Yes!!! Snow!

Wahoo!! We sure do like to see that white stuff coming down. It's been a while, but it's nice to see the couple of inches that we got over the weekend. The team is coming along well. We're a bit behind in mileage, but honestly, these dogs aren't acting like it. They are coming in from our new, hilly runs energetic and ready to go! The farther out we've gone, we've discovered that the trails seem to deteriorate, but will be passable by sled. Lots of sink holes and stumps EVERYWHERE! Yikes! Well, that's ok. Manny is now home and training dogs full time, so we're seeing the benefits of that already.

The new house is going well for us, though we're still feeling out trail "issues" (yeah, in Two Rivers, Alaska, people!). The kids are doing great, Devlyn is in 2nd grade and loving his new room; Conor had some minor surgery, but is doing better and is talking like a mad man. What a magpie! We really have to mind our p's and q's around that little guy. ;o)

School is keeping me seriously busy with all of the grading and such. Still, I'm hanging in there. We're reading "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and it has been GREAT having these class discussions with my students about whether Chris McCandless really was a kook or not. It's nice to relate their knowledge of Alaska with what others see or think.

Still hoping to do our races, though we've decided that we can only manage one team in the Copper Basin...Manny. He's the one working on qualifiers, so he'll be racing this year. That's ok, I'll get a few in as well, with the Gin Gin and other local races. We're cycling leaders in and out, and discovering some nice lead potential in a few of our newer dogs. Just has been running lead a few times out now and other than trying to bully the neighbor's loose dog (On by Just!), he's doing well. Dusk is another leader for us. Skuuga ate another harness this season (dang dog!), though she's no worse for wear. Munchkin is doing FANTASTIC in lead! I'm amazed at this girl! She has commands down and she's beating old Dutchess to the punch. Amazing. We just got Chowder from Ivana Nolke: dang crazy hound! She loves to jump and well, snout and musher's lip equals a fat lip for the musher. Grrr! Still, I'm hoping that as we get distance on her, she'll calm a bit. Will be trying her in lead soon.

Well, that's it for now. Time for After School Study Hall, so I'm off. Manny's home running dogs in the fresh, white stuff (I'm SOOO jealous!!!). Later everyone!