It's NOT over until I say it is

Although the month of January is winding down, I'm am nowhere near ready to be done with the dog sledding. In fact, I feel like I'm just finally getting the hang of things! The temperature warmed up for the and light flurries fell throughout the weekend. Nancy and the dogs were ready to hit the trail. Unfortunately, the snowfall was not sufficient to run the dogs with the sled. Not yet. Nancy's hoping that with a few more dumps of snow, she should be able to get the sled out in February - and I will be there! Screw this one challenge per month. It's my experiment - so I can (and will) bend the rules...

Ev was working so I brought along a blast from my blog past: sexy hair tossing flutist, Heidi! She actually owns a coat with a fur-trimmed collar and little stitchings of Eskimos and sled dogs on the back. It was a no-brainer. She was the perfect dog sledding buddy! We met Nancy out on the trail and it was apparent from the yelps and barks that the dogs were raring to go (they've been cooped up in the cold for almost 2 weeks!) I actually felt like I was semi-helpful as I strapped each harness around the dogs, gave Cooper (nervous nellie) his pre-run pep-talk, cleaned up after Coooper's pre-game ritual, and led each dog to the gangline. Nancy was concerned the dogs would go "kamikaze," running wildly after having not run in 2 weeks, but they were stars! Perfect left turns to "Haw" and sharp right turns to "Chee," they listened intently, concentrated on the path, and ran in perfect sync for 9 miles. At one point, Nancy couldn't see the track with the fresh snowfall on the ground, but the team did not skip a beat - whether they remembered or were able to sense the path, they made a perfect left turn without a command from Nancy. Nancy instructed the team to stop about 3/4 of the way through the run, "Look at how Loki is running funny. He must have an ice ball in his foot." Ice ball? Apparently, some dogs have "hot feet" and fresh snow will melt between the pads, creating a snow/ice ball in their foot. It would be comparable to running with a rock in your shoe. Nancy always watches her dogs very carefully throughout the run, picking up on any changes in their stride or behavior. She removed the chunk of ice, and we carried on to the "finish line."

"Stop dudes! I got an iceball!"

Other than experiencing stinging toes and fingers,  (-15 is still cold, people!) it was a great day out on the trail. I refuse to conclude this month's challenge at this point in time because there is still so much to learn and experience. I barely got a taste of it. As soon as there's enough snow, I'm on that sled! I can only imagine how awesome that experience will be! I can close my eyes and hear the sounds of the dog's breathing and the swish swish of the sled on the snow. I can't wait! Also, I'm looking forward to partaking in pet therapy with Nancy and her dogs. There's been a ban on visitors at many of the longterm care homes this month due to illness, so we've been unable to bring the dogs in to visit with the residents. But I'm really interested to see how the resident's and the dogs will react to each other. I'm really enjoying working with these dogs and I just feel like I'm starting to see each of their unique personalities shine through. And I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda getting attached to Cooper and his anxious little personality. Perhaps I can share Biloxi's little blue pill with the poor dude? (BTW, Biloxi is now refusing the little blue pill, foaming at the mouth when I shove it down his throat. Super calming experience for both of us).

Check out all the pics:

Hey, is that a musher from the Arctic? NO, it's flutist, Heidi!

Snotsicles!

The dogs love Heidi with treats

Crochet Update: No baby...yet. Janna is concerned that the baby will "arrive in a suit and tie, ready for work." Yikes. The baby is now 3 days overdue; however, I stopped by Grandma's and she's putting the finishing touches on the final attachment of the crochet squares. Perhaps this genius baby was concerned that it might arrive cold, with no blanket. Smart kid. Ok, baby, we are now ready for you...NOW!!!!