Summer Place Dogs

Our dogs are very special to us.  Our current kennel listing is as follows:

Matilda, age 9, runs lead and team

Rosie, age 9, fastest dog in the kennel, runs lead and team

Lillen, matriarch, retired, age 16, fantastic gee haw leader.

Yuki, team, sweetest and shy, age 9, a deep snow, pull you out of anything dog.

Swix, a classic looking sled dog, age 9, runs strong wheel.

Herman, tough and strong, and sweet, wheel or team, age 9.

Buffy, gee haw command leader, age 9, fast.

Tsunami, age 9, a sleeper, very strong, happy wheel dog.

Yeti, age 9, very strong wheel dog, a bit shy.

Kiddo, says she's retiring, but she gets pretty excited when we hook her up, so team or wheel, age 9.

Zoom, an unlikely looking sled dog, but runs fast and happy, team, age 9.

Sherpa, age seven, has really become a great team dog, steady, honest, strong.  Can run lead.

Ruthie, gee haw command leader, fast, head down , let's DO it, leader, age 11.

Buddy, age 14 1/2, retiree from Alaskan racing and UP 200.

Ruby, fast and footloose, happy happy dog, age 11.

Yo, doesn't want to be a sled dog, but a sweet and happy BIG boy! age 9.

Navy, wow, what a grand gee haw leader, new to our kennel from Alaska and loving him, STRONG.  Age 10.5

Eos, superb gee haw command leader, committed, has been to Nome, age 13.

Copper, veteran Iditarod 06, strong, burly, can run any position, age 9, a bit headstrong, happy house dog, thyroid issues so he only runs if he wants to.

Summer Place Kennel Dogs invite you to January race onsite.

We have an interesting lineup this year . Of course, we are an aging kennel, but these 'retirees' are going strong and will be eager participants in our January month long kennel races.

We are printing out the rules for the race.  The basics are:   Racers choose four or six dogs;

we select the pool of available dogs and each team must have one leader, one lesser experienced dog and two team dogs, placed in whatever positions the musher chooses.  Four dog teams race four dogs, six race six.  We will not adjust for weight, but the race marshall (Julie) determines who can run and which size team each musher will drive.
 
The course is spelled out and will be 'signed', but for insiders who know our trails, takeoff (timer starts) is at the picket line, heading out into the bar trail, up into the loop and  back down around ,going haw at the lilacs and heading for home. (timer stops)

Each team is allowed two attempts, if desired, different days, different dogs are fine.

Mandatory gear includes helmet, hook, sled bag and safe snow. Safety first, for people, for dogs.

Each musher should bring an extra working handler with them .  Each musher will unharness and
soup his/her great dogs.

Entry fee is $20 cash or two hours kennel work (harnessing, unharnessing, scooping, souping,
cleaning up gear, etc.)  We will have an awards ceremony in late January with prizes.

Snow

From 57 degrees on Thanksgiving Day to a windy, snow all day day, today.   The accumulation has not been
heavy but we do have snow.  We were fortunate to have Jimmy helping today, home from Madison for the holiday.   He filled holes, hauled straw to each house and gave every dog warm soup in the afternoon.
He also hauled dog food and deer feed.
My family is visiting so we've had a busy few days! 

Summer Place , new Handy "Man" , Katie

Katie is a professional photographer who will be relocating in the Spring. For now we are fortunate

to have her nearby , not only with her photographic eye and skills, but with her knowledge and abilities with handling sled dogs.   Recently we asked her if she would be our new handy 'man' .   All rolled into one,  Katie is as skilled as anyone on a sled, in the various tasks involved in handling these great dogs, and, first and foremost, as a sports photographer.  She is a racer , at heart, and if the chance arises this winter, watch for Katie ! Wow, Katie, thanks for joining us!

Photo:   Center, Katie, right, Kelsey, background, Julie, readying dogs for a run.

8 Dog Team photos

Karen Klenke, photographer, visited us with Bobbi Samme, Florence Mining News and we ran an 8 dog team for them to view.

These are some of Karen's great photos.  Thank you, Karen!

Photos courtesy Karen Klenke,  top to bottom:

Navy, awaiting his turn.
Jim and Katie harnessing Herman.
Eight dog takeoff:  Ruthie, Buffy, Navy, Eos, Rosie, Kiddo, Herman, Sherpa
Eight dogs returning.
Katie, Rosie, Kiddo, Julie, Jim

Races coming

The Alaska Dispatch, http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/alaskas-fastest-dogs-take-center-stage-mushing-season-gets-rolling  has an article on the upcoming Alaskan races to watch.   Aliy Zirkle
and Allen Moore will begin their exciting to watch race season on December 15th.

The Wisconsin Trailblazers sprint organization has published their sprint schedule on their site. The Land O Lakes race is the weekend of February 11-12.

The UP 200/Midnight Run/Jackpine 30 are the weekend of February 14th.  See: www.up200.org

Why Orange?

It is the orange time of the year.... rifle deer hunting season.  The dogs wear orange ribbons, *see their collars*...  the trees wear NO HUNTING signs, and the dogs get restless from shortened exercises.   We don't let them run free when the risk of hunters is around.   Some of them are a bit shy of guns , so it is a long week for them.   Michigan's season opens tomorrow (one mile away) and Wisconsin opens on Saturday.

Photo:  Ruthie, Herman, Buffy, Sherpa, Navy, (white Yeti in background) and Katie await three more dogs for an 8 dog run.   Missing from photo:  Rosie, Kiddo and Eos.

More Frita

In the top photo Frita is in lead with Skinny, both from Aliy's kennel and such topnotch leaders.
Julia was driving this team and I believe was the year they placed third out of 30? not sure.  

Second photo shows them about to receive their soup after the 30 mile run, Frita, Skinny and Quattro.

Frita, sweetest of all, Frita, rest in peace.

Beautiful, tough headed, gentle, smartest lead dog, sweetest dog, Frita,  has been a joy to know for
the years she has been with us.  Everyone who has run with her in lead wanted her again. She raced and won/placed in several short races here.  She injured a leg along the way and retired from running, but she was the matriarch and firm guide/teacher of her pups.
As tough as they come, to look at her you wouldn't know it.  She had a gorgeous coat and a sweet smile, literally beaming, when she was happy.
Thank you to Aliy Zirkle for sharing this beautiful dog with us in her retirement from Alaska.  Frita's daughter, Bullet, has been a mainstay leader for Aliy for numerous years, she , herself, now retired
at Aliy's.
Our hearts are heavy as we say Rest in Peace to dearest Frita.   She had multiple health issues and had begun having seizures.  She emphatically did not want to be cared for in the house.   To the end she wanted to be with her pups (who are now nine).  She taught us so much.  It's hard to say enough to pay tribute to such a wonderful dog, but 'thank you' is the main tribute.  Thank you, dearest Frita.

Her pups are:  Yo, Yuki, Swix, Yeti, Tsunami and Zoom .  Two pups,Yuri and Yepa predeceased her.   Martin, another great dog from Aliy, was their father.

Visitors today. The Florence Mining News, Bobbie Samme and Karen Klenke.   The dogs were excited to run and did well , although it was a bit warm.

Photos:  Most by photographer, Katie Richard, with kennel camera.  Thanks, Katie!

Top:  Bobbie and Zoom 
2.   Jim and Katie harnessing dogs.
3.  The team runs ahead while Bobbie and Julie talk dogs.
4.  Fantastic eight dog team...  see the photo of the lineup chart.
5.  Navy, Buffy and Jim
6.  Lineup chart for today.

Navy is a great dog!   It's sometimes touchy when we introduce a new one to the kennel, but he was such a treat, wagging his tail, happy to see each dog he met.  Copper and Buddy, both males, met him outside this morning and just took him in stride, all three of them going on a trail walk together as if they had done it every day.   Maybe a bit of a sidelong glance  but not much more.

To give him a look at the trails we hooked up two leaders, Buffy and Ruthie, with him and took a short run.
We like to show new dogs that we do know how to do the things they're used to doing, e.g. running in teams, etc.  He had a ball on the trail, seemed to like the new exploring around each curve.

Right now he's sharing a pen with his Auntie Eos and she is teaching him the rules.   He may stay there or may not, we'll see how it goes for him.   On Thursday we'll hook up a bigger team and take a stroll further out on the trails (slow and easy for those who haven't run yet).

Navy enroute

We are waiting for Zeus' son, Navy.  He left Fairbanks last night and will arrive in Minneapolis at noon today.  Katie Richard, musher/photographer/neighbor was willing to drive to pick him up, so she is there awaiting his arrival with her friend, Ashley.   Thanks, Katie and Ashley!

Yes, we aren't taking any more dogs, but with the loss of Zeus there was an empty spot here.  Navy is ten and will fill in very well, living with his Auntie Eos.   We have some young people who want to run again this winter with him, and possibly even our young granddaughter can run with Navy.

Thanks to Trailbreaker Kennel and Molly and Sarah for all of the arrangements and for parting with Navy!