August 14, 2005 Hourly Charge

Summer is supposed to be ‘downtime’ for dog mushers – and religiously each summer I promise myself I will spend some time just doing nothing – well, nothing more then sitting in the sun, catching up on my reading, and watching the clouds roll by. But each summer, like so many of us these days, life catches up with me and before I know it leaves are falling from the trees and winter is closing in on me.

But this year I had a plan – a lounge chair. Maybe if I bought myself a real, honest to gosh lounge chair I would make the time to lounge. This, I convinced myself, was the ticket to my relaxation. So, when my birthday rolled around in June that was what I was going to tell everyone I wanted. Problem was, everyone in my family knows me well enough that a ‘lounge’ chair never even crossed their minds (although don’t get me wrong, I got wonderful and very appreciated gifts – especially the new 4 wheeler for training dogs from Mark!).

So in early July I took ‘the bull’ by the horns and bought myself a lounge chair. As I fiddled with Allen wrenches putting it together, I could just picture myself stretched out in it with lemonade on the table next to me and a book in my hand. Heaven.

I got it put together, picked a nice spot on the back lawn, took a table out, a mosquito candle and it was all set. If I had been wise, I would have plunked my butt in there right away, but I had other chores to do – and it would still be there tomorrow. Tomorrow I would lounge.

I know you all know where I’m going with this. Tomorrow stretched on and on. As the days passed I would glance at the inviting set up as I trudged by with buckets filled with dog food, dashed off to town (Athabasca) or the city (Edmonton), dragged reluctant dogs by to be bathed, or one of a bunch of other chores. Maybe tomorrow I’ll find time to spend some time lounging I’d tell myself.

Well, here we are on August 14. The hummingbirds have headed south, the blueberries are out, the mornings are cool enough that I’m actually running teams most days – all the signs are there that fall is closing in. I have spent a total of 1 hour in my chair. It was a wonderful hour, although I kept glancing at the lawn and thinking I should fire up the lawn mover, and friend, Roger stopped by, caught me sitting out there reading and teased me about my lack of activity – but I did indeed lounge.

I figure that hour of lounging, when you figure out the price of the chair and side table, cost me $150. There should be a few more weeks of mild weather left; my goal prior to winter is to get the price of lounging down to $20 per hour. I just have a few hours of chores left this morning – then I’ll get right to it – really!

Karen

August 7, 2005 Charmed, I'm Sure

With all the hubbub and excitement surrounding the arrival of Nahanni and Kara's pups it would easy to almost overlook the arrival of another adult dog to our pack. Almost....

It was just over a week ago that Charm (Sibersong's Charmed, I'm Sure) arrived at the airport in Calgary all the way from North Carolina. The path that has brought her to us has been a rather winding one and things may seem alittle confusing, so bear with me for a moment as I give everyone a brief NorthWapiti kennels history lesson. A number of years ago I sold NorthWapiti's Lyra to Kim and Kelly Berg of Kelim Siberians in New Hampshire. Lyra had some puppies for the Bergs and then was leased to their good friend, Jaye Foucher of Sibersong Siberians for a litter. Smiley was down visiting the Bergs for the summer and was the sire of Lyra's litter for Jaye - so although it was an all NorthWapiti litter, it was not one that had anything to do with Mark and I.

One of the puppies, Charm, was went to Joni Barnhart of Khovaki Siberian in North Carolina.
Okay, with me still???

Now fast forward to this summer. For a few different reasons, Joni had decided to send Charm back to Jaye. Jaye is expecting a new litter this summer and has some other changes happening in her life, so she was probably going to place her. Kim and Kelly thought I might be interested in her, as I really loved the 'Constellation' litter (Orion, Draco, Lyra and Cassie) and haven't been really successful in getting alot of offspring off them. I liked the few picture I had seen of Charm, but bringing an adult dog into the kennel, especially one with no serious sledding exposure is always a risk - then I saw one of her in full stride playing with Joni's other dogs - I was sold. I worked out a deal with Jaye and Charm hopped on a plane and made the journey to Alberta.

Charm in full stride playing with Joni's other dogs

Charm spent her first weekend here at the Calgary dog show with Dasher and I. She quickly decided Dasher was her best friend in the whole world and threw hissy fits whenever Dasher left the set up area for a walk or to be shown. Dasher looked at her like one of the 'in girls' looks at a geek in high school, but then again, being a Kara daughter and Breezy granddaughter, Dasher has always been alittle stuck up.

When we got home I kennelled her near Dasher. Dasher continued to maintain her stuck up attitude, but I think it was reassuring for Charm.

It's been almost a week now and Charm is settling in very nicely. I'm giving her a little while to start feeling at home before we hook her up - but her body and attitude hold out great promise.

Charmed, we are.
Karen

August 1, 2005 Princess Kara Delivers

I know I would be in deep trouble with many if I didn't keep everyone up to date on Kara.

Well, in typical Princess fashion, Kara threw a temper tantrum all night last night, keeping Mark awake and on edge. He reported she whined and cried constantly to the point that he hauled her off to the vet this morning. The vet checked her over and did an ultrasound to make sure the puppies were in no distress - they weren't, but Kara's ultimate goal was achieved - I came home from the dog show I was at in Calgary early.

Big apologies to Dawne Deeley - I know she would have liked her sleep, but she was very gracious when my phone rang in her motor home at 5:30am and then I started frantically gathering dogs and gear so I could head home. Thanks goodness she is a true dog person, as well as a good friend and thus completely understood.

Kara didn't seem particularly happy to see me - I figure 'cause she was annoyed I had the gall to leave in the first place, but there was none of the previous nights antics once I got home.

At 6:30, right after a tired Mark dragged his butt out the door to go work a night shift, Kara, with very little fuss and no theatrics welcomed a lovely, tiny version of herself to the world.

I will keep you all posted, as time - and Kara - permits throughout the night.

Big strapping piebald boy at 7:10
8pm - black and white male marked like Dad
8:10 - black and white female
8:45 - another black and white male!
9:05 - black and white female
Sadly puppy 7, a black and white girl was still born

It's been a busy weekend, Wednesday night I was up most of the night with Nahanni and her litter. Thursday I drove to Calgary in time to pick up an US arrival (more on that later) at the airport at 9pm. By the time I was finished with customs and got down at the show grounds, it was well passed 11pm. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were typical dog show nights - alittle too much wine and not enough sleep. Then the rushed trip home for Kara ... by 1:30am last night I was the walking dead. Kara was settled, so I crawled into bed, but set my alarm for every 1 1/2 hours. Religiously throughout the night I got up and checked on her and everyone was settled and nursing nicely.

At 5:30 I put a leash on her and dragged her outside. I felt her belly and figured we were now done - although when I went to bed last night, I really thought she might of had one more in there. I found a box for the babies, lined it with a blanket and began moving them into it so I could change their bedding. The big piebald boy was first, then the other pie....wait...the OTHER pie?? I shook my head and began to count 1...2...3...4...5...6..........7

So somewhere during the night she snuck in another one - a sweet black and white piebald female.   :)
Mom and babes are doing fine - although Kara is going to have to figure out that curling up around her babies doesn't work as well with 7 babies as it did with her previous litter of two. The milk bar needs to stretch out to accommodate this hungry mob!

Kara - 1st time mother

Karen

July 15, 2005 (posted) Teaching "On by"

Karen L. Ramstead, April, 2005
(originally posted at ScooterClub) 

Our situation requires that we are frequently around loose farm dogs, cattle, horses - and the worst of the worse - SHEEP. Learning to go by distractions is critical for our dogs.

 

I think working around a loose dog of your own (or one you know well) is great for helping to teach the dogs to ignore distractions. We have Fly, the annoying Aussie yard dog that 'helps' out at hook-up. The pups and young dogs learn to ignore him and that helps when they meet other dogs. I also try to run reliable front ends in areas I know will have distractions until everyone in the team is fairly reliable at 'on by'. A good leader or two can take your team by just about anything.

 

Once dogs are getting good at passing distractions when they are in the team I will put them up front with a solid leader and two reliable dogs in swing. The inexperienced leader will have a belly band on too so the 3 good dogs can drag them by a distraction, if need be.

 

I also ALWAYS discipline MY dogs for any altercation on the trails with loose dogs - whether or not the other dog initiated it, my dogs participated and that makes them in the wrong. I never let my dogs 'off the hook' and make excuses for them. "Who could blame them?" is not a part of my vocabulary. If they get in a scrape - I blame them. It takes two to tango. Participating in any kind of encounter with loose animals is not allowed. This practice now means that aggressive. snarling dogs can barrel into the middle of my team and my dogs (90% of the time) step over or around them.

 

As we run fairly big teams (usually 14's) it is important that we know our equipment well. I know that shut off in low gear, with the emergency brake locked, and the wheels cranked to one side or the other (it is way harder to get a 4 wheeler rolling if the wheels aren't pointing straight ahead), I can hold my team in most situations. The wheels being cranked to one side can also make sure you don't end up chasing your team for a long ways down a road - however, cranked to the wrong side can mean that you will roll your 4 wheeler or end up with it in a swamp (I speak from experiences on all accounts). Carrying a block of wood that you can wedge under a wheel in a jam isn't a bad idea either and we have done that on 4 wheelers that wouldn't hold a team on their own. I have also used snow banks, mud, trees and ditches to help slow down and/or hold the team in emergencies.

 

Just a few suggestions - hope they might be of help to one or two of you.

 

Karen

 

Mark and Karen L. Ramstead
NorthWapiti Kennels
Iditarod finishing and Best in Show winning Siberians

July 10, 2005 Upcoming Litters

Since mentioning in an email to the NorthWapiti News Yahoo Group that Kara was expecting a litter I've had many private emails asking if we were sure she was pregnant, when she was due and who Daddy is.   Well her due date is August 1, Daddy is Grover and this morning both Mark and I felt puppies moving around in her belly - so yes, she is pregnant.   Nahanni is also expecting Draco babies on July 25. She isn't huge, but I'm pretty sure she has a few pups kicking around in there.   I'm very excited about both litters! :)   Karen   "KARA" THREE TIME IDITAROD VETERAN Ch. NorthWapiti's Valkyrie Kara - Born: 7/27/99 (Tumnatki's Bosun NorthWapiti x Multi BIS Ch. Chuchinka's Dance in the Wind SDX) "NAHANNI" ONE TIME IDITAROD VETERAN NorthWapiti's Nahanni - Born: 5/27/00 (Alaskan's Skookum of Anadyr x Alaskan's Kessa of Anadyr II)

July 3, 2005 Yeah Hector!

Mark and I drove to Cold Lake, AB today for one day of dog showing (Mark says that is it for the year for him now - he hates dog shows!).   I had Dasher (Ch. NorthWapiti's Dasher), entered as a Special and Hector in the ring for the first time ever.   Well, knock me over with a feather, Hector was an angel in the ring. He allowed me (and friend, Annette Dionne who showed him at the Breed level, as I was showing Dasher) to set his feet, stood like a rock while the judge went over him, and gaited politely on his leash, even when other dogs were in the ring with him. What makes this particularly amazing is that with my schedule lately, I haven't had any time to really get him ready for this. Yesterday was his first bath, this morning was his first time on a show leash, today was his first time on show mats, and honestly, I can't even remember when he has been inside a building before (other then vet clinics). Other then starting a couple group howls when left in a crate, he was a total gentleman. He was even rewarded for all this good behaviour with his first point. Not bad for a goofy, leggy, rough, tough sled dog that is missing the tip of his tail. Yeah Hector, I'm so proud of you!   Karen   "HECTOR" TWO TIME IDITAROD VETERAN! Chlout's Hector of NorthWapiti - Born: 8/28/01 (Alaskan's Raven Of Anadyr x Alaskan's Baleen Of Anadyr)

July 1, 2005 Happy Canada Day

It's funny how we come around in our thinking as we grow older.

I remember my brother, Jim and I cringing each July 1 (Canada Day) when Dad flew his largest Canada flag off the peak of our garage. No one else in the neighbourhood did that, and gosh, Jim and I were just darn embarrassed.  This morning, July 1 2005, I strolled outside with Kara on her morning walk (Have I mentioned that Kara is a full time house dog now?? Not sure how that happened, but regardless, that is a different story), there by our NorthWapiti Kennel sign is a large flag pole with a Canada flag flying from it. I can blame Mark for some of it, after all he build the pole and was the one that actually put up the flag, however the truth of the matter is that it was completely at my urging that it was done. 

Just a few weeks ago I turned 41, so I could make a story for my getting older and more sentimental, but the reality of the matter is that, despite the protests to my father, I've always been very proud to be a Canadian. Maybe it is all the time I spend outside of Canada that makes me more patriotic as the years go by or maybe it is the fact that the more I read, learn and see of the rest of the world, the more I have learned to appreciate what we have here. Don't get me wrong, despite the moose jokes, I love the US and Americans, it is a terrific place, I love visiting and I adore my American friends - but it isn't my home. So to all my fellow Canadian readers, I wish you a Happy Canada Day today - and leave you with this quote from Robertson Davies. It is one I read at my father's funeral and now that I've grown up, can admit speaks for the way I view my country.

“Because I am a Canadian, I couldn’t really live anywhere else. I have had chances to do so and have never given it serious consideration. I belong here. To divorce yourself from you roots is spiritual suicide….I just am a Canadian. It is not a thing which you can escape from - it is like having blue eyes.”

Karen