Here is a sneak peak at some of the highlights of the NorthWapiti Cookbook!
Home of Iditarod Finishing and Best In Show Siberian Huskies - 11-Time Iditarod Participants
Monday, 19 October 2009
Nailed!!!
Mark is running the team this morning as I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon and have to leave soon.
Mike and I helped Mark hook up and then I headed to the house to finish up some emails and workout before heading over the neighbors to pick up some straw bales.
I had just finished my workout when the dogs fired up, I glanced out and saw the dogteam heading back into the yard. NOT GOOD, they shouldn't be home for another 2 hours or so.
I stood at the window and watched for a second - 16 dogs moving good and strong. Hmmm, I wonder what was up.
I grabbed my shoes and ran outside. "What's going on?" I asked Mark, but really I didn't need him to answer, as the dogs started to paw at their faces. PORCUPINE!!! DAMN IT!!!
Apparently, this one was dead in the middle of the trail but the dogs, in their frenzy to 'eat the dead thing before someone else gets it' all jumped on it. Fourteen of Mark's 16 dogs got nailed.
Trigger (sorry it is out of focus - I was in a hurry)
There were quills in their tongues, the roofs of their mouths, in their gums, their chest, their feet....
Luckily, no dog had more then about 20 or 30 quills and some only had 3 or 4 quills.
The veterans like Q and Jr were fabulous and easily let us really look in their mouths and yank out quills. The young dogs like Trigger and Billie fought like the dickens, but after about 45 minutes we had them all cleaned up.
Mark washed up and Mike and I went over everyone's paws to make sure we hadn't missed anything and then they took off to finish off their run.
I've pondered the 'porcupine situation' here since Mark left and here is my solution - sharing recipes and encouraging everyone to eat the darn things!
So, with no further ado, straight from "Cooking Alaskan" -
Sweet and Sour Porcupine
Legs of porcupine
1 or 2 sliced onions
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Fat
In saucepan, cook onions in vinegar until transparent. Add sugar and nutmeg. Brown porcupine in fat in Dutch Oven. Add vinegar mixture to meat. Cover and simmer three hours. Gravy may be thickened with cornstarch. Remove meat from bone and serve with gravy over rice!!
Invite your friends over...double or triple the recipe...make a party out of it!!!
We'd be grateful!
Karen
Mike and I helped Mark hook up and then I headed to the house to finish up some emails and workout before heading over the neighbors to pick up some straw bales.
I had just finished my workout when the dogs fired up, I glanced out and saw the dogteam heading back into the yard. NOT GOOD, they shouldn't be home for another 2 hours or so.
I stood at the window and watched for a second - 16 dogs moving good and strong. Hmmm, I wonder what was up.
I grabbed my shoes and ran outside. "What's going on?" I asked Mark, but really I didn't need him to answer, as the dogs started to paw at their faces. PORCUPINE!!! DAMN IT!!!
Apparently, this one was dead in the middle of the trail but the dogs, in their frenzy to 'eat the dead thing before someone else gets it' all jumped on it. Fourteen of Mark's 16 dogs got nailed.
Trigger (sorry it is out of focus - I was in a hurry)
There were quills in their tongues, the roofs of their mouths, in their gums, their chest, their feet....
Luckily, no dog had more then about 20 or 30 quills and some only had 3 or 4 quills.
The veterans like Q and Jr were fabulous and easily let us really look in their mouths and yank out quills. The young dogs like Trigger and Billie fought like the dickens, but after about 45 minutes we had them all cleaned up.
Mark washed up and Mike and I went over everyone's paws to make sure we hadn't missed anything and then they took off to finish off their run.
I've pondered the 'porcupine situation' here since Mark left and here is my solution - sharing recipes and encouraging everyone to eat the darn things!
So, with no further ado, straight from "Cooking Alaskan" -
Sweet and Sour Porcupine
Legs of porcupine
1 or 2 sliced onions
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Fat
In saucepan, cook onions in vinegar until transparent. Add sugar and nutmeg. Brown porcupine in fat in Dutch Oven. Add vinegar mixture to meat. Cover and simmer three hours. Gravy may be thickened with cornstarch. Remove meat from bone and serve with gravy over rice!!
Invite your friends over...double or triple the recipe...make a party out of it!!!
We'd be grateful!
Karen
Goodbye Winter - Hurry Back
It was fun while it lasted but a few days ago our 'early winter' said goodbye. Nothing much too take pictures of right now, as everything is all muddy and gross, so here are some pictures from last week.
The 'neighbors' check out the dogteam!
Mike is always impressed by the leaders just plowing through the middle of a field on command - so this one is for him!
I LOVE the tamarack trees when their needles change color!! So pretty!
Not sure what these berries are - but they look so cool with little snow caps on!
More of the locals - these ones wanted to see just how fast those puppies could go!
"Impressive", they reported!
It took a bit to convince the leaders to run right against the shoulder, rather then in those nice tire tracks!
X and Irving taking a breather!
Hurry back Winter, I miss you already.
The 'neighbors' check out the dogteam!
Mike is always impressed by the leaders just plowing through the middle of a field on command - so this one is for him!
I LOVE the tamarack trees when their needles change color!! So pretty!
Not sure what these berries are - but they look so cool with little snow caps on!
More of the locals - these ones wanted to see just how fast those puppies could go!
"Impressive", they reported!
It took a bit to convince the leaders to run right against the shoulder, rather then in those nice tire tracks!
X and Irving taking a breather!
Hurry back Winter, I miss you already.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Wonder-ific!!!
In case any of you were wondering if Wonder enjoyed her road trip with Mom, here are a few pictures to help you decide!!
Oh yeah, there was alittle bit of work (when the judge doesn't like you,you don't have to work very hard!!)
But most of the time, Wonder was going for walks and doing stuff like this...
Now that is what I call a vacation!!!
Oh yeah, there was alittle bit of work (when the judge doesn't like you,you don't have to work very hard!!)
But most of the time, Wonder was going for walks and doing stuff like this...
Now that is what I call a vacation!!!
Saturday, 17 October 2009
More From Wonder and Karen's Road Trip
Back to Road Trip stories!!!
After our lovely stay atNature's Kennels Wonder and I were headed to Detroit. Our driver for this portion of the trip was former NorthWapiti handler, Kathryn. Kathryn's hubby Pete was caravaning with us in a separate vehicle in order to accommodate their three dogs, Wonder and all my luggage.
The drive was really lovely. I was quite enchanted by the UP area of Michigan (as everyone told me I would be!) and the drive was even lovely on the south side of the Mackinaw bridge too!
We stopped at Kathyrn and Pete's 'country home'. I had seen pictures when Kathryn was with us a few winters ago, but they didn't do it justice - it is BEAUTIFUL!
We stopped for pizza for ourselves and then to feed the critters and let them stretch their legs before driving the rest of the way into Detroit.
NorthWapiti's Jelly Bean (aka Beanie) and his siblings Nakomis and Dakota.
Beanie shows what a gentleman he is!
Oh my Lord, I must have died and gone to heaven!!!!
Thanks to National Car Rentals RIDICULOUS policies (I wanted to pick my rental car up 8 hours later then the original plan and that would have more then DOUBLED my daily rate to $206 per day!!! To have the car for LESS time! I could see it if my change in plans would have messed up their schedule with cars, but I just wanted to pick it up 8 hours later then originally planned! I will NEVER use them again!) we had to make a late night run to the Detroit airport to pick up my rental car.
But all and all it was a lovely visit and a lovely day!!
Thanks Kathryn, Pete, Bean, Nakomis and Dakota!!!
Friday, 16 October 2009
A Deep and Painful Cut
(Just so no one worries - everyone is FINE)
It is getting to be that time of year when a few dogs start to get cut from the main string.
By far the majority of the cuts will be expected ones - mostly young dogs that just need a bit more maturity before being ready for a tough season - however yesterday an unexpected cut was made - Sprite.
Sprite got a puncture wound in her rib cage area about 5 or 6 weeks ago. At first it was healing fine, but then it started to show signs of infection. We put her on a round of antibiotics but then an odd bump form behind the open wound. Our vet figured it was scar tissue and removed it a week or so before I left for Michigan.
There are a number more details to the story, but the long and short of it is that another lump of scar tissue formed.
It was removed on Tuesday and Sprite will be fine, but she has a drain tube put in and it will be 6 weeks before she can get back into harness.
Sadly, that is just too much time off for her to catch up with the rest of the team.
Sprite is a top notch leader. In fact, she was one of the leaders that took me under the burled arch in Nome in '08. She is one tough gal and she will be sorely missed this season.
Right now she is enjoying house time. She is stalking the cats through the patio doors and generally scaring the heck out of Bet (Sprite is tough and Bet - who is the opposite of tough - knows it!).
We are just grateful that all will be well in the long run!
Karen
PS. I asked her if she would pose for a picture for the blog, but she wasn't interested in showing her gnarly drainage tube to the world!
It is getting to be that time of year when a few dogs start to get cut from the main string.
By far the majority of the cuts will be expected ones - mostly young dogs that just need a bit more maturity before being ready for a tough season - however yesterday an unexpected cut was made - Sprite.
Sprite got a puncture wound in her rib cage area about 5 or 6 weeks ago. At first it was healing fine, but then it started to show signs of infection. We put her on a round of antibiotics but then an odd bump form behind the open wound. Our vet figured it was scar tissue and removed it a week or so before I left for Michigan.
There are a number more details to the story, but the long and short of it is that another lump of scar tissue formed.
It was removed on Tuesday and Sprite will be fine, but she has a drain tube put in and it will be 6 weeks before she can get back into harness.
Sadly, that is just too much time off for her to catch up with the rest of the team.
Sprite is a top notch leader. In fact, she was one of the leaders that took me under the burled arch in Nome in '08. She is one tough gal and she will be sorely missed this season.
Right now she is enjoying house time. She is stalking the cats through the patio doors and generally scaring the heck out of Bet (Sprite is tough and Bet - who is the opposite of tough - knows it!).
We are just grateful that all will be well in the long run!
Karen
PS. I asked her if she would pose for a picture for the blog, but she wasn't interested in showing her gnarly drainage tube to the world!
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Holding On For All It Is Worth
Winter continues to hang on tight here.
Not that I'm complaining...
Not even a little bit...
Yesterday I headed over to Lisa's for coffee - via dogteam, of course.
I had planned on staying 2 hours, but after an hour and a half the team got on their feet and made it VERY clear that they were ready to get running.
I'm not complaining...
Not even a little bit...
Good dogs!
Not that I'm complaining...
Not even a little bit...
Yesterday I headed over to Lisa's for coffee - via dogteam, of course.
I had planned on staying 2 hours, but after an hour and a half the team got on their feet and made it VERY clear that they were ready to get running.
I'm not complaining...
Not even a little bit...
Good dogs!
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