"I Formally Disown Her....."

Bet has been pestering and pestering me to introduce Twig to waffles. Honestly, I think Bet just wanted waffles and was using 'introducing Twig' to them as an excuse, but whatever. Having waffles is not a huge hardship!!

Bet explained to Twig all about the deliciousness she was about to discover.

"I can't wait"

"Can't you cook them faster?"

Patience young Twig...patience!!!!


Ready!!!

Age before youth!

Twig - watch the fingers!!!!

What do you think????

REALLY?????

"Kids", says Bet, "You do the best you can with them, but still......."

"and besides.....more waffles for me".

Not All Endings Come in Neat Little, Nicely Wrapped Packages.

First off, my apologies for being quiet on the blog this winter. Recent decisions, although solid and needed, have weighed heavily and left me 'non chatty'.

I was very saddened to see the Canadian Challenge Board forced to have to cancel their race for this winter. I had SO been looking forward to it.

An evening on the computer had me 'redirected' onto a stage race in Ft St James, BC this coming weekend.

Training had been going really well, despite some less than ideal weather and I was excited. Stage racing is not the ideal format for my dogs - which tend to be slower than Alaskans, but able to work on less rest. Stage racing format doesn't allow me to take advantage of that but the dogs have been running strong and fast.

And then the weather took another turn for the ick.

Temperatures for Ft St James (and here) are above freezing everyday this week and anywhere from 5 - 7 C for the weekend.

It seemed to me like I was now just simply setting the team up for failure.

That isn't something I feel good doing to my team, so I'm simply not going to do it.

There are some races in March, but I have flights booked and have made a commitment to Iditarod for judging.

For the first time in over 20 years I'm not going to be racing this winter.

No doubt, it hurts - but, in words I've said hundreds of times over the years - IT IS WHAT IT IS.

Just like my last Iditarod didn't turn out like I'd planned, neither has this season - and like Iditarod, there will not be a 'do over'.

It is my intention to find and run some smaller races next season, but I am still done with mid distance racing.

The thing is that this sport that has consumed me for over 20 years has provided me with some of the most spectacular and moving moments in my life - and some of the most horrible and heart-wrenching.  How it ends is just one of the moments. I can either focus on the spectacular and moving moments or the horrible and heart-wrenching.

Anyone care to guess which I'm going to choose to remember?

Yeah, not even a contest.

When I sit in my rocker sipping my coffee (or wine) I'm going to remember great times with great dogs on great trails with great conditions. That is the takeaway.

And those who know me even a little bit know that dogsleds, bikes, sheepdogs, and much more are bigger features in my future than that rocking chair for a LONG time yet.


STAY TUNED!!!

Attack of the Wild Bearfalo (part 2) - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies!!!

Sorry for not bloggity blogging a lot, but I've been a busy border coolie.

First, the Musher is trying to find a race to go race with the Pretty Curly Tails.  Apparently the Canadian Challenge didn't have any snow or something, so that got cancelled.

Then, there's Twig.  She's in her teenage years and nothing but a pawful.  She won't listen to anyone, dives head first into everything without thinking, and generally throw temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way.

Case in point... she insists that she can wrestle the wild Bearfalo to the ground.  She knows she can.  She wanted to prove that she can.  I suggested that it wasn't a good idea.

Bet:  Twig, I'm telling you, this isn't a good idea!

She didn't listen

Twig: GRRRRR  I am the Bearalo hunter!!!

Bet:  He doesn't appear to be submitting

Twig: GRRRRR I have you where I want you now!

Twig: BITEY FACE!!!

Bear: Did you hear that??

Twig: You can't fool me with that "there's a monster in the woods" ploy

Twig: fine, bitey face isn't working, so I shall gnaw on your leg!

Bet: Um... watch out Twig, he's getting cranky

Twig: It's clear that leg gnawing is working, gnaw gnaw

Bet: Seriously, I would suggest you stop gnawing on his leg, he doesn't look very happy

Bet: Watch it Twig, he's about to charge!!!

RUUUUUUUN!!!!!!!

Bear: I love my sheeps, they are silly when they play

- Bet

Call of the Wild Things and Stuffs - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies!!!

I'm sure all of you are super super jealous that we finally got some snows.  I know a lot of peoples that want snows, but don't have snows, and some peoples even have summer weather in the winter.

Sorry bout that.

But we have the snows!!!  So what do we do when it snows?

Other than run the Pretty Curly Tails on the sled, and play in the snows and all that stuffs and things...

We accompany the Musher and Fran and whoever else happens to be around and while they walk around on really BIG shoes that they call "snow shoes" (except they aren't made out of snow) and we play in the snow.

We love hiking in the snow.  Since it's cold, a Coolie needs an ensemble and it was kinda difficult to find one that would actually fit Twig.  She's growing like a weed (and hogging the clouch and frankly is getting a bit too heavy to be sleeping on me, but she is adorable).

You may recall this stunning little number that I wore on some of my fantabulous trips assisting the Musher on her races.  It was a bit snug, but fit Twig well.

I chose my blue ensemble because not only is it warm, but it's a bit water resistant and keeps my furs dry.

So, mid-way in our nice little stroll, Twig comes up to me and says

HEY HEY HEY, LET'S PLAY WOLF AND BUFFALO WITH BEAR!!!

Twig has been spending way too much time with the Pretty Curly Tails who love to play the "wolf and caribou" game where one Curly Tail is the caribou and the rest are wolves and they chase the hapless caribou until they catch it, then someone else gets to be the caribou and this goes one forever if someone doesn't stop them.

Bear is too big to be a caribou, so Bison comes to mind... frankly actual bear comes to mind, but it's no fun to chase a real bear because they have sharp claws and teeths and aren't very nice and typically don't like being chased, so I can see Twig's point but still... not a good idea in my opinion.

COME ON, IT'LL BE FUN WE CAN CHASE HIM AND HERDY HERD HIM

Herd Bear?  I almost piddled a bit when she said that.  I advised her that it probably wasn't a good idea.  He's large, but he can move when he wants to.

I'll just stand waaaaay over here

Even though I told her it wouldn't be a good idea... she insisted.

Um... Twig... don't start something you can't finish!

Musher, I hope you have the video running on this, it'll be viral in no time

Despite my warning... of they went..

Way to go Twig, you herd that bear, buffalo thing... go girl.

Musher was laughing so hard she couldn't focus the camera... I was worried that my plaid ensemble wouldn't survive.

It was all fun and games and then she paw smacked him and then it really was game on... buffalo got mad.

Um... Twig?  Twig honey... you best make a run for it!

The angry Bearfalo turned the tables of Twig and gave chase.

WHAT DO I DO NOW BET???

Well, you certainly don't drag an angry Bearfalo toward your loved ones silly Twig!  Thankfully Bear has a good sense of humor and was just playing.

It was a nice stroll through the snow.  Twig and Bear were worn out and I think the Musher pulled a muscle laughing.

- Bet

So This Happened - Bet

Twig chewed up my Ugg booties!!!!!

Sigh... teenagers!

- Bet

Twas The Night Before Christmas - Bet

Twas the night before Christmas, and Santa was near
but I couldn't hear him, cause Twig drooled in my ear

The pups were all nestled in their warm, soft straw beds

while visions of Grandmom's pancakes danced in my head

Twig freshly bathed

Our bags were all packed (with all of my best ensembles)

Visiting Grandmom for the holiday while Fran helped hold down the fort.

So this poem doesn't really rhyme, except we want to say...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Merry Christmas... or somethings (and stuffs)

- Bet

Puzzle Patrol - Bet

Howdy Ho Everybodies!!!

I hope you enjoyed the Star Wars quiz and prizes and stuffs and things!  I want to thank Fran for taking that challenge on and organizing, and all that (stuffs and things).

While she was doing that, I had to take the Puzzles out on a little exercise run, and of course Molly wanted to get out of the yard as well.  She's been cooped up with her puppies for a while, and like all mothers, she was hoping for a little adult time instead of answering questions like "why is the sky blue" and "if Bear isn't a bear, but he's a bear, what does a real bear look like" and the all time favorite "why?".

The puzzles were keen to get out in the snow.  There's nothing like a romp in fresh snow to get the blood flowing.

HEY, are we going or what???

At first everything was very organized and they were listening to instructions.

Go left... no the other left.  LEFT!!!  Oh wait Gee... or HAW... UGH!

Then we realized that it would be easier to just walk Molly and they would follow.  We have Molly on a leash because she's threatened to run off and become a secretary recently.

We had a nice grouping going for a while

But, puppies being puppies will get distracted by the smallest of things and start to wander around

Um... ok, that's not exactly a small thing, but he is distracting

It was at this point that the puzzles figured out that whoever held the leash got to say where we go.

Let's go this way!!!

No, let's go this way!!!

But I wanna go THIS way!

Let's RUN!!!

Can I have a turn, can I, can I have a turn???

Wait, wait, I want a turn, I want a turn!

MOOOOOM come on!!!!

Bet... can we go home now?

Molly had enough, so we started back home, where she hoped that the Puzzles would be exhausted by their adventure and take a nap so she could get some peace and quiet, but then...

MOM!  If this is bear poop, then if Bear did it in the middle of the woods...

I don't know if Molly got any rest, but I certainly took a nap!

- Bet