Arrive Alive

Sunday morning and the lack of food in our cupboards had forced me to head out for a big grocery shopping excursion.

I like to shop locally but am forced by my pocket book to head to the bigger city south of us to partake in this weekly ritual.  One that at this time of year leaves me with the sweats as everyone and their grandmother is also doing the same thing... shopping.
However being a beautiful day,  and the promise of talking to my son a couple thousand miles away on the phone at the same time, made this a not so bad chore to do today.

So off I go heading out on the main hiway which was clear and dry today making it easier for me to take in the views and rejoice in the fact that I call this province my home.
The mountains were beautiful today, looking larger than normal with their snow caps reflecting the bright morning sun.

 

Of course this is not my picture as using my camera would have made it a little dangerous while driving.

 

My pleasant drive was interupted by some woman in an SUV kissing my ass.  She may as well have been, I swear she was so close I could smell her breath.

 

 

Before I could come up with a plan to piss her off she passed me and flew by.  She had to be going at least 20km's over the speed limit, at the very least, as within moments of her passing she was a small dot ahead of me.

 

Where, WHERE, could she be going that she had to go so fast?  

I suppose a family emergency?  Late to pick someone up from the airport?  While I was compiling the list of reasons in my head to make her recklessness okay (which by the way I could not come up with any that made this alright) I noticed that I was a minority in driving the speed limit.

It seemed to me that 90% of every driver out there today had somewhere to be NOW.

 

Seriously people.  You are not just putting yourself at risk.  What about those who are sharing the road with you?

Do you not have family that would like to see you arrive home alive?

I do.

 

Anything can happen. 

Sure you tell me that you are a safe driver and that driving fast is no biggie, your brakes are good, you are experienced... whatever.

 

 

ANYTHING can happen.  

And it all happens in a blink of an eye.

 

I know this from experience as this is a picture of my van after I hit a deer while doing the speed limit.

 

So if you don't mind I would like to visit with my son who is coming home for the holidays.

I also have plans on hanging out with my entire family this Christmas season.

Not being thrown into a situation that YOU put me in because you just had to be somewhere right now!

I sure as hell do not want to end up here as I am sure your family does not want you here as well.

 

SLOW down!!!!!   There is nothing and I mean NOTHING that is so important that you must risk my life (or yours) to be there by driving fast and careless to get there.

 









Perfect Conditions????

I was thinking I should get my butt in gear and work on a blog for our new season of running dogs.
I kept putting it off not sure where to start and what to actually talk about that would interest those who may not have ever stood on runners behind the power of a team of dogs.

It wasn't until today's interesting 'run' and a comment that was sent my way making me chuckle that it was decided this must be shared with others.

The remark was along the lines of...  "too hot, not enough snow, and now too much?  Dog sledding seems to be persnickety!"

Yes, I suppose it is, at least can be.

We do not have our own land to run dogs, unlucky in that we cannot walk out our back door, hook up dogs and just take off for a daily run. 
I wish!!!
Instead we have to load up dogs and drive to various locations in which to let the dogs do what they love to do.

This said we are extremely luck this year in that a friend of mine has opened up her land (at least 3 sections) for us to create our own trails and run whenever we feel like it.  I'm sooo excited about this.
We even  purchased a snow machine in order to groom the trails and have a couple 'musher' friends who will be using the trails and helping us to keep them groomed as well.
However we have two issues that have kept us from our dream training trails.
1. The snow machine is not working at this moment and is waiting for a 'fix'
and .....
2. We just located a trailer in which to move this snow machine.  So up until now it was not even leaving our drive way anyhow.

We do have another piece of land that we have been using as temporary training trails and these are at the race site of the Rosebud Run... it is great that the dogs are used to running here and know the trails very well but the draw back is there is only 3 miles of trail and it can get very boring for the dogs. 
We were running them backwards by the end of last year and will do that again by the end of this week.
Just to keep things interesting.

Keep things interesting???
I just said that?

Who needs to KEEP things interesting when it just happens?

The past few runs for us have been full of drifting and punchy snow conditions, which have kept us running at a very slow pace.
This is fine in how I panned to train my kids this year.
Slow and steady.

With the possible race of 50 miles per day we need to pick up our distance (yay for new trails) but keep them slow and steady for now.
I do not want the kids tearing ahead like bats out of hell to only run out of steam only 15 minutes down the trail.

Today was like training for a slow motion race.

Blizzard conditions kept the snow from building up in one place, and instead moved it around to find something to lean against and then created walls of snow.

There are many places on this particular trail that are chutes made out of snow fences... or snow fences and brush... or just a rise in the earth and brush.... we found them all.

Even after determining there was lots of snow in the starting chute it was still a shock to all of us when we hit snow so deep we almost lost sight of the dogs.
Hubba looking back at me for confirmation moved toward the fence line looking for firm footing only to be caught by the weight of the sled in the deep snow.
After much pushing we were finally freed from the sinking snow to head off onto clearer trails.... at least for a few feet.

There were many piles of snow that we had to get over.... and ice to deal with on the bridge deckings.
All challenges that we dealt with just fine.

Not wanting to hurt the dogs after watching them swim a few times through a couple deep drifts I made the decision to cut the run short and turn the kids at the two mile gate.
Being a dull day with no sunlight the white of the snow seemed to blend in with the horizon and when we got to our turn Hubba made a sharp haw away and off of the trail.
He has been amazing this year listening to every command I give and taking the turns without hesitation.... so I called him back to turn gee... and instead of hitting the trail he turned back to the longer trail...a sharp right.

I once again called haw and he once again turned a sharp left right off the trail and pulling us around a pole.
Ray at this point got out in front of the team calling them to follow him.... however we were now caught up on the pole.
Not tangled, but unable to go forward.    So Ray trudged his way up to the pole and somehow lifted the line over top.
Freed we went forward in Hubba's direction.... a sharp left away from the main trail.
It wasn't until I was beside the trail that it occurred to me the trail was gone.  Buried under a drift that was easily as high as Ray's hip.
Hubba knew what I was asking, and understood the direction to take to get us around the drift... so I let him.

The next obstical I knew about and where we would encounter it.
Between two snow fences and always with very large drifts in there.
I was not disappointed.
Ray had to walk forward pushing his way through (almost hip deep) in order to create a trail for the kids to get through.

We did it... and we were all sweating by the time we were done... I was wishing at this point that Ray could have been ahead of us with the snow machine.

It will be nice to finally be able to run the trails without all the deep drifts that we've had to trudge through.

I love the snow.... and I don't mind the training we are getting in trail blazing.... but a bit of a smooth ride for my kids would be nice about now.

Oh, and don't get me wrong... I'm NOT complaining.  Not at all.
I've loved being able to get out on the runners again (and so early in the season for us).... what I cannot wait for, is being able to have Ray out on the 'iron dog' trail blazing for us... Mush on lead dog Ray!!!!

newnessness

I am trying something new... Writing from my new phone. So bear with me through this learning curve.

It has been a long while since I have expressed myself in print.  To be honest with you I have been discouraged, disappointed, and not very proud of myself.  I felt as though I had given up and let everyone down.

Eating humble pie is not tasting very good at this juncture of my life.... So I have made the decision to spit it out and take a giant leap of faith.

I will be working towards finding sponsors to help me with the goal of getting to the Percy this year... And dear reader if you are able to help me out and spread the word I would be ever so grateful.

The newnessness (I know, NOT a real word) of using my phone and now asking for help is like taking a walk down a new road for me, and it is scary.

New harnesses are first on my list, these will be ordered this week... I have 3 dogs that are in need and I have no choice. As for myself, clothing to be worn in the frigid temps while skiing is needed along with new skis.

For those who don't know the sad story about how all my saved money was lost you will have to wait for another blog. It is a story perfect for Halloween.... A very scary tale for sure.

So for now I shall end this entry with a plea... Even if it seems more like I am begging... Please help me find some sponsors so that I can get myself and my small team of dogs to the Percy...an adventure we have been working toward the last 2 years... My sad story will come out if that helps.

But for now... Look into my fur kids eyes and tell him we WILL get to the Yukon this March!

Tough Decisions

It’s been a tough week for me.

I’m dealing with some medical issues that we don’t need to go into detail over, but let’s just say that getting old isn’t all fun and games, or all that it is cracked up to be.   Only a number they say?  Try telling that to this body of mine.

Hormones… pshaw… they won’t listen to reason.   I am a 30 year old trapped in this aging and falling apart body.

Well, alright… it’s not really falling apart… just a hitch on this ride called life, nothing I can’t handle…. And will be sorted out once I get the blood work done and they, the medical peoples, figure out how they are going to sort out me.

Worried?  Not at all.

This week, with the rising and falling of hormones (I am just guessing on this now) has to do with the dilemma that befell me… befell?  Is that indeed a word?  Must be as my spell check has not underlined it in red… okay I was befelled this week… alright, I get it, befelled is NOT a word... give me a break okay?  I’ve had a tough week.

The dilemma which has caused this grief was all started with facebook.  Yes, I’m sure there are many of you pumping your fists in the air with the satisfaction of knowing that these social networking sights are the work of the devil, pure evil… wait… none of you self righteous puritans would be reading this as you wouldn’t have even discovered this blog as you don’t actually believe in being on here in the first place… in any case those that feel faceook/twitter and all of those other connecting with loved ones and our millions of friends is a bad place to be it had its negative affect, or is it effect?  Jeeze I can never remember, there is some rule to that isn’t there? Oh, but I digress now, yes back to what ailed me this week.

Yellow, vegetable dyed, Italian leather flats.

Yes you read that correctly, yellow flats that the local business here in town, Ulla la, advertised on their facebook page.   50% off.   Still more money than I have paid for flats before.  But oh so cute.

I fell in love, love at first sight, head over heels (did you see that? Did you get that pun?)  In any case this doesn’t happen with me when it comes to shoes, or articles of clothing (purses maybe, but that is a different story)

I could see myself wearing these shoes on an almost daily basis.  They would be perfect for both my jobs.  And they looked oh, so comfortable.  I felt as if I should own these shoes.  There was even a space of honour under my bedroom dresser for them.

But alas, the practical side of me knew that this was a bad idea.  I have been saving all my money, tips from my part time job, spare change, pennies found on the street etc.  It has built up to a rather impressive number…

This impressive but still rather small sum (for what is needed) that was set aside for my new ski boots, bindings for my skis, new skies eventually, harnesses for the dogs, Mukluks to keep my feet warm while out with the dogs on the sled and special clothing I will need while running the dogs on skis.

Items all needed for this crazy adventure that has been planned for this coming March, only 7 months from now.

Seven months!

Still so much to do, to have purchased for, to train for!!

Oh no, the nervous butterflies are spinning rapidly in my stomach now, but boy they would all look cute if they were sporting yellow Italian leather pumps.

 

 

You know sometimes a woman just has to say hell with it all and go with what is in the best interest of her wardrobe.

 

Sigh, I'm still dreaming of yellow pumps.



Ten Things that Make Me Smile

'What ten things make you smile?'  A question posted on a facebook page I follow Simple Life Celebrations.

A simple question, yet as I ponder my list of 10 I am struck by the fact that I have wayyyy more than 10 things that make me smile.

1.  This is first and foremost on my top 10, and that would be my family.  My kids, hubby, and extended family as well.  They are all in my life no matter how far they live and I'm proud of each one of them, AND they all make me smile.

 

 2. My dogs.  From cuddles and kisses to throwing the ball for Rigby.  Just hanging with my fur dudes in the yard every day makes me smile.

 

3. And speaking of dogs, playing in the snow and dog sledding with them makes me smile.  Just thinking about being on the back of a sled brings out the grin in me.

 



 4. A good cup of coffee and good company.  They don't have to be together and some may argue this is two smiles in one.... and you're right they don't HAVE to be together, but they are best as a pair

 

5.  Friends.  I have so many who mean so much to me that they all bring a smile to my face.  

  Friends who live far

 Friends who live close

         

 

6. Cotton Candy, well if you know me you will understand this best.  I think it should be a food group actually

 

 

7. New shoes.  I don't understand how you can't smile with new shoes on your feet!

 

 

8.  Fresh clean sheets on my bed.  I love crawling into bed and pulling the covers over my head when I've put new sheets on the bed.

 

9.  Daisies. They always make me smile.

 

 

10.  Just thinking about my kids.  I know I've mentioned family already... and I have a million simple things that make me smile, such as doing nothing, or a warm summer night, or a cool brisk winter afternoon, or... well you get the idea.   However my kids mean the world to me and just thinking about them makes me smile.

 



What is your list of smiles?



 



Soul Searching

The heart races, stomach flips, and sweat begins to form on the palms of my hands.

Here I go again.
Nerves take over and I feel an almost fear in the deepest darkest and dirtiest part of my soul.... holy jeebers it's dusty down here!

I haven't been down in this alley for awhile, it seems the soul searching part of my life has been left alone for a time.
It's almost a little scary here as I look around at the relics that lay about forgotten, almost.

There!! In that corner is the "come on try it!! Just this once!"   There are a few of those, you know the 16 year old with a cigarette, or bottle of beer/whisky/wine, the rolled joint, and well... you have to see it for yourself.   I'm sure most of you have these ones.

And over there is the "should I marry him"  That was a good one, ending happily but of course.

If you look over in that corner you will see the pile of school searches... Art, then Business and finally Education Assistant.
No, not there, that is the Volunteer stuff... lots of those, most of which were all good searches that have helped me in the long run.

No, if you look over there you will see stuffed beside the Move to Alberta and Start a family is the Buy my own business which is buried under the Sell my business. 
It is here you will see the Do we get a sled dog? searches.

There are many of these in varying degrees with a brand new shiny one sitting right out there in the open.
You can't miss it.
Percy is in large letters on the front.

Go on, open it... here let me do it for you ----> here <---- br=""> *shudders*

Yeah, I know.
What was I thinking?

But hey.  I've been getting in shape myself.
Found 2500 acres of land to do some haw/gee training.
Found a new training buddy.
Possibly the use of other dogs to help in training.
I am excited with the amount of running we are going to get to do this winter.

AND I found me a couple of more sponsors.
Aces High Oilfield Services (I shall call my Gold sponsor)
And Carole and Barry Forhan (my wonderful Ma and Pa)

I can't thank them enough... which also means that I have to DO this.

I have to.

So why am I feeling so scared?

The Pot Hole, now THAT is a Common Weed!!

I love Daisies.

They make me smile giving me a warm happy feeling inside.
Simple yet elegant.
I have, or rather, had a small bunch growing by my front door so that when I came home it would instantly cheer me up.

After a knock on our door one morning which found a 'Weed Inspector' from the county on our front step changed all that in a matter of moments.

Leucanthemum vulgare is what she said we had.  A common weed.
I knew that it was a weed, vulgar it is not.  Dandelions, they to me should be labeled as such, not the pretty little Daisy.
The Daisy that made up the bulk of my wedding boquet those many years ago.

We were told that it had to be removed... our little bunch of daisies that have been growing at the side of our house for the last 15 to 20 years. 
Yes we live in a rural town not far from pasture fields, but far enough that my little bunch of Daisies would not creep there and take over... in fact they hadn't even crept their way into our front garden or the driveway.

So now my little bunch of daisies sit dying in a vase on my dining room table.  The weed inspector saving the day as she keeps our yards safe from these pests.

However it seems a sad strange world when there is someone who drives around making sure that our gardens are free from flowering weeds when the pot holes grow in large numbers along many of the county roads.

A Happy Ending

My boy is home for a weeks holiday making this Mommy a happy one.
However with only a week there are a few 'to do's' that must happen and one of those was Dad and Son heading out on the lake to go fishing.
With my girl off to the Stampede with a friend I was left alone with my fur kids for the day.

The 'Mum' in me decided it should be a day of baking so there could be treats for the family for the next week.

Door propped open with a rock the fur kids could come and go as they pleased while I kept busy in the kitchen.
I had purchased a couple of flower pots and was not in full trust that they would not pull them apart so I did head out a few times to see what they were up to and throw the ball for Rigby.

Dogs in and out, napping at my feet and sniffing up at the counter, it all seemed like a normal day, there was no indication to the adventure that was about to ensue.

I was just cleaning up from my latest batch of cookies and had a tray in the over with about 3 minutes left to go on the timer when Hubba popped in whining and seeming rather agitated.
Drying off my hands I threw my chore shoes on (which are loose and clumpy on my feet), stepped outside and called to the dogs... "hey puppies!!"

Nothing.

The yard was empty.
Void of dogs.

The gates were closed.

What the hey???

Walking around to the back of the yard I just about fell over.  Two fence boards had been ripped off the fence and a huge hole stood between the yard and freedom.
My guess was a cat happened to be on the other side resulting in the escape that was most likely all Penny's doing.

"Shit!!"  I stood staring at the newly created gate to the front yard frozen to the spot with my brain reeling with what I needed to do to bring all 5 dogs back by myself.

Running inside I grabbed their collars which of course they were not wearing (bloody hell), the leash and stopped to tie my shoes that were slopping about on my feet. 
Leaving the back door open I grabbed my cell phone and keys and took off outside calling all the dogs names while standing in the middle of the road.

Nothing, no sound, no sign of any dog.

I jumped into the truck and started off down the road hoping that I picked the right direction, the one we use to walk the dogs.
Nothing, no sign of them at all.

Why did this have to happen when I was at home alone?

I drove about 6 blocks or so when all of a sudden I see Hubba and Elly sniffing a backyard fence.
Leaping out of the truck (surprised I put it in park) I called to them both.  Nothing at first, but as soon as I dropped to my knees they both came over to me.
However without collars on I could only get a hold of one dog at a time.  So Elly was picked up and put into the back seat, but before I could close the door she had jumped out again.
This time I grabbed a collar and slipped it over her head and put her back in the truck.
Hubba in the meantime was running around the truck looking all pleased with himself.
Putting him in the truck was a different story.

Collar on his neck I put his front feet on the floor to the passenger side front seat then lifted his butt up into the truck.  He would not however step up so I had to lift all 90 pounds of him up onto the seat.

I flew home put the first two into the kennel in the yard, grabbed a few dog cookies and ran out once more.

I seriously didn't think I would get so lucky again, but lo and behold when I turned down the first street there was all three of my kids running back towards home (yes, this is what I am telling myself).
Jumping out of the truck and calling to them I watched in disbelief as they all ran right past me, not even glancing my way once!!
Again I dropped to my knees and called Rigby while showing him the cookie... he thought about running ahead but at the last second he changed his mind and came to me tail wagging with a big grin on his face.

One in the truck it was time to get the other two.

Rocky came to me next in the same way Rigby did.

Penny on the other hand wasn't as willing to get in the truck, but she did come to me when I called her, again squatting down to her level.

With all 5 dogs back in their kennels I went inside and dropped on the couch which was when I noticed that I was dripping in sweat.  No.  Not just dripping I was drenched.
I also had to take a few deep breaths to slow my heartbeat down to normal again.

After a calming break alone in my quiet living room (and finishing off the last couple batches of cookies) I head back outside with hammer and nails in hand to fix and make the fence escape proof once more.

I'm sure there was some form of guardian angel watching over me and the dogs this afternoon.
I feel very lucky to have all 5 of my kids back home safe and sound.

One thing is for sure. 

We are never going through that again!!

June is Finally Here!

FML

I've seen this three letter expression on some of my young friends posts on facebook lately.
It is usually followed after some announcement of a dropped cell phone in water, or missing a ride somewhere.  I've also seen it attached to a comment about how all their friends are out on a Saturday night and they are not.

Life is worth giving up after these events?

I've been feeling sorry for myself lately and find myself teetering on the edge of that black hole of depression once again.
So many 'unfortunate' events have taken place lately and have piled up and around me that at times I find if hard to breath.

Money is the at the centre of almost all of my woes and after reading yet another "I can't find my iplad, fml" post on a social media sight I took a wide eyed open look at my life.

Sure I do not have a vehicle once again and have to bum rides to my second job.
I've experienced the water shut off in my home.
And I now seriously wonder where the money is going to come from to continue my dream of the race in the Yukon next March to the point of it may not actually happen.

However
I have my health.
I did not lose my husband to a serious illness.
I still have a roof over my head.
And I have two jobs that I love.

There are others who would look at my 'fml' posts and shake their heads at my troubles with the thought of, "you should try walking in my shoes"

I made a comment recently about how May can go 'Suck It" as I was ready to move on to a better month.

Well here I come June.
Let's see if we can move on and remember what we have rather than what we could have.

Time to be Happy... and Just DO IT

I've been itching....

.... to be creative.

....................... to create.

My scrapbooking corner calls to me daily, yet I walk up to it to only stand there staring with no intention of sitting down to begin work.

My journal and pen have also been crying to be picked up.  Millions of random thoughts have been pushing their way to the tips of my finger tips with the nerve endings twitching and pushing to get me writing these thoughts down.

I have opened my book, scrawled a few lines down, but end up closing it opting for a sudoku puzzle that lays close by instead.

I have however begun running again and it is wonderful.
Running with my girl three times a week in the early mornings as the world around us wakes to a new day.
There is a huge need to get myself in shape this summer and ready for the training season this fall with my dogs.  One that will take on a whole new meaning with our big race looming next March.
Confidence soars through me as I feel fit and ready to take on this challenge.

At the conclusion of my last run on Friday I found myself staring at my watch after I had reset it from interval training to the regular clock.  The seconds were ticking away and I couldn't take my eyes off of the numbers.
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08..... on and on and on.
Seconds to minutes never stopping.

A sense of panic settled low in the pit of my stomach at how quickly times moves along.
I wanted it to stop, if only for a moment so I could catch my breath.

While watching the numbers tick along it felt as though I could feel the moments pushing their way past me knocking me over along the way. 
Reaching out trying to grab hold of it bringing it close and soothing time, "hush, shhhh, it's okay you don't need to be in such a hurry."
There was nothing to grasp onto as the moments rushed forward disappearing forever into the future.

Standing up I turned the watch away from me, brushed myself off and with a new determination in my step it was decided that these moments should not be wasted.
All this precious time must be used to my best advantage..... to live for the moment..... and in my moments I have decided to choose happiness.

With all the crap that has settled in the corners of my life it is easy to be brought down to sadness, frustration and mind numbing depression.
Yet with time rushing past at such an incredible speed I don't want to lose the opportunity to be happy.... carefree... doing things that I have only dreamed about.

I am going to live to my fullest.

AND I challenge everyone to join me.

Stand tall, smile and lets move forward doing the things we love with the people that we love.

The Percy and the Yukon calls to me.
I can do this.
I will do this.
I WANT to do this.

Mothers Day Past

My babies are all grown up.
Travelling paths that they seek out on their own.

My boy lives 3475 km or 33 hours from me.
My girl lives at home for the time being with big plans that include Indonesia, Russia and then ending up in Ontario.

I miss them when they were little... the home made Mothers Day cards with painted finger prints turned into flower petals, jumping into bed with me in the morning all excited to give me their creations.

This morning I was up early to greet my fur kids in the yard.  I was showered in wet sloppy kisses and canine love which always makes me smile and feel happy inside.
Settling down in my lounge chair while they played around me I received a Mothers Day message from my boy via text and felt immediately sad while laughing at his craziness all at the same time.  (message read;  Happy mothers day! My Birth may have been excruciatingly painful, but at least I didn't eat my way out like some insects do)

He will never change, always making me laugh.

...now look at him... all grown up into a man living in his own place in the hub of a big city.

Then there is my little girl, could always be found singing and so independent.
 She has now fallen in love and is dreaming of a future that includes her own 'home'.

Where did the time go?

A True Friend

What is a true friend?

Someone who is there for you through thick or thin.
A shoulder to cry on.
A willing ear.
The one you can laugh and cry with, sometimes all in the same moment.

You know this person will always be there for you no matter how stupid you have been.   Be it saying the wrong thing, a momentary lapse in reason, they know that you would never say anything to hurt feelings... This true friend would also understand that I suffer from foot IN mouth disease.

One who never judges.

My always messy home (I'm a terrible house keeper)
My lack of fashion sense (comfort is key to me)
The craziness of my adventures (sled dogs? 100 mile skijour race?)
Impromptu ventures (owning a coffee shop, becoming successful at it then selling)

I have been lucky in my life to have friends like this.
A friend who I could call anytime of the day or night if I needed.

There are a few who have stuck by me, who still call me their friend after many years of knowing me... really knowing me.

However there is one particular person who stands out amongst them all.
A beautiful woman whom I love very much.... and who I know loves me back the same way.
I would move heaven and earth for this friend ... as I know she would for me also.

My Mom

 

I love you Mom, happy Mothers Day!!

Alive

It has been awhile.

I think about writing all the time.  I DO write with pen and paper, but have avoided and neglected my blogs for some time.

It is not from lack of 'things' happening in my life.
Nor is it from depression.

I've just been,
                     well,
                            living life.

Spring has arrived here at Outback Huskies and thankfully it has been dry and warm out.  As I write this 3 of my fur kids lay at my feet in a peaceful slumber.
The others are outside enjoying the warmth of the sun.... which is where I will be once this has been published.

I just felt the need to pop in here and share my favorite song with you all.  I'm betting if you go back a ways here on this blog you will find that it was already shared.  To me, it is worth sharing over and over again.

Edwin - Alive

 

 

I should probably share a teeny bit of my spring break with you all as well, especially since many of you followed my adventure in the Yukon with Randy.

Instead of heading somewhere warm and tropical we ventured North to Fort McMurray.

 A city of close to 77,000, which sits on the Athabasca River, was originally established by the Hudson Bay company in 1870 as a trading post.  Today it draws attention, good and bad, due to the oilsands.

It is also home of Randy Mackenzie and his plethora of animals.

 

On our way up there we met Fred and his lovely wife, Diane for lunch and a visit.  I would love to spend more time with them both... what a wonderful couple. 

I loved our visit with everyone... Randy and Carol were the hostesses with the mostesses and I could have spent way more time up there.

Not only did I get to meet up with the Canine team again, but I was introduced to the many animals that Randy rescues, finds homes for and keeps himself.

We 'almost' brought home a baby ourselves... it was a close one.... if we had more land for sure as these babies are going to be rather large when full grown.

 Mommy and Daddy to the pups with Ray and Randy.

 

 

          

Missing This

I really do miss using this blog.... odd kinda feeling as it is not a person or a real place.

Yet here I am back on here telling you all I miss it.
I come on to 'Blogspot' regularly to read every ones posts yet I've been quiet myself.

I do have a new location to blog at www.outbackhuskies.com but I've been absent from there as well.

The decision to use both blogs has come to me through my monster that follows me through my life.  One that has lain dormant for quite a few  years now.
Fibromyalgia that sits waiting in the background ready to jump out and make an appearance.

I thought that my Outback Husky web site will be used for my training and all dog sledding related activities that have to do with heading to the Percy next year, and here will be for everything else.  I will link the two together so for those interested (usually just family) can see them both if they wish.

Today however I do want to leave you all with a health warning.

I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago now to have a filling replaced after it had broken in half  It was an older filling, one of those that we got as kids.  You know the metal ones that they say has mercury in them?
This dentist did not do anything special in ways of protecting me from ingesting anything that may come from drilling out the old filling.
Honestly I did not think about it myself until my Fibro began flaring 10 fold.

I have not had a flare in years now and was beginning to think that whatever had been wrong with me was not in fact Fibro but something that had been missed because of the diagnosis of said disorder.
Yet after speaking with a friend who just had all his mercury, uh metal fillings, removed and done so in a special way with drugs to help detoxify and keep the mercury out of their system AND then getting on the 'net' and researching mercury and Fibro I was left with an aha moment.

Thanks to my ever so wonderful dentist (who by the way has had to fix my tooth two times since the filing and will be seeing me once more to fix it still) he has set my Fibro off in the worst way.

I will be working at detoxifying my body myself using herbal remedies and diet now... and working hard at bringing my body back to a pain free state.

This truly sucks... having to deal with my monster at this time of my life.
I am too busy loving my job to take time off because of pain.... and I am way too busy running my dogs with the last of the spring snows to be missing it due to pain (which happened this weekend).

Let my experience be a lesson to all of you.
If you have the opportunity to have a metal filling removed have it done so by someone who knows what they are doing.

The Yukon Calls my Name

I really do miss this blog site.

But sadly it is not where I will be writing anymore as I have many, many followers on my web site now.
That isn't sad news... what is sad is I wont be here.

For those who have popped in here from time to time, do come to my site and follow me on my adventures to the Yukon... along the Yukon Quest trail as I work as a dog handler for Randy Mackenzie and next year when I race a portion of the trail myself in the Percy.

www.outbackhuskies.com is where I can be found now.

Happy Trails everyone!

New Trails Ahead

I am so very sad.

I really like using this blog site... the options are terrific... however as of late it will not allow me to upload pictures from my computer.

This makes no sense as my husband hasn't had any trouble at all... so... I am back to using my blog on my web page.

My most recent entry.
http://www.outbackhuskies.com/apps/blog/show/21885331-new-trails-ahead-

Packing the Night Away

This blogspot has decided to not let me download pictures...

So... here is a link to my other blog...

Sigh... I'll get this sorted out one day and will stay in one location... guess I'm like that single child caught in the middle of a divorce.

http://www.outbackhuskies.com/apps/blog/show/21770320-packing-the-night-away

So It Begins

I am so pumped for this years up coming Yukon Quest, which begins one month today.

Every year I follow this race, picking a veteran and a rookie to cheer on.
This year is no exception... I will be cheering for Hugh Neff (I always do) although Abbie West is high on my list (you go girl!!!) and the rookie will be Randy Mackenzie.
Why Randy? 
Well unless you are new to this site you would already know... I'm going to be his handler for this years race!!!!!!!

Just a little excited.

I spoke with Randy last night and after hanging up this whole adventure got just that much more real.
As a list person I all of a sudden became almost nervous having not even started my list(s) to do with this trip.

I've promised many people that I will try very hard to be consistent with blogging this entire race.. from the perspective of a handler and following a musher along the trail.  I'm even going to go as far as purchasing a tablet that I can take along with me (instead of trying to find a battery for this lap top of mine) so that I have the tools needed to stay connected.

So with this promise under my belt and working through my head of how or when I shall begin this particular blog it was decided that the preparations and packing could and should be included.

A few years back a friend of mine blogged about his Disney trip and weeks ahead he started a 'packing' blog that I enjoyed so totally that by the time he left for the trip I felt sad it was over.
I am sure I could never copy that idea as well as he did, but it did inspired me to try... at least until I find my own rhythm and make it my own.

I shall be a packing guru when this is all said and done.
I have to make everything I need for at least 3 weeks, which includes extreme weather gear, fit into one backpack.  My carry on will be my sleeping bag that I can probably squeeze a few other bits into, but cannot really consider it luggage... unless I find a fool proof way of attaching the sleeping bag onto my backpack without the threat of it ever falling off.

I will find a way.
I always do.

But first.

                     The list.

 

             A work in progress

 

Oh by the way..... Happy New Year everyone!!!! 

I trust you will all have the most amazing 2013, I know I will!!