Consider this a mish-mash, some updates, some new news, and some books I want y’all to know about, enjoy.
The new Dew Claw website is under construction, these things are always bigger projects then you think they will be. To tide you over I posted some great photos I just got from Walt & Janet Tremer. Walt and Janet are long time Iditarod fans and friends, and have been in Nome for all of our finishes, and this year Walt was my Iditarider for the Anchorage start. Thanks to them and to Northern Lights Media (Helen Hegener and Eric Vercammen) recent trips to the post office have resulted in pleasant surprises.
Along Alaskan Trails, Adventures in Sled Dog History, by Helen Hegener, is a collection of true stories about Alaskan sled dogs & the role they played in the North.
Helen is a dear friend and through her I had the pleasure of meeting Eric, and they were part of a wonderful group of friends who joined us for the start banquet and sent me off with an awesome snack basket featuring fine chocolate from Belgium. The recent package from Northern Lights contained a drive of photos from this year’s race, and it also contained an autographed copy of Helen’s newest book “Along Alaskan Trails“. Very excited to read this, as I know Helen has long been interested in and actively researching the rich heritage of dog mushing in the far north.
I really do need to get the website done so I can enjoy some of my friends new releases. Along with Helen’s historical account, I was also fortunate enough to recently recieve autographed copies of June Price’s “Backstage Iditarod” and Dane Rauschenberg’s “138,336 Feet to Pure Bliss“. (OK not a mushing books but his blog and last book were wonderful wit and motivation, check him out.)
Photo (c) Albert Lewis
And then there is the book everyone is talking about, Born to Run / Athletes of the Iditarod. (check it out on Facebook, or see the project page on Kickstarter) Proud to say there will be some Dew Claw dogs featured in this beautiful project. (That is our little girl Loben in the shot on the right) Albert captured such detail and expression in the dogs he worked with. But wait it gets better…
When Albert recently announced on his Kickstarter page that he would be offering a 32 dog photo shoot as a reward for helping to fund this book project Dan and I both drooled at the possibility of having him take professional portraits of all our amazing dogs. Well Ladies and Gentlemen Christmas came early to Dew Claw, and thanks to the incredible generosity of Marlys Sauer, Dawn Beckwell, and Kirstie McGuinness our kids will all get a chance to play super-model. Marlys, Dawn and Kirstie are all long time members of Team Dew Claw, and along with my mom Nancy Bailey, aunt Virginia Pond, and Mamie Brundige, they are leading the way for the 2012-13 race season. Thanks also to TJ’s Land Clearing and Usibelli Coal Mine, our 2012-13 season corporate sponsors in Team Dew Claw.
We are looking forward to having the beautiful dogs of Dew Claw captured in portraits. This is an exciting time for our kennel, and I love that we are going to be able to record these dogs, and this race team, a year in the history of Dew Claw dogs. So many young dogs bursting with energy, so much potential and life ahead of them. And the older dogs with bodies sculpted by thousands of miles and years of experience in their eyes. We have some wonderful plans for a sponsorship program, and you can expect these photos to be part of a special thank you for Team Dew Claw this year. (I will keep y’all posted)
Here at Dew Claw we are very fortunate to have such wonderful support and encouragement, and there are many things to be grateful for. As part of my ongoing Yoga practice at Infinite Yoga of Alaska I have been trying to be mindful of gratitude. To that end I share with you this article I found recently, short, sweet, & simple as it as ~ Enjoy.
