Spring is in the air (for a few days anyway)

 

Spring is springing and so I have been shorn!  According to Lane my  under pelt had turned to felt…..so we did the big chop.  I feel young, I feel lively, I feel marvellous, darling.  No one would guess I’m ten from looking at me now.  I bet I dropped two pounds. As I spring into the season my new mantra is look like  a pup,  feel like a pup.

My bell is out on the counter;  this can only mean one thing.  We are headed out on a hike.  Yahoo!  Cross country skiing was in our  plan for the day but now there is a race at Priest Lake and I doubt they really want dogs – they say dogs are fine out there but I could get killed by a mis”poked” ski pole.   Think I’ll just take my licks on the good old Judd Wiebe and try to get these legs in shape. Now that I’m shaved I need to make sure my lines, my form, my physique are well developed to show off my fine musculature.  A hike is good for that.  I’ve actually come through the winter in good shape; I’m quite pleased.  We did enough cross country and hundreds of miles of walking with Don – so I didn’t pack on any extra “poids”…French, you know for WEIGHT. The photo is back when I needed your opinion as to whether or not my ass was looking a tad rotund…..looking much much better now folks.

A hike in the fresh air will be good for all of us.  Today is the first day in months when I’ve been outside at 8 a.m. and the sun felt warm. It felt great. BUT, big caveat here…..warm sun at 8 means mud by 10 which means glass torture box by noon or so when we get home.  It ALMOST takes the pleasure out of my upcoming hike. It’s the indignity of the procedure that really sticks in my craw. She needs to chillax and get over worries about a little dirt on the carpet.

The Iditarod is still in  full swing and owner is on the computer every day.  She spends a lot of time figuring out who scratched…..for god’s sake we’re dogs we all scratch.  I thought it was a race to see who could get to Nome the fastest not who has an itch.  What do I know.  They don’t actually tell me things they simply talk as if I know what’s going on.  Dogs have to work twice as hard to be in the know, you know.  It is so damned exhausting.

One Iditaroder had her sled slide off an ice bridge and land upside down in a river with all her survival gear inside.  Luckily someone came by and swept the trail – see, another person who doesn’t like dirt on their rugs.  Another guy (we’ll call him guy number one) who has delayed his chemotherapy until after the race had a bad accident.  A second competitor came along with his dogs and found guy number one lying unconscious on the trail after having smashed his head into a tree.   He has no memory of what happened….no kidding.  A young woman got knocked out of the race when the runners on her sled snapped off – probably in that spot where there are  miles with no snow.  However, the others battle onwards and upwards to see who will make it first to Nome.  Owner is rooting for Aliy Zirkle and she could still finish in the top ten. (Outside magazine has an article about her dogs “It’s the Dog in You” March 2010 if you want to understand the physiology that makes sled dogs the ultimate marathoners)

Just because you really don’t want to actually accomplish anything today, I’m including a link to her blog which is great.   SPKenneldoglog@blogspot.com

http://spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com/

If for nothing else, click on  this link and filter through a few entries. There is a great video called That’s a Big Moose – the moose is having a munch on someone’s front lawn in Anchorage.  SPKennel is the kennel that owner and curly haired like because they met up with Aliy’s dad in the bar line at the musher’s banquet and then ran into him again at Aliy’s talk.  He was a nice guy, Aliy and Alan were really funny and highly informative and suddenly my owners were hooked on following their Iditarod races.  These are great bloggers because their videos are embedded so the only way I can get them to you is to lead you to their link.  Great photos, great information if any of you have become interested in what those crazy people are doing up near the Arctic!

  Some photos were lying around and I thought you’d find it fun to see what the locals got up to with their dog races after all the “real” competitors took off. Who has ever seen so many dog bridesmaids? The males just had to suffer the indignity of a neckerchief.  How do I get one of those dresses? The bride won second prize by the way for the fastest team in the Sprints.  However, she won Best Costume! Got to admire these folks.  It is cold but hell you can’t stay indoors all winter; haven’t you heard of Cabin Fever?

 

As for me. I’m heading out on my walk with my bell.  Then I’m going to get in the glass torture box and then have a snooze on my  new bed. Now that Shannon has completely reorganised our condo and painted and matched walls to furniture to dog collars (red and gold walls, gold furniture, red dog collar…..I think it was my dog collar that got her started on this colour scheme in the first place.)  My new dog bed is perfect for my old bones…oh wait, look like a pup, feel like a pup, look like a pup…..   Finally I’m getting money spent on me to show the respect I deserve.

Word to the wise.  Huge karaoke party planned for this condo next week. Luckily only real singers are coming – the Telluride Choral Society is letting their hair down next Friday.  The microphones are being dusted off, equipment checks are being run, music lists are being created and food is being cooked.  Should be a great photo op! I saw some ear plugs from the recent airplane travels…..think I’ll test them out just in case a squawker got into the crowd by  mistake…oh wait, owner is in the crowd!  The renters upstairs are in for a huge surprise! See ya later.