Holy Crap That's a Lot of Dogs!

This weather has been absolutely disgusting. It's been rainy and overcast, cold (40's and 50's) and generally miserable. It's a good thing we finally got the yard finished for the sled dogs and we put loads of pine shavings into everyone's houses yesterday. They are quite grateful and even Zak, who I had never seen in his house before, has been snoozing in the lush padding of the wood chips.

At one point last evening, I looked outside from the living room and I was startled by the picture I glimpsed through the window -- "holy crap that's a lot of dogs!" Yes I know, maybe I was slow to come to this realization, but it just hit me. My yard is full. FULL! There are dog posts and houses in every available bit of space. Um. How did this happen? Never doubt the power of the mushing bug. Last year at this time, I had a green expanse of yard just outside the window. Now it's mud and...dogs!

In other news, Matt recently went fishing in Homer for salmon and halibut. The trip wasn't especially fruitful, but he didn't come home empty-handed. I drove him down to Turnagain Pass on Tuesday and met some friends there. We snapped a few photos. And, of course, I had to post the obligatory fishing photo. The fish were THIS big!!!

Say Cheese! Turnagain Pass

The Deadliest Catch. Just kidding.

File' Update

Just had to post some new photos of our baby, File'. She also answers to the name "SQUIRT!" What a cutie. I'd bet she has to weigh at least 35 lb. now. She's a bit of a chunk for a 5 month old. Not an ounce of fat on her...she's just...sturdy! She's due to be spayed on the 27th.

The Long-Awaited Photos

Yes, I finally got around to downloading the photos that I've been promising for so long.

Guy is caught red-handed sleeping on the couch in the living room. That's a no-no...he's not supposed to be up there!! This is his classic "I have no idea what you're talking about" look.

Zinger, who was spayed on Friday, contemplates the origin of the massive number of shoes by the front door. She's taken to being an inside dog like a fish to water. Uh-oh, we may have another house dog wannabe!

Zinger is always game for a good scratch. She loves to be petted! She's a quiet, sweet girl.

Me, mid-ride, on Sunday the 15th. We rode from the Talkeetna Spur Road turn on the Parks to Talkeetna, had dinner, then rode back (a total of 28 miles). It was a nice ride on a nice evening!

The new kid on the block, Skiff. She's from Jon and Bree Little. 2 years old and spayed, she's sorta the last of her bloodline, at least at Jon's. She hails from old Bill Cotter / Gareth Wright lines.

Ah, it's June

My apologies for not posting much in May. To be perfectly honest, I've been totally consumed with summertime activities. Granted, the weather here hasn't exactly been cooperative, but I'm trying to get out and do things anyway. I've taken lots of long (i.e. long for me on a mountain bike with knobby tires - 15+ miles) bike rides, have walked some on the trails, and am generally happy that summer is sorta, kinda here. It's been unseasonably cool, actually, with highs only in the 50's lately, and with overcast skies. I wish we would have some nice, sunny weather so I could enjoy some warmth of the sort that I had in Tennessee. Oh well, Alaska weather is nothing if not unpredictable. :)

On the doggy end of things, we are expecting our final addition to the kennel on Thursday. Skiff, a (now spayed) female from Jon and Bree Little, will be making her home with us. She's two years old and has excellent, old bloodlines. I can't wait to see what this girl can do. By all of Jon's reports, she is a very sweet, personable dog, and it sounds like she'll fit right in with my fur-kids.

Zinger will be going to the SPCA on Friday to be spayed. Unfortunately I wasn't able to schedule her spay before she actually came into heat. She's been living in the heat pen (something I don't like) for the last three weeks, so she should be on the tail end of her heat cycle. Poor girl. I don't know if she's ever had a bath, or ever even been indoors, but she can expect to have her first bath tonight (Clover did well, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!) and she can expect to live in the house for the next week or so. This could be a real challenge. File' will be spayed two weeks from Friday. That will take care of all of my females. I'll only have Zed and Zack still intact...both bloodlines available if need be, but without the worry of an intact female.

I'll try to snag some photos of the bath and of Skiff. Until then - toodles! And send some sun our way, will ya?

A Good Day

The weather has finally begun to really change here and, truthfully, I'm delighted. It's been in the 60's and sunny during the day. There's been a light breeze and it's given us the kind of weather that makes me want to sit outside on the deck and close my eyes and be a sun sponge. Of course that can't possibly last very long, since my periodic dozing is punctuated by a wet nose poking me here and there. Oh well, them's the breaks when you're a doggy mommy.

The dogs are loving the weather. They're dozing on the tops of their houses and are indescribably lazy. I love it! They look so happy. And File' has gotten to be HUGE...I'll have to post pictures of her again soon. She's tethered now (a matter of necessity since Zinger is in heat and had to be put in the heat pen where File' was living at the time.) She's adjusted like a champ.

After vacation, I stubbornly pulled out my summer clothes as soon as I got back from Tennessee. It was just too difficult to go back to wearing long sleeved shirts and closed toe shoes after I'd been exposed to the luxury of short sleeves, capris and flip-flops. I got some strange looks and more than my fair share of comments from folks at work about looking "summery" and "do you think it's warm out or something?" but I persisted and finally I'm able to smile and enjoy my cute clothes in comfort.

I pulled out one of those outfits this morning -- a black ribbed knit cap-sleeve shirt and some funky flare leg khaki slacks along with some platform wedge black sandals. Delectably feminine and sophisticated. The pants are hanging off of me (hm, lost more weight?) and my hair looks picture perfect. It's sunny out, and my current favorite song (Trying to Stop your Leaving) by Dierks Bentley is on Sirius right now. I can't help but smile.

Yes, it's going to be a good day.

New Kids

Zak

Zinger

Here at Lagniappe Kennel we have finally made the long-awaited addition of two lovely and well-bred dogs from Dan Huttunen of Knik.  Zak (4 y.o. male) and Zinger (4 y.o. female) are littermates and are half-siblings of Clover.  Kip is their father (as he is Clover's) and Megan is their mother.  Megan is a littermate to Inga, Clover's mother, so I guess these dogs are more like "kissing cousins" than half-siblings. :)  

We picked Zak and Zinger up yesterday after a very nice visit with Dan and his wife, Alice.  It was a beautiful day and the new kids settled right in when they arrived home.  Matt spent the rest of the day making new dog houses (I will take a picture when all of them are done!  They are beautiful!)  I spent the rest of the day cleaning up around the kennel and spoiling everyone by giving each and every dog a thorough brushing.  Everyone is shedding and the loose hair is rampant.  Out of the corner of your eye, you might think that the huge clumps of hair are critters...hair monsters?

As you can see in the photos, all of the snow is melted.  We spent quite a bit of time on Saturday cleaning up the yard, raking up old straw and cleaning out dog houses and putting in new tether spots on the upper level near the garage.  If you're observant you'll notice that Zak and Zinger have taken Zed and Calvin's spots and that Calvin and Clover have moved back in the yard.  Zed and Indi have moved to the upper level where they are enjoying their brand new, freshly painted dog houses.  The yard is expanding!!!

I'm so glad to be back home with my kids :)  Now just one more dog to add (Skiff from Jon Little) and we will be set with a nice 8-dog team for the fall.  Plus Indi, if he feels like running...to give 9 dogs.

Ciao!

Back from Vacation

Well I made it to and from Tennessee relatively unscathed (if you don't count the mental anguish of long flights!)  I had such a good time that I can't even begin to recount it.  I'm savoring the memories, turning them over in my mind, and I'm not quite ready to share them yet.  My thoughts are filled with the vivid greens of forest with dappled patches of sun, and I can still feel a cool Tennessee breeze on my bare skin.  I am a little sad to be gone but am glad to be back home and reunited with my four-legged family.  I think that they missed me.

I will fill you in as soon as I am able to upload some photos and am ready to turn loose of my vacation frame of mind :)