Koyuk's first meal of the day was at 0130 - a generous portion of puppy kibble with cup of ice cream. My hope was that I could get more than 4 hours sleep.
When she woke me in the morning the power was off. Koyuk leaves me little choice but to get up when she wants me up. First-things-first. I dug out my perk coffee pot and filled it with bottled water. (No power-no water.) Thank heaven for gas stoves. Coffee pot on, I fed the dogs while the puppies were doing shrieking zoomies in the whelping box.
Once the coffee was perked, everyone went outside. Only then did I find a battery clock and realized it was 0500. But I was up. The smoky sunrise gave an amber haze ambiance to my breakfast at pup-den cafe.
The puppies continued their zoomies in the cooler morning air.
Byrd making a sneak attack on the milkbar
Eating was high on the agenda for the morning and frequently enjoyed.
Cedar watching the feasting beasts from afar. She has done time with ravenous pups of her own.
Yet another meal.
Koyuk really doesn't stand a chance if she is in the pup-den
"Ouch!"
"Hey guys, a little easier."
After meal puppy bath.
Kate washed clean of excess milk.
Byrd
Arthur
Washington
Wind
Kate
Treadwell getting kisses from mom Koyuk
Cedar with Kate
Trask getting kisses from Kate
Nothing gets in the way as the puppies navigate the pup-den obstacle course...
even a quick nap.
Kate
Byrd sails over the floatie...
So does Wind
The big dogs also took advantage of the cooler weather to play a brief but rousting game of Chinook tag. Koyuk was "it" just out of the picture.
Not yet 1000 and already too hot for more running play.
Trask tried his best to get the puppies to play Chinook tag. He cajoled then with howls and numerous play bows both inside and outside the pup-den.
Just like Silly Willy before him, the boy LOVES the puppies. I wouldn't be surprised if he lets them try to nurse as Willy always did.
After five hours outside, except for a brief visit from a friend who installed my new kitchen faucet, the puppies pretty much just slept and ate the rest of the day. That is until the smell of dinner got them excited.
The shrieks were deafening. Koyuk was sitting just outside the whelping box.
Tomorrow the next board goes in the entry.
"We can do it. I know we can."
"Yea, I can see the milkbar from here."
To placate their excess energy, I added TP tubes to the whelping box. Every litter I say I am not going to do it because for the rest of their lives the pups are attracted to TP tubes. But, they are light. They roll with the slightest touch. And unlike store-bought toys, they are quickly disposable when inevitably soiled. So I unabashedly apologize to all the forever families of future wastebasket raiders but TP tubes it is.
After my dinner I hung a load of clean, whelping box, bath towels out to dry. By 2000 they were already dry. This heat is unnerving and the smoke is even thicker this evening. Little delicate respiratory systems will have to spend more time inside than I had anticipated for a summer litter.
2100 feeding. I am amazed Koyuk looks so serene. (it could have to do with the NY steak she got for dinner with her kibble). I am so tired.
Koyuk will probably nurse again at 2400 and then I will feed her and both of us will crash for a few hours until someone is hungry again.
