destination was the Cascade Sled Dog Club pulling clinic. Koyuk learned to mush from Willy but never had formal pull training. She was in class with me for the day. CSDC puts on the best clinic in the PNW. Fourteen dogs spent the morning doing several exercises including: learning a harness on = pull; dogs dragging tires to get used to a weight following them; how to "line-out and wait"; passing other dogs and being passed; and "gee" and "haw" commands. I was too busy handling Koyuk to have a camera during the exercises.

Koyuk

 After lunch and mini lectures, it was time to harness the dogs for scooter practice.

Chinooks Lu, Parker, Cedar and Koyuk ready to run.

After I scootered with them, Koyuk ran with the very experienced Lu. Koyuk quickly took lead and showed Lu what she had learned in class.

Cedar then ran with Parker.

The Chinooks after running.

A warn-out Koyuk.

A very pleased Cedar.

The drive home was another adventure. Suddenly, as I approached Salem on I-5, there were numerous cop cars with blazing lights lining the on-ramp to the freeway. An ODOT truck sign lit up with "Do Not Pass" just as I was next to it. Going 65 mph at the time, I kept on as did four other cars. For the next 35 miles, we four with our police escort were the only cars on the freeway. All on-ramps were blocked by police cars. No, I wasn't tripping from fatigue or spacy from too much caffeine. We were the only ones on the normally busy 6-lane freeway. Needless to say, we all drove 5 miles under the speed limit. The dogs needed to pee when I got just past Albany so I pulled off only to find a still empty freeway and my police escort on our on-ramp. My curiosity was on overdrive by then. I got out and asked them "what's up?" Apparently a "suspicious object" was found under the freeway bridge that goes over the river. Our four cars were the last to go over it. They did let me know that the "anxious herd" had been let loose up north and that I should probably head out. They remained to catch frustrated speeders.

Team Nookies

Team Nookies headed over the Cascades for three days of dryland mushing near Sisters Oregon.  A professional photographer was there to catch our finishes on Saturday and Sunday.

A four-mile race on Saturday.

One mile race on Sunday.

Well Loved Chinook

BrownStone Lupin's family sent me this photo titled "Well Loved Pooch."

Morning Visitors

As I was getting my morning coffee, I looked out to see the resident does feasting on the spring grass.

 I grabbed my camera but they all bolted when I opened to door to take a picture.

Koyuk also bolted out the door. I don't think the deer were as much fun to chase as squirrels but she was loping happily as she came back to the house.

Mush Without Slush - Just Mud, Rain, and Snow

The Mush Without Slush event was held last weekend just outside Sisters Oregon. There were 23 mushers with a couple hundred dogs - including 6 Chinooks. Many mushers ran multiple events. 

After setting up camp Friday afternoon, I took the dogs for a fast one mile run. The road was deeply rutted and constantly threatened to tip Ferrari. 

But we made it back upright and ready for dinner.

Saturday Team Nookies ran the 4 mile race.

Along with two potential Koyuk puppy-forever-families, long-time, very special friends Daryl and Nan came to watch. Daryl helped me to the starting line.

Thirteen teams started before us. We had to head-on pass all of them which made Koyuk very uncomfortable.

Finally the finish line.

Saturday night we sat around the camp fire drinking wine while sharing mushing tales.

Sunday it was spitting snow as we ran the one-mile race.  

After we finished, I quickly packed up and headed home in blizzard conditions over the unplowed mountain pass.
Exhausted Team Nookies had a wonderful weekend full of good friends and fun.