Hello 2018-19!!!!!!!!!

Sorry I fibbed about being ready for writing on the blog yesterday…………..things got in the way and I didn’t quite make it~!!!

So----we begin the 2018-19 race season by moving to the UP of Michigan again this year – the snow and conditions were so good for training last year that we were very happy Jim O would allow to rent again this year – this year, however, we are not staying in our trailer for these 3 months, we are staying in the dog handler quarters that is built into the corner of a pole barn on the property.  The really big positive is that we have a shower and toilet right in the same place with us but the negative is that the wifi and phone signal don’t reach out here (which means when I want to use them I have to stand in the yard, go to the house or sit in our trailer!)  Probably won’t be watching as much Netflix this year!!

We left on Thursday and it was OK but not as cool as we would have liked it to be for the dogs traveling in the boxes.  Didn’t leave quite as early as Randy wanted but did get up here about 5 in time to unload the dogs before dark.  Lots of barking during the nite because they were in a new place and cooler and had new neighbors in the dog yard.

It is surprising to me how much more work it is to set up another whole household – lots of things to bring in to the “shack” as we are call) g it – clothes, food, dishes, coats, etc, etc  Of course I am trying to make it as “homey” as I can in another small space but not spending the same amount of money that I did on the trailer.   

Friday we trained all but the 4- 6 month old dogs that we brought with us (they are doing so well we wanted to keep them training until we go too far for them)  They were all soooooooo crazy and hard to handle!!! Especially because we are trying to leave from the middle of the dog yard which means they are getting harnessed in their circle and then tied right into the line (and we found out that the line needed to be tighter because the dogs hooked in were easily able to go visit the other dogs still in their circles)  Some of them felt like I was in a wrestling match with an octopus!!!!!

All went well after a fashion and the were a bit more settled by the time we got back.

Saturday was more unpacking and “decorating” and making lists of all the things I had forgotten or didn’t know that I was going to need.Then we went into Newberry to shop for all the things I knew I still needed – no Walmart ; only Family Dollar – but still found almost everything on the list – then to church – it was good to see the priest we enjoyed from last year.  

Sunday trained in the morning  - the dogs were a bit more used to the new exit/entrance plan (I have to run about 30 yards leaving the dog yard with them following me to get them to go the right way!!) and a little less crazy but still hard to handle – also put the puppies in with the 2 teams of 8 adults and  they did fabulous!!  We are only going about 4 miles and the temperature is good for that – plus they get a couple of breaks in the 4 miles.

Monday was a trip back down over the Mackinac Bridge to the Indian River area to pick up some dry dog food that we are going to be feed with raw meat this year =  we took the “Monster Blue Truck” and thought we were getting a wrapped pallet of bags set onto the truck – but it turned out to be loading 40, 40 pound bags with 4 of us bringing the bags to the truck and then Randy stacking them – this all happened in a downpour (and we found out the bags are water resistant but not waterproof!!)  so we tarped it and put many many tie-down straps over the stack- we were nervous all the way back to the UP (2.5 hours) thinking the load could shift and we would have bags of dog food all over the road getting wet and hardened up (or mush to begin with???)  Made it home OK, unloaded it today, then trained dogs, then Randy wanted to go for a bike ride………….do you suppose he wants the insurance money?????  Then I made pea and ham soup in the new Instapot I received from Amy and Bill for my birthday and Christmas – it turned out fabulous!!!  And now I am out to the trailer to be able to post this for you!!!!

The colors are almost peaked and it is beautiful!!! I took pictures today while training and will try to post soon if not tonight!!!