I've Said It Before....

....I'd really like a 'normal' pet....just one...normal pet.

While I was shoveling the dog yard today a bunch of the dogs were staring at the ATV and barking.

Squib

Very odd behavior for them. They know the ATV very well...every day it makes it's trip down the road that runs alongside the kennel while I shovel.

Besides it is really hot today and normally on hot days they barely even get up when I shovel.
When I got closer to the ATV, I saw the issue.... Do you see it??

Here....let me zoom in....

Yes...that is Mark's Stupid Cat aka Bait.

I figured once I started the quad up and moved it, he would leave....apparently not!!

"Ummm...you know there is a cat on that ATV", Bolt says

I was sure once I started out to the 'poop pile' at normal speed he would have enough of his game and leave...apparently not...

In fact, I think I heard him yell "FASTER, FASTER" was we went down the trail...

Once at dumping spot he decided to take a better look around...

But no way we he getting off...

After enjoying his ride home on the back rack of the ATV, he jumped off, and strolled off to nap on the lawn in the sunshine.

Seriously...just ONE NORMAL PET!!!!

A Whole Bunch of Fun Things - Bet

Howdy Ho everyone!

Your roving Border Collie Reporter, Bet, here!

Before the Musher spoiled all of the good news, I wanted to hog the blog and let you know of some fun things going on as the Curly Tails prepare for their 2012 Iditarod training!

First off, we've now opened dog sponsorship to EVERYONE!  Yep, its wide open, and hoo boy there's some good Curly Tails that need sponsorship!

This year, the sponsorship information is going to be on the blog because its easier for me to update, and I hate HTML coding... its murder on the crampy toes and I can never remember that "a href" thing (you geeks know what I mean).

So, all you have to do is look at the right side of the blog and see the cool buttons we made.  We have a gazillion categories to choose from, but the new ones are:
Sponsor an Active Training Pool Dog
Sponsor a Future Star
Sponsor a Past Star

I'll go into more detail in the upcoming days to explain the sponsorship stuff and things, because I know we have a LOT more fans than last year because of the Facebooking and Twitter thing, so I'll tell you all about how cool it is later.

The really really biggie news is that we're going to have a contest... SERIOUSLY!!!

As you can probably tell, following a 1,200 mile dog sled race has its challenges.  Its not like NASCAR (much to the Musher Guy's chagrin) and frankly having a whole bunch of dogs running around a large oval for 1,200 miles is pretty boring and downright messy.

The Iditarod trail is very long... and cold... and hilly... and icy... and moose-laden... probably has some sheepie things too.  For some reason they can't hire enough camerapeoples to stand there for 2 weeks and film all of the action.

In the past we've used various techniques to keep track of the Musher and the Pretty Curly Tails:

Then we came upon a lighter solution:

But the Princess said the ear tag hurt, so then we found the ultimate solution... it was called SPOT and it tracked her really good... unless she forgot it in the truck, or lost it on the trail, or forgot to reset it.  At one point we hid it in her food and she swallowed it, which worked all the way up to when... well, nobody wanted it back after that.

So we got a new one, but the company had made so many improvements to it, longer range, more precise pinpointing of locations, and an emergency distress beacon, easy bake oven, and headlamps, but for some reason she didn't want to swallow that one:

So we're reporting that we will not be providing free tracking of the Musher for the 2012 Iditarod... but that doesn't mean that you can't track the Musher!

We are recommending that if you want to get as much of the action as you want, that you subscribe to the Iditarod Insider.  You'll get behind the scenes updates, videos on demand, GPS tracking that comes with speed the teams are traveling, distances between teams and checkpoints, and temperatures on the trail.  The video even gets you live streaming ceremonial start, real start, and finish of the race.  Although we have some spies located around the course, you can't get any more action than what the Iditarod Insider gives you... and honestly that's really how I get some of my scoops (with really really insider info coming from our spies on the ground), and it'll keep you from spending the whole Iditarod doing this:

To make it even funner, we will be holding a contest.  Between right now (8 August 2011) and 11:50pm on 31 August 2011 Cartoonist time (Eastern US time), if you send an e-mail to the Musher Minions at help4northwapiti@gmail.com and tell us that you have subscribed to the Iditarod Insider, we'll post your names on the blogs as "Insiders" and you will qualify to win a prize straight from the Musher that is really cool and covered in Pretty Curly Tail fluff.  On 1 September 2011, all of the names of people who have subscribed will be put in a hat, and yours truly will pull one name out of that hat and the winner will get the cool prize.  So, not only will you get a front seat insider view of the Iditarod, but you may also win a prize!

That's it for now!!!

- Bet

The Start of Blueberry Season

Those of you that have come to the kennel to visit in the late summer/early fall know that we are smack dab in the middle of hundreds of acres of blueberries!!!! Every fall the woods turn blue, the neighbours and the bears are tromping around foraging for the tasty little berries, and everyone here is filling up on blueberry muffins, blueberries pancakes, blueberries scones....well, just about anything you can add blueberries too!!!

We are still very early in what looks like it will be a 'not great' season due to our weird spring weather, but after feeding dogs last night Bet and I went scrounging the woods for some early blueberries. Bet's job on these outings is 'bear patrol' - she HATES the job and is convinced I am trying to kill her. She spends most of her time glaring at me, nervously looking into the bush and sitting on the seat of the ATV trying to talk me into going home.
Despite my sidekick's lack of enthusiasm, we had enough luck that I was able to whip up a batch of Blueberry Muffins for breakfast his morning.
After a post to Facebook I received a few requests for my Blueberry Muffin recipe - so here is my favorite.

In a large bowl put -
1 3/4 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix and make a well in the center.

In another bowl cream together -

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar

Add -

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and pour int well. Stir just to moisten.

Take 1 cup blueberries (the big 'domestic' ones are okay - but the little wild ones are by far the best!!!!!) and mix with 1 TBSP of flour.  Fold into batter.

Fill greased muffins tins (will make 12 good sized muffins) and bake at 400F for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!!!

And feel free to come picking if you are in the area - although I'd give it another 2 to 3 weeks before the berries are prime!

Karen

Breaking News! - Bet

Ladies and Gentlemen and all the ships at sea, this is a Breaking News scoop from the Border Collie Broadcasting Center (BCBC) at North Wapiti. We now bring you our lead reporter, Bet!

Howdy ho everyone! I have some incredibly exciting news for you today, a real scoop in the news world, something you will only find right here at the BCBC!

We have it on good authority, and from sources who refuse to be named, that the Musher has sent in her registration for the 2012 Iditarod this year, and her name actually now appears in the listing of mushers!

Isn't that great?! And you heard it from me first, because as a crack Border Collie reporter, I herd out the news and bring it to you in a neat little group so you heard it from me first!

WHAT????? The Musher already announced this?

TWO DAYS AGO???? Seriously?

Man! She told me she was going to let me tell everyone! Snort! But... but she told me that... I mean, my unnamed resource said that the news wouldn't be leaked until after I got out the scoop. There goes my Pulitzer Prize.

FINE! Then I'm going to beat her to the punch when I announce that we are now opening up the rest of the sponsorship categories!

This is your chance to sponsor one of the Pretty Curly Tails who are training to run in the 2012 Iditarod, or sponsor one of the puppy Pretty Curly Tails who may be future Iditarod runners, or even to sponsor and honor one of the veterans of past Iditarods who are relaxing on a well deserved retirement.

This year the sponsor pages will be appearing on this blog shortly after my posting, and the links on the right hand side will be activated. If you are using Paypal to pay for sponsorship and want something specific to appear in your sponsor message, please fill out the form, otherwise it will be a simple "Name of dog is sponsored by name of person". There are instructions on the pages for peoples who are paying by other means.

I'll get the sponsor pages up in a bit... but right now I'm going to go sulk, and stare at the Musher with my laser eyes.

- Bet

Diabolical

Everyone keeps telling me how sweet the Tramplings are but I know better!!!! They have now hatched the most diabolical plot for murder ever.

 
See this has been a bad year for mosquitoes - BAD. The little blood sucking monsters are everywhere and THICK!!!! Bug spray is a necessity right now. When we can find it - as many of the stores in town are sold out - I buy in bulk quantities and before we head outside a thick layer is applied to every exposed piece of skin and even clothing, as the hungry creatures will just bite through most clothing right now.

Now what the Tramplings are doing to kill me is SO CLEVER. They pretend to adore me and want to shower me in kisses every time I walk into their pen - but what they are really doing is licking off the bug spray to expose me to biting insects, blood loss, and eventual death.

I headed into their pen last night armed with a camera to gather some evidence (please excuse the fuzzy images - I was focused on evidence gathering, not photography)

Here they are looking all sweet and loving..."Mom we are soooo happy you came to visit!!!"

...but in no time their plan is put into action...

DIABOLICAL!!!!! They just laugh when I suggest they stop!!!

EVIL....pure EVIL.....

BET!!! NO - say it is not TRUE - you are not in on this too - are you???????

If I going missing - please point the Police in the direction of the Tramplings....but tell them to come armed...

What Are You Doing March 3rd???

Well, I can tell you what I'll be up to - I will be harnessing and hooking up 16 Pretty Sled Dogs and heading for Nome!!! Yup, my entry went in today for my 10th running of the Iditarod. (It will likely be a few days before ITC gets my name up on the musher listing )

As much as I enjoyed last winter, sitting out Iditarod was still painful.

I admit it - my name is Karen Ramstead - and I am an Iditarod addict.

The bitter cold, the energy sapping wind, the chapped lips, the cracked fingers, the aching back, the bone hurting exhaustion.....none of that compares to....
 
... the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage....the 'go' moment in the chute at the ReStart. ..the hotdog stand on the way to Skwentna...the wild ride down the Happy River Steps...the challenging, technical trail from the Steps to Rainy Pass...the amazing trip over Rainy Pass...the oasis that is Rohn...Buffalo Camp...the sharp climb up the river bank into McGrath...the great views of Takotna as you run in...EVERYTHING about Takotna...sleeping in the straw with the dogs on the way to Cripple...dropping out of Ruby onto the Yukon River...all the fabulous volunteers that make this event happen...my fellow mushers...northern lights on the Yukon...beds in Galena...Old Woman Cabin...Peace On Earth Pizza in Unk...the great ride down the backside of the Blueberry Hills...arriving in Shaktoolik.....the great cliffs around Elim...caribou at the base of Little McKinley....the Topkok hills....the climb over Cape Nome and the view of Nome on the other side...and lattes in Nome!!!!

I can't wait to see what young dogs will come into their own on the journey - and of course, watch those tried and true veterans set the example and lead the way for the youngsters. 

I'll get to visit Orion, whose ashes were spread on the Yukon between Galena and Nulato - and Snickers, whose ashes were spread on the backside of Cape Nome.

Oh, I am such an Iditarod junkie - not an ounce of doubt!!!!

Renovations

Some of you may remember around this time last year when Rocket decided to put a basement in her dog house - An Entry By Rocket 

Well this year Rocket's neighbor Casey decided to renovate.
Tramp lives next door to Casey and she complained constantly about the basement suite. She questioned the zoning regulations for the neighborhood, demanded to see the structural engineering report showing that the renovations were sound, etc, etc.
I basically just tuned her out - as did Casey ...

Everyone knows that Tramp just complains to hear herself talk.

Well, that was until Casey's house collapsed into it's basement. I sweated, pushed, heaved and hauled to get the house out - all the while listening to that little white bitch go on and on about how we should have listened to her.

Casey's house got reset and immediately she started working on a new renovation. When I asked if she hadn't learned from her previous experience she stated emphatically that she had and now she knew how to do the renovation right!

I was skeptical, but in a matter of days, this is what Casey had accomplished.

Spectacular, eh???

Casey is ridiculously proud of herself....

Tramp is less then impressed...

What does Casey think of Tramp's opinion??

I'm fairly certain there is more sweating, pushing, heaving and hauling in my future - but if it makes Casey happy for now ...

...whatever!!