The Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Deep...

Between rain showers - yes rain - the dogs and I went out to clear another trail. On the way I couldn't resist seeing if I could blaze a new trail to the top of the ridge. I don't know who had more fun jumping limbs and small logs, the dogs or me on the quad. The area had been thinned three years ago. The mechanical logger stripped trees of limbs prior to cutting them down leaving the understory 4' deep in tangled branches. After three Oregon winters everything is rotting. A stand thinned to trees 15' apart makes for wide avenues to forge a trail.

The top of the ridge has some majestic old growth trees.

 We then headed down the familiar trail.

So familiar that the dogs took off on their own exploration.

While calling and waiting for the wayward dogs to return, I had time to remove the new and downed trees on the old, overgrown trail. I have hopes this less steep trail will allow me longer runs with Ferrari the dog-rig.

Finally the worn-out dogs returned...

and we made our way home before the next shower.

Before making this post, I ordered bright, reflective coats for the dogs. In the future, the lovely, dark and deep woods will no longer hide the wayward. silent running, tawny Chinooks.

Life Indoors & Ears

After the long run yesterday, I kept the (very bored) dogs inside - 64, too-long, toe nails clicking everywhere I went.

The landing where I totaled my ankle, now impassable.

How did they know it was nap time? McKenzie was also on the bed until I went for the camera.

Though still very sore, my ankle did feel stable enough to haul in the 16' ladder and take down the last of Christmas. As long as I was up there, I redecorated the mantel with a winter theme in hopes we still will see winter before next fall. Not my most artistic effort but my ankle was telling me "enough with the trips up and down the ladder. You still have to haul it back outside and the decorations up to the attic".

Silly Willy was known for his funny ears. An artist even begged me to let her paint his head. 

Trask has a new twist on creative ear sets. Looking through yesterday's pictures, I picked out a few fun poses.

He can hear 'em coming and going.

The collie top flip-forward fold.

The dual comb over.

"I can't hear you."

"Now I can!"

"Wait, there's something behind me."

Trask - Mr Cool

A perfect 10 score: The turned backward, tip forward, flip flop.

Pond Run

To get the dogs in shape and the trails cleared of blown down trees, I have been taking the dogs for a 1 1/2 to 2 mile run (as the quad drives, they have greatly add to the distance chasing deer and squirrels) every other day. Today I decided they were ready to go all the way to the back pond, about 2 miles each way. I wanted to clear the trails on that side of the ridge. It was a beautiful morning. We were above the fog. The temperature was a frosty 34 degrees.

When we crested the ridge, the dogs took off after a small herd of deer.  Cedar eventually came to me but the other two continued in their pursuit. No amount of calling or whistling brought them back.

I took Cedar on down to the pond to let her cool off...

and get a drink.

The other two had taken off downhill so I expected them to cut across country and meet us at the pond. Koyuk had been there before. I figured she could find it again. I let Cedar rest and called for about 15 minutes then decided to go back up to the ridge top where we had lost them. I was really concerned that Trask had been hurt. He has never run this far before.

Wayward Trask and Koyuk near the ridge top.

 Back on the trail again.

 Cedar and Koyuk

Trask

We were almost home when they spotted another group of deer to chase.

I parked the quad and walked back to direct the dogs around the blackberry field they found themselves trapped in.

Tired dogs on the way home.

The trails are now clear and the dogs are crashed - even McKenzie who stayed behind to watch the house. I do need to work more on recall.

Logging of Sorts

I had high hopes of driving over the mountains to a sno-park where I could run the sled today. Last night I waxed the sleds and sorted out harnesses and lines. Even though it is a 200 mile long drive for a one to two mile sled run, I am going crazy hobbling around and want to run the dogs. Unfortunately my ankle hurt enough to keep me awake most of the night. I decided I would have to settle for a rig run but this is what our road looked like...

...not safe for dog feet, a tipsy rig or unstable ankle.
Plan B: a quad run through the woods.

Until he is a couple months older, I really shouldn't be running Trask as far as I did on Friday. That means clearing out blow-downs so I can have a shorter route to exercise the dogs.
This is tree #1 I cut with a hand saw and moved from across the road.

Every turn there were more trees to cut and log out of the way.

The dogs had a great time exploring and chasing each other, deer and squirrels as I sawed away.

Koyuk

Cedar

Trask

Koyuk

Trask

Even after spending the afternoon logging out 6 trees, when we came back gravel road was still frozen.

Pond Guests

Yesterday after our run, while I was taking a picture of the worn out dogs, I spotted a couple of geese on the front pond. Even with a decoy we seldom get geese and the pond was pretty much frozen over.

I snuck outside to see if I could get a picture before they took of. They were swimming in the very small area where their weight had broken through the ice.

They hung around until I got within a few yards of them. I was afraid they were trapped and couldn't fly off...
but alas, when I got too close, they did.