More Mail Runs

If it is cool enough, I am trying to do daily mail/paper runs for the fun of it and to get us back in shape. Yesterday I took Trask for a solo run to work on his crabbing to the left side of the road. Poor confused boy. The run started out with him nicely "lined-out" but when I said "hup" he laid down. Guess I didn't correctly convey that he was alone on this trip. Koyuk and Cedar were still in bed. I finally got him up and running and we quickly made it past the large pond to the Y in the road. Again he stopped. He has never taken the right arm but now I am not sure he realized it. He has always just followed the girls. A little help with "haw" (go left) and we were off again. The road was littered with large branches from the storm the night before. Each time he veered off to the left side of the road and then responded to my "gee-over", I parked the rig and rewarded him with his favorite string cheese. I them flung branches off the road on my way back to the rig. This was probably my slowest mail run ever but Trask came home well fed and the road got cleared.

Today it was foggy and misting during our run. The run itself was probably the fastest mail run I have ever done. The only moving picture I was able to take was near the top of the second hill. They ran so fast, I did not need to brake on the downhills to avoid running them down. Trask still occasionally crabbed to the left but overall did better staying behind the girls.

Team Nookies was so excited to continue running they were already lining-out when I got back to the tie-off with the Sunday paper.

Fast Dogs, Ice, No Brakes

The temperature finally got above freezing - still in the low 30's but I thought it would be safe to try a paper run. The dogs loved running on the hard surface in a temperature more suited to their heavy coats. The way up the first hill was icy and fast. (Trask did look back a bit annoyed when I stopped them near the top for a picture.)

Then we hit where the road was littered with downed branches and ice falling from the trees above. All I could do was hold on tight as the rig jarringly bounced along at a breakneck speed. More pictures had to wait until the return trip.

The brakes on the Ferrari were useless. The wheels were locked but on ice the rig was akin to a sled. Fortunately the dogs ran fast enough to not get run over (and I stayed upright).

 By the time we were tearing down the last hill, I finally relaxed enough to enjoy the thrilling ride.

Morning coffee and paper, contented dogs - life is good.

Amazing Trask

I love the sound of rocks skiddering across a frozen pond. Every winter I keep a pile of pebbles at ready.  But, imagine my surprise/horror when I heard the sound while getting firewood today. No one else was around. I ran to the pond. There was Trask pouncing down hard to break the 1/2" thick ice. He then systematically picked up chunks with his mouth and flung them on the pond ice so they broke and skiddered. I ran to the house with my firewood load, grabbed my camera and then was rewarded with my own slab of ice to make magical sounds on the pond ice.

Trask with my present

I have a hunch the piece of kindling encased in ice was from one of his summer activities.

Cedar checking out Trask's harvested ice.

Not wanting to further encourage him, I took a pictures of him with his prize and brought him inside.

Still Trying to Capture the Sparkle

Another cold, sunny day. Another opportunity to try to capture the way the sunlight sparkles through the ice coated trees.

Trask insisted on going out during my photo sessions, so I turned the camera on the handsome boy.

While the tall trees wear their blanket of ice...

on the ground, where the sun doesn't reach, everything is covered with hoarfrost.

Freezing Rain in a New Light

The weather remains cold and the ice from the past two day's freezing rain still lingers. Today as I was lamenting the sun no longer hitting the house, I looked up to see the ice coated firs sparkling as if crowned with diamonds.

Freezing rain does have it's pluses. I wish I could capture the crystal brilliance. I tried with several settings and a couple of lenses

 My favorite image.

After I put my camera away, I took the dogs for a rig run out the drive. We came back totally soaked from the constant shower of ice particles. Along the route I had to clear numerous branches that had broken off and fallen under the weight of the ice. No power and an impassible road, some of the minuses of freezing rain. How do you weigh Nature's beauty against inconvenience? Guess it has to do with how dry and warm you are.

Beauty of Freezing Rain

The freezing rain of the past two nights left everything coated with ice. Today, the heavy branches disrupted our power, heat and water for several hours. Fortunately I have a perk coffee pot in my camping stuff, water stored in the tub and a digital camera.

Thursday

Trask standing under branches that are normally 9' off the ground.

Koyuk and Trask really did not want to pose in the freezing rain. Cedar wouldn't even come outside.

 "Can we go in now?"

Friday

The freezing level was about 2 foot off the ground.

Trask

Cedar and Koyuk were no more excited about being out this morning.

Trask checked out the icicles after discovering that the water bowl was empty.

Ice coating everything added incredible beauty to the cold foggy days. Having power, heat and water back on added incredible comfort to photo viewing. 

La Pine Mushing Event - Sunday

Sunday morning saw us back on the trail heading toward the staging area.

Team Nookies arriving at the staging area.

While Team Nookies watered, a remarkable demonstration of the large team's skill was unfolding on the other side of the staging area. Jill Wilson passed two eight-dog teams pulling quads heading out on the trails as she came down the hill into the staging area with Team Dashing, her six-dog team.

Jill then, with only inches to spare, verbally drove her team between a departing eight-dog team pulling a yellow quad and a ten-dog team being hooked up...

A few minutes later, Team Nookies hit the trails to run the 4 mile loop...

 A happy, tired Team Nookies successfully made it back to the staging area.

  Team Nookies - Trask, Cedar and Koyuk

After a brief rest, we headed back along the river to the campground...

where we met with other Chinooks and their owners.

Hooking all the La Pine Mushing Event participating Chinooks to a gangline was a tradition started last year. Sunday afternoon 13 Chinooks were harnessed and clipped to one long gangline running through the trees behind my campsite.

 A last minute untangling by Lindsay McCann.

Two excited Silvertree Chinooks pups lead the team. A stout tree held them back.

 Partway back Oscar howled with delight.

 Thirteen Chinooks - what a beautiful sight!