Fall training with the quad; Orchid and Sparrow in lead.
Been writing a lot of “Thank You” blog post lately, and that is a great thing. Right now is the critical time where we lay down the foundation for the winter ahead. That means the fall training and conditioning of the team. Stocking the freezer with the 1200+ fish we will feed this winter. Taking stock of our equipment and replacing what we will need for the winter race season. And last but not least: Fundraising. Races may be months away, but right now we are investing as much as we can to make sure we will be ready and set to focus on the dogs and the trail. Each new Sponsor and Team Dew Claw member adds to our ability to accomplish our goals. So these “Thank You” posts really mean a lot to us!
You can not write as many Thank You’s as I have and not on some level feel deep gratitude, and a sense of responsibility. Yes Responsibly; always to the dogs first! But in light of the fact that we are very fortunate to be sponsored by such wonderful people and companies, the least we can do is pitch in to help when we can and give something back.
October presented me with a few fun opportunities to do just that.
Dew Claw provided the sled dogs for petting. The dogs were very happy to volunteer for this job!
Sorry if you missed it; cause it was the yummiest fundraiser I have ever helped with. Yes the Dew Claw dogs were on hand at Cold Stone Creamery to help raise funds for the United Way of the Tanana Valley. Jake & Elwood took the first shift, and Orchid and Loben worked the second. The dogs loved meeting everyone who came in to show their support of the United Way of the Tanana Valley. I am pretty sure Orchid managed to lick at least a scoops worth of ice cream of hands and cheeks.
This year I helped out as a volunteer at the event instead of running in it.
Next event was the Hay Bale Canicross Race. Along with being the poster child (That is me and Jake from a previous years race) I was also a race day volunteer. It was wonderful to see so many folks out with their four footed friends. The course was slightly under 6K with hay bale obstacles on the trail. A very close photo finish between Ted and Tyson was pretty exciting to watch, and from where I was I really could not tell who had won. I had staked myself a nice spot by the largest of hay bale obstacles for my race viewing, figured it would be good for at least one epic crash, but all managed to navigate it without incident. *side note* Although the humans were all good about climb/jumping I saw more then one dog take the sneaky side route around, or have a moment of hesitation about bounding over something they would much rather pee on. All levels and ages were represented; of people and dogs. And a great time was had by all! Results here.
This is always a great event with lots of useful information, well worth checking out. And there is a trade fair that is free and open to the public.
The Alaska Dog Mushers Association is also putting on the Alaska Sled Dog Symposium where I am both a speaker and a moderator. In addition I am very excited that our own little Loben was been chosen to be one of the dogs used in the hands on session with the keynote speaker Dr. Gigliotti. (see her and other speakers bios here, it is a great line up! and while you are at it you can check out the schedule.)
Traditionally the trade fair has showcased some really great deals on feed & gear mushers need for the season ahead. Pre-purchasing your feed and meat in bulk often secures the best price of the season, and you can bet we will be there. Your support early in the season helps us make these important bulk purchases. You can learn more about supporting Dew Claw here.
I will also be presenting to the 2013 Quest Rookies at the Yukon Quest Rookie meeting. How could I say NO to the Assistant Director Maria “Frog” Roberts when she asked if I would? she has an infectious laugh and works her butt off while smiling all the while, I simply had to say YES. After the Rookie Meeting I plan on staying for the Yukon Quest Birthday Party, and I hope if you are in the Fairbanks area you will stop in, say HI, and help the Yukon Quest celebrate 30 years of adventure!
And now for some Progress ~
Spanky says, “you want Progress, look how much I have grown!”
Volunteering is important to us, and we are glad to have these opportunities to get out, do some good, share our love of dogs & have fun. But being sponsored by so many encouraging and generous people also inspires us to want to do better. By doing better I do not mean placing higher in races. Although we have nothing against winning (and are always working to be more competitive); doing better in this context means literally what things can we improve on right now & every day (not just on the race trail) to better care for and work with our kids. To this end, one of the things we have been working on is a dog yard remodel project. We waited and did the ground work in Oct and are now hoping that everything will freeze quickly, before anyone has an inclination to start digging a new underground tunnel system (sled dogs are not just amazing runners, they are also first class diggers/excavators). Yes I know next summer the digging will begin again. And we will continue to wage futile war against dog dug potholes. But for the beautiful frozen winter our dog yard will be flat and free from ankle twisting booby traps. Next up we will be building new dog houses to replace any that are worn or drafty, and then the kids should be all comfortable and set for winter. A few other small projects will complete the look, including; new chains for the center aisle take-off area, and a little roof for the harness/gear rack. Having the dog yard re-done and organized for winter will make feeding, scooping, and hooking up the team easier.
Before: dog houses have been moved out, but you can see some of the potholes and damage done by the diggity dogs.
The boys side after the loader fixed / flattened the yard.
Dan hard at work with the machine fixing up the girls side. The girls practiced camping on a picket line while we worked on their side.
Working on the yard. Poles were also reset as needed.
Houses lined up & girls back in the yard after the dirt work is done.
Cricket say “Thanks for fixing all those holes I dug”
Ribdon, Neptune, & Freezer (front to back) chilling in the redone dog yard.
We continue to make progress on our fall training and conditioning, and have a few recent photos posted here. Hope you enjoy them, it shows one of our very first snow flurries in the hills behind the house. Not nearly enough for a sled, but enough to remind me how magical everything looks with a touch of winter white! and add to my excitement for the winter ahead.
Yuki says “Mush Thanks from all of us at Dew Claw”
Thanks again to all the members of Team Dew Claw!
Your sponsorship & encouragement makes all this possible!!!
