I am stealing a Shakespeare quote for this blog post’s title; and following it up with another:

“Though this be madness, yet there is method”

Welcome to summer in Alaska, 24 hours of light to fuel the non-stop activity of trying to accomplish a to-do list that, in spite of our best efforts, always seems to be longer then the  allotted 24 hours. So you work hard, do the best you can, and make sure to make time for some summer fun.

At Dew Claw the dogs are enjoying free runs with Dan on the Motorcycle. And I (Jodi) have been leader training with small teams on the quad. All this is done to keep the dogs happy and active during the summer months. My physical therapy continues to go very well, and as I get stronger my activity level increases. With continued work both the team and I will be ready to go this fall, and it is safe to say we are all looking forward to it.

Making MUSH

In addition to preparing for the mushing season there are some fun seasonal things happening. Using oil infused with poplar buds I gathered this spring, spruce pitch, and local beeswax I made a extra large batch of MUSH – Multi-Use Salve for Healing. An idea that began as a home project, MUSH is an all-purpose salve good for mammals of all ages.  At Dew Claw we use it on everything from canine bootie rub to human chapped nose. And since all the ingredients are food grade and non-toxic it is safe to use on dogs or kids, cause you know both are inclined to taste things. The feedback I got from friends who tried it was so positive I decided to go big, and this year I made over 500 one ounce tins!

 

Thanks to the awesome folks at Ruby Snacks (all natural dog treats, made in Alaska)  MUSH made it’s debut at the Fairbanks Golden Days Downtown Festival. It is also for sale in Fairbanks at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market on Wends.

While working at the Golden Days Festival I also had the chance to sneak a peek at the Golden Days parade.  The highlight  ***and I must admit I am totally biased!*** was the Fairbanks Junior Dog Mushers! Seeing the kids out there with their dogs was fun, and the BEST part ***bias alert*** was seeing Casper, Parka, and Gypsy in team! All are Dew Claw dogs who after racing with us have found their forever home pulling for a local junior musher.

Having been in major events they are well socialized and unfazed by things like crowds and chaos. This makes them ideally suited to working with a junior as they begins his mushing career. And as you can see in the photos below they are all doing great as a parade team. (Also folks should know the quads used to control the team also carried water so the dogs had a chance to stop and drink during the long parade. The Junior Mushers do a great job of having the kids focus on dog care.)

With the MUSH project done it was time for another major project to take over the kitchen for a day – making JAM!

Not to brag, BUT; I am a berry picking machine! Each year I spend hours in my favorite places picking gallons of raspberries and blueberries for the freezer. They are the basis for a winters worth of smoothies, desserts, and a key component of Dan’s diet – Jam. Jam that makes the multiple PB&J  sandwiches Dan will consume in a year.  His favorite is a mix of blueberry and rhubarb we call – bluebarb. Jam gets made with the end of last years berries to make room for this years.

Our bluebarb jam stash was running low, and the berries are turning ripe. That can only mean one thing.  Time to turn the kitchen into a production zone and get jammin’.  And jam I did.

Hours of stewing berries with sugar, boiling water to seal jars, sterilizing jars, filling, wiping, and general kitchen witchery and we now have 20 pints of jam.

You can’t tell from that last photo, and I forgot to take one at the very end, but; last job after all that was tackling the kitchen.  It won’t last long, but for now it is neat and clean and ready for the next big mess.