Fruitaholics

Trask, he who always has something in his mouth, has discovered the joys of fruit. In years past our 120 year old, fruit trees behind have been trimmed by the deer. This year, Trask has pruned for them.

 The entire BrownStone pack benefits from Trask's efforts.

He is up for the challenge of the ever increasing height of the branches.

McKenzzie seems to be letting him know he has forgotten some.

 No problem.

Along with the fruit tress in the back, the dogs also raid the espalier orchard in the garden. I so thoughtfully pruned those trees for perfect canine picking. The dogs are so into eating the fruit, I really wonder if any pears or apples will actually stay on the branches to ripen. Blueberries and strawberries are also favorite treats to be plucked.

Yesterday I canned 28 quarts of peaches then left them on the counter to cool. This morning, only because I also leave the camera on the counter, was I able to photograph Trask in the act of figuring out that he could pull on the towel to gain access to the jars of fruit.  

"LEAVE IT!!!"

Camera down - jars moved off towel and out of reach.

Waldo 100K Ultra-marathon

This Saturday was the "Where's Waldo 100K Ultra-marathon". In one day, 120 insane runners, from all over the world, start at 5,000' altitude and run up and down 5 peaks over a 100K wilderness trail course. The Willamette Pass Ski Patrol puts on the race. My station for the event is at a trail junction, 2.5 miles in. The runners pass me after running 22 miles and again after 48 miles. This year Cedar and Trask carried in water and emergency supplies. They then were the official trail junction greeters giving much appreciated kisses to foot sore runners and multiple Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hikers.  (Tule was at the finish line with happy wags and kisses for all).

Friday, after spending the day helping to prepare a dinner for the volunteers, runners and their families/support teams, we "camped" in the motorhome at the trailhead. We had to be on the trail at 0600 Saturday morning.

Each dog carried 3 quarts of water, a food bowl and their breakfast. The weight did not slow them a bit - only the occasional "Squirrel!"

The skijor-belt tethered duo pulled me up the mountain trail at a very brisk pace. I was carrying a pack, chair and trail signs (and without having my breakfast or coffee). We made the 2.5 miles in less than 45 minutes, including setting out trail direction signs along the way.  After arriving, the dogs ate breakfast while I set up our trail junction station and settled in (without coffee) for a long day.

Trask and Cedar dressed in their Ski Patrol scarves.

The dogs quickly caught on that runners, day hikers, backpackers and Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers on their way from Mexico to Canada were prime for "Nookies".

Being located at a three-way junction meant people could come from multiple directions. The dogs did not want to miss anyone.

This little tree did not stand a chance when Trask got excited. Note: he is also lying in mountain huckleberry bushes.

We were released to head out after the race "sweepers" came by at 6:15 pm. I gave the remaining food and water to a thru-hiker; pack-up; hooked up the dogs; and we headed down the trail. Even with lighter packs, our trip back to the trailhead was much slower than the way in. "Fruitaholic" Trask was now aware of the tasty trailside bounty. (All of the non-tree green in these pictures are huckleberry bushes full of ripe berries.)

Back to the trailhead after a wonderful day in the Cascade mountains.

And Then There Were 5

McKenzie's daughter Lupin joined the BrownStone pack for 11, very hot, days. During this time the dogs and I spent most of the time just trying to stay cool. (Lots of swimming. Good books read while in the hammock...)
Sunday evening while getting a posed picture of all five a thunder cloud came over obscuring the best lighting.

Then "Ka-Boom!" Thunder ended the photo session. The dogs are OK with thunder and lightening but posing as a group was a futile endevour with the noisy distraction.

Later that evening when I went out to watch the lightening in the east, I turned west just in time to catch a spectacular Southern Oregon, forest fire smoke enhanced, thunder-cloud sunset. ( This storm produced 1500 lightening strikes in our area.)

Chinooks are such easy keepers. Adding one more to the household has little impact aside from less floor space due to the extra dog beds in the bedroom and living room. We had guests from southern California who drove up specifically to meet Chinooks. They immediately fell in love with the breed.
These are random pictures of the dogs during Lupin's stay. The temperatures were in the 90's each day - not good for grass or sled dogs. 

Chinook Tag was pretty much limited to the early mornings.

Chinooks are such wonderful dogs. Not many breeds of dogs can communally share steak dinner scraps.

Wonderful Bridal Shower for a Wonderful Niece

All cultures seem to have a way for women to celebrate the bride before her wedding. My niece's bridal shower included: grandmothers, mothers, (one aunt), sisters, female friends and children. Women's culture, celebration and tradition - may this universal right-of-passage never perish.

Stocking the future kitchen was the theme of Vanessa's shower.

Everyone brought a favorite dish along with the recipe. These and two other tables filled with a delicious variety of food. 

 And eat we did.

 Of course, there were the gifts. 

Every bride - every kitchen - needs a crock-pot.

The little girls almost stole the bride's stage with their delight of the wrapping paper.

Only one ribbon broken.

My sister - what was she thinking? I can almost see in her eyes: Vanessa as a new born; a quiet little girl; a college graduate; devoting her life to work with handicapped children and now soon to be a bride. (Vanessa is the third of her five daughters to get married).

Only two of the Vanessa's sisters were able to make it to the shower. Natalie is, a MSW working with women recovering from substance abuse.

Emily, who just returned from a year teaching high school science in a rural school in Zambia. She has some amazing tales, including being handed the keys to the school because all of the other teachers and the principle had to go to a conference in another town. She had only been there a couple of days. On the spot she had to figure out how manage a school full of children in multiple classrooms and who only spoke a different language. Then there were the wedding proposals, lions, sharks, chickens killed for dinner....

 

Natalie, Emily and Vanessa.

Vanessa with her flower-girl-to-be.

Groom-to-be, Evan, is one lucky guy.

Happy Birthday Moonsong Mouse

BrownStone Foster Pup Ms Silver

The BrownStone Cascade Peaks litter was 7 days old when I got the call: "could you add one more to the whelping box?"  Moonsong Kilia had only one surviving pup and Kilia herself was ill.

Three day old, 13oz, Ms Silver was rushed here from Seattle. 

 Koyuk immediately took to the little silver girl.

Metallic silver rick-rack to match her silver coat; an antelope to use as her photo milestone cascade animal; a spare nipple at Koyuks milkbar; Dowager McKenzie, Grandmom Cedar and mom Koyuk to learn from; and best of all, 7 brothers and sisters to grow and play with - we had a perfect home for our foster BrownStone Cascade Peak pup. .

As it turned out, Ms Silver didn't need a milestone animal, she had a photo milestone girl. Every time Anna came over she immediately grabbed Ms Silver as her own.

Cedar too was enamored with Ms Silver. Actually, everyone who saw her fell in love with the little blue eyed, silver coated girl.

3lb 5oz Ms Silver at 31/2 weeks.

Ms Silver at 7 weeks and ready to go back to her mother...

after another game Chinook tag. Her role in the game was to hide under the dogwalk board and leap out to tag then chase unsuspecting passer-byes.

Home-Sweet-Home reunion with mother Kilia and her new name: Moonsong Mouse. .

At three months, her ears set up in good mouse fashion.

Carie wrote about Mouse's first year: "Mouse is an exuberant, happy girl and is great with other dogs...which I credit to her 7 weeks with the Brownstone litter.  She recently drove across country with me and loved it.  She is a great companion and a great ambassador for the breed".

 Happy Birthday Moonsong Mouse. I can't wait to see you again next weekend.