Race results

Yesterday was not as good as we had hoped - we think we might not have given enough runs to get the dogs from "stage stop speed" to "Quebec race speed"---------- we came in last place and part of the problem was that Randy was overtaken by JR Saucier and his dogs wouldn't pass easily so Randy had to stop twice - 

Today was better!  Our dogs hung in there tough and Randy moved up 5 places to 15th!!!!

It was not as cold either but I still put bag balm on the dogs scrotums and ears so they wouldn't freeze..............

Back to  Bellerive's tonite!!!  we are having a problem with the generator again and so we are running the little one and it will be good to be able to be back at our Quebec home to plug into the barn!!

There has been some discussion with Claude about him not  going to the race next weekend - he has a contact that is telling him the trail will not be good - Randy says if he doesn't go we won't likely either! So we'll see!!!

Race Day!!

 First day of the Pont Rouge race in Quebec - Randy goes out 5th - less than 11 mile course!! Very cold temps!!!  will let you know how he does!!!

Had dinner at Melanie's house on Thursday - left for the race on Friday at noon - no problem getting to the town of Pont Rouge but had to stop 3 times to ask people where the race site was!!!  finally found it - it's a drag racing site in the summer!!!  looks like they have everything planned out well - hope the trail is good!!!

WE are in Canada!!

The only problem we had letting us in was that we were "red flagged" for coming to the border one year and not having our covid test result sent to us yet from the pharmacy so they sent us back to the US!!!

We drove till Deep River, Ontario and then the next day made it here to Charette!!!

The Bellerives are busy with business lunches and dinners today so we will see them tomorrow!!

We had a quick hello with Claude yesterday because he was at the barn to train some dogs before the race this weekend!! 

We trained all of our dogs today and they all looked good - we also trained 3 of Claudes old dogs - don't know if he is thinking of us getting them or what..............

I was doing great until I just fell on the ice and tweaked my back............just a bit of rest and it will be fine!!!!! 

Not as great as we hoped but good!!!

We got to the race site fine and found our parking spot and had a great spaghetti dinner for the prelude to the race meeting at the golf course in Iron River Wisconsin - good friends there, Moe and Lydia and the Beabers and next morning Lori and Ken Chezik - you all probably (that care) know the race results from the one day race - Randy came in 4th after having about 20 4 second or more problems that kept him from getting 3rd or 2nd!  it was close!!!  One of them in particular was a confrontation with a mid-distance driver that he passed (part of the trail there were both mid-distance and unlimited teams running on the same section) and then she wanted to re-pass him right away without giving him the chance to pull away again - some trail help difficulty and etc.........  All in all if was a great fun race for us with lots of people we enjoy!!

This morning on Sunday we left the race site and made it all the way to Sault Ste. Marie Michingan and in the morning we will cross the bridge to Canada on our way to Quebec and the 2 final races in their season - it may sound crazy but you gotta do it while you can still do it!!!!

Will let you know what happens next when I have service!!!

Yay we are in Wisconsin!!! And no problems!!!!!

 After recovering (my back and arms took notice!!) from the day that will go down in infamy-----"The Bad Training Day/Valentines Day" it was time to head for the race in Wisconsin.  We had a goodbye dinner with Jan and Lynn Witte and Stan Bontrager on Wednesday nite and I took a long-awaited shower!!!!!  (Thank you Jan!!!!) We left Deer Park about noon yesterday and went to Newberry and got fuel and some groceries and got rid of our trash and then took off for Iron River - I thought I had heard that it was 10 hours because I ususally think of the UP taking 7 hours to cross but I was thinking wrong as our "stalker/tour guide" daughter, Amy, pointed out!!!  It was only 5 and change! But that would be if we actually drove the speed limit and never stopped!!  

We had every kind of winter weather imaginable --- dry roads, snow covered, icy, sunshine......We took a short cut around Marquette and  saw a sign for a stop sign, and slowed way down as it looked like the stop sign was at the bottom of the hill - well we finally did stop at the sign............after sliding about 20 feet!!!  It was that fine coating of snow that turns to ice thing going on..................

So we ended up getting as far as Ashland, and sure enough there is a Walmart!!!  So we found a good place in the parking lot and settled in.  Randy took a nap and I went in and got some things I had forgotten just that morning shopping!!!! Shopping twice in one day and I still forgot some things!!!!!! Must be "senior-itis"!

We had a comfortable quiet nite and awoke at the crack of dawn.............10am!!  (Us old dog mushers like to sleep in!!!)  Only 8 degrees!!  We must be pretty used to the cold because it didn't really seem that cold. We watered and are than going to drop and head for the race site - should be about 45 minutes,  Once there I can't remember for sure if we had any cell service so you may or may not hear from us until Sunday or Monday - and then maybe you and I will know where we are going next!!  On bad days, Randy says we are going to our "real home" and on good days it's out to do the last 3 races in Quebec!!  So we will see how the dogs do this weekend!

On a "tour guide" note,  yesterday we saw an eagle, then while I was pointing to another eagle and saying "look at that" Randy was thinking that I saw the moose he was seeing!!!  Pretty fun!!