The start of the 2011 Racing Season!

After diligently training all fall and early winter and getting over 400 miles on the dogs, finally a race! It was cold and blustery both days at Kalkaska but we had a ball with our family (at least part of them.....Jess, Cindy, Aeja, Ocean and Oak) and our new dogsledding "extended" family (Austin, Cooper, Mark and Jamie Kukal- their first time at a race and Austin's first race with 3 dogs that he got from us). The big winners were the kids with Jacob (our great nephew) first on Sat. in the 1-dog, Ocean 1st place for the 2 days in the 1-dog and Aeja 2nd place!!!! Oak didn't race but he all of a sudden wanted to be pulled around on the kids sled and was throwing his weight into the corners and even pumping and braking!! The rest of the DeKuiper racers didn't fare quite as well - Jess had some problems on Sat. running my 6 dog team (due to me spraining my knee- this being the first time dog racing for him in almost 20 years!!!!!!) and finished 17th - Grandpa's team is more prepared for a 25 mile race than a 14 mile one and so they came in 7th - not surprising with his 2 best leaders not feeling well this weekend. Austin did very well for his first race and said he had a "ball" - you know, it's more fun to see the kids have fun than it is for me doing myself!!!!

So after sad goodbyes at Kalkaska the plan was to travel thru the UP and stop for the night at Seney at the rest area - got there and Randy tried to start the generator in the trailer and it would not cooperate! Sooooooooooo, Plan B, sleep in the sleeper bed in the truck and leave the truck running all nite for heat!!!!

Randy was concerned about the generator issue and got up at 6am and decided our chances of finding a place to fix it were better going back south. Sooooooo.... back over the bridge and to Gaylord where we are now sitting at a place called Bridgeway Power that some guys in McDonald's directed us to! Randy and the guy have been out here 4 or 5 times to look at it so that seems promising!! Will update you with what the results of our "generator consultation" are soon as I know and have access to wi fi (don't have the air card this year so my entries will be a little fewer and farther between!)