April 6, 2005 Bucket Day

I was driving into Westlock today and the fields were full of calves and foals. Some were bathing in the sun, which is just finding it’s strength again after the winter; some were chasing each other and kicking up their heels. It gives the bleak, dry and dead landscape a real sense of life. A sure sign that spring is well on the way. 

A spring ritual took place around here today – Bucket Day. After 6 months of thawing meat, baiting water, and watering the dogs, the days and nights have been warm enough that we took a chance and put the dog’s individual water buckets out. I’m sure we will get some more good freezes and I’ll probably spend a few mornings walking around with a hammer knocking ice off the top of the buckets (some of the dogs are pros at sudden freezes and have actually figured a way to get a layer of ice off their bucket – Lord knows how), but even so, it really cuts down the time it takes to feed. 

It also adds a splash of color to the yard, as the blue, red, black and purple buckets now hang from each house – well, except for the houses of the yearlings. They are given metal buckets until they figure that they are not fun and exciting play toys. Runner was a trooper and after sniffing and tasting his bucket, decided it could stay. Boom needed more time to figure it out and when I looked over once was standing with one front foot in the water and trying to chew the handle. Skor never has learned to accept his and promptly lifted it off his house, emptied it and left it for dead in the middle of his run. He maybe turning 4 and have just participated in his first Iditarod, but he wanted us to remember he is still a puppy at heart. I gave Runner a plastic bucket and Skor his metal one. Maybe he will only dump it once a day now. 

That’s it for today.
Karen