Name	Sex	Age	Status	Races
Kara	Female	8.5	Veteran Leader	2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 2005 Copper Basin 300 Iditarod 2005 2005 Knik 200 Finisher Iditarod 2004 Finisher 2003 Knik 200 Finisher Iditarod 2003
Moses	Male	8	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Knik 200 Iditarod 2005 2005 Knik 200 Finisher 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 Iditarod 2004 Finisher Yukon Quest 250 (with another musher)
Nahanni	Female	7.5	Veteran	2008 Flathead 100 Iditarod 2003 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Knik 200 2006 Knik 200
Crunchie	Male	6.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Knik 200 Iditarod 2005 Iditarod 2004 Finisher
Barq	Male	6.5	Veteran	2008 Flathead 100 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 2006 Knik 200
Sprite	Female	6.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 Iditarod 2005 2006 Knik 200 2006 Copper Basin 300 Iditarod 2006 Finisher
Hector	Male	6.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Flathead 100 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200 Iditarod 2005 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Sheep Mountain 150 2005 Knik 200 Iditarod 2004 Finisher
Hilda	Female	6.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Flathead 100 2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 2006 Knik 200 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Knik 200  Iditarod 2004 Finisher
Herman	Male	6.5	Veteran	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 2007 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 2002005 Sheep Mountain 150 2005 Iditarod 2005 Copper Basin 300 2005 Iditarod
Dasher	Female	6	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200 Iditarod 2005 Sheep Mountain 150
Holly	Female	5.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Flathead 100 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120
Batdog	Male	5.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Flathead 100 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 Iditarod 2006 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200
Jr	Male	5.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 Iditarod 2006 Finisher 2006 Copper Basin 300 2006 Knik 200
Q	Male	4.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 22007 Neckbone 120 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 2006 Knik 200
Jinx	Female	4.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Flathead 100 2006 Sheep Mtn 150 2006 Knik 200
Spider	Female	4.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120
Runner	Male	3.5	Rookie Leader	2008 Flathead 100
Boom	Male	3.5	Veteran	2007 Neckbone 120 2008 Seeley Lake 200 2008 Flathead 100
Tess	Female	3.5	Veteran Leader	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120
Charge	Male	3.5	Veteran	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Taiga 300 2006 Sheep Mtn 150
Watt	Male	3.5	Veteran	2008 Seeley Lake 200 2007 Iditarod 2007 Neckbone 120
Togo	Male	3	Rookie	2008 Flathead 100
X	Male	2.5	Rookie	2008 Flathead 100
Bingo	Female	2.5	Rookie	2008 Flathead 100

It's a great group of dog - lots of experience with a nice touch of youthful enthusiasm. Kara is the most senior member of the Super Dogs. Make no doubt; this will be her last year racing. You may notice her brothers, Loki and Odie are not on the list. That is definitely the end of an era for me - Odie has been on all my race teams since the 2002 season. Cutting him from the team almost felt like amputating a limb, but both the boys are enjoying running with small teams with Kathryn and the Husch's.

Irving, Wolverine, and Roary were all very hard cuts too - but for different reasons. I know that Irving is going to be a major star in the kennel, but he is not quite ready this season - same for the very serious and seriously handsome Wolvie. Roary was 'oh so close'. I just already had a bunch of girls in the pool and opted for a little more size and power.

Mo is likely on his last race season too, but the way his boy Boom is roaring up the ranks, it is more like he is just passing along the torch.

The real rookies of the group are X , Togo and Bingo. All three traveled well down to Montana and seemed to really enjoy their first taste of racing. X is the real star of the bunch.

Key leaders this season are shaping up to be Sprite, Tess, Hilda, Q, Moses, Spider, Jinx, Jr, Kara, and Batdog. The MAIN leader in the crew this year is without a doubt Dasher. She is so full of herself lately; I'm surprised she doesn't just explode. She's been obnoxiously bouncy and happy since the real hard work around here began. She loves being THE gal and I am learning to put my complete trust in her. That might not sound like a hard thing to do, but with all the serious leaders I've had in the past - like Grover, Snickers, Kara, etc - it is kind of difficult to learn to just completely trust a bouncy, bubbly little gal that seems to take nothing seriously - but I'm coming around!

Folks at home were left with instructions to keep Newt and Roary in shape for me, just in case I changed any opinions on some of the dogs that went down to Montana with me. I didn't and this group is indeed the final group that will be heading up to Alaska with us next week.

Not to say there weren't a few issues that came home from Montana with us - a number of the dogs picked up a seriously nasty stomach bug. In fact, we even made a quick trip to the vet in Seeley Lake with Charge before heading home on Monday. As we had hoped and suspected, it is nothing requiring any more aggressive treatment then what we were already doing (some antibiotics and a few stomach meds). Charge is already showing significant improvement, but now a few others are starting to get sick. Oh well, better now then right before or during Iditarod.

Spider also had to make a quick visit to the vet yesterday. She finished Seeley Lake strong and happy, but about 16 hours later started favoring her front left leg. By yesterday she wasn't bearing any weight on it. Trevor quickly found the start of an abscess on one of her toes and it was lanced and drained. It almost looks like she stepped on something on the trail. She is mostly back on 4 feet now - and thoroughly enjoying some house time as she recovers. Kara, of course, is appalled at sharing her dog beds and toys - especially after having been without all that for almost 2 weeks!

So that is it for today! Tomorrow I will have some Tales from the Races for you all!

Till then..

Karen