All kinds of stuff happening around the kennel
right now, even if we are in the midst of a heat wave and not
doing too much at all with the dogs!!
First off, we just finished a very nice visit with Jackie and
Chris Marshall. In case I haven't mentioned Marshall's of late
in my diary entries, let me take a moment to tell you a bit
about them and why they are so important to me.
It was about 18 years ago that I showed up in Jackie and Chris's
yard out in Invermere, BC. Jackie was the boss of one of my best
friends and my friend had thought that it would be cool to go
see their kennel while I was out visiting for a week. No one
knew at the time that I had decided I wanted to buy a Siberian
Husky, it was simply a coincidence that we ended up in their
yard that day.
Before we left, I had made arrangements to purchase 2 year old
Meomar's Miss Liberty from them, although we didn't pick her up
until a number of months later, when we were settled in our
house in Wembley, Alberta.
Over the next few years, I made a lot of trips out to Invermere
to hang out at Marshall's. Their door was always open and they
were always willing to answer my rookie questions.
It was the first winter I knew them that they took me out on my
first sled ride.
Many more rookie questions followed and it was with their
guidance that we bred our first litter, hooked up our first dog
team, entered our first race, etc, etc.
They were patient and gracious teachers and we were able to
advance quickly in our 'mushing career' with no small thanks to
them.
Over the years their lives and ours have been hectic enough that
we haven't actually seen each other in over 12 years.
Marshall's have just recently sold their place in Invermere and
are living in a 5th wheel for the time being, so what better
time to visit.
I must say, their 5th wheel is the most gorgeous trailer I've
ever been in - with all 4 sliders out it features over 400
square feet of living space - unreal!!
Anyway, we had a nice couple days catching up, looking at photos
old and new, and gossiping before they hit the road yesterday
morning.
All the babies are doing very well. With the soaring
temperatures, I bought the 'Cree' litter a pool the other day
and was shocked at how fast they took to it. It was still
filling up when all three girls baled in and started splashing
about. Utin thinks his sisters are nuts and only goes in if we
put him in, but the girls are water babies!
Kara and her kids are out in a puppy pen. The pups are having a
grand time - Kara is pissed. She actually scaled the 4-foot
puppy fence and came up to the house to visit the first day she
was out there. Now she has decided that that is too much work
and just deeks Ronny out whenever he goes into that pen.
Yesterday she came barreling up to the house, figured out she
could squeeze through the cat door Mark build into our screen
door and came in to help me with my yoga - very helpful.
I've started giving her a bit of house time, as her babies don't
want to start eating kibble, so with her up in the house a few
hours before meals, we know they will be hungry when dinner is
served.
Hilda's puppies have been named. Because they are a pretty
inbred litter (and no we are not worried about that - the odd
inbreeding in a solid, healthy pedigree is not worrisome and can
even be very good) we went with a 'Hillbilly' theme. The girls
are - Daisy, Fritter, Billy (Hillbilly) and Banjo. The boys are
- Bubba, Roscoe, and Cooter.
I moved them out into the MASH pen off the house, as the babies
were escaping the pool and poor little Roscoe fell out the
doggie door the other day - and that's a big drop!! I decided
that it was safer for them outside. We will move them out to a
puppy pen soon, but for now it is nicer to have them close to
the house.
Make sure to visit Ronny's web album -
http://picasaweb.google.com/ronnywebercanada/RonnyNorthWapitiSiberianHuskyKennel2
- , as there are pictures of all the puppies there - as well as
some great shots of Bait stalking a deer that was up behind our
outhouse the other day. Yes, he dreams rather big! I thought I
was going to fall over I was laughing so hard. The deer noticed
him when he got within 6 feet or so from it and seemed rather
amused too. She certainly wasn't fearful of our little black
panther!
I also have a few photos of the HillBillies up on my site -
http://picasaweb.google.com/northwapiti/Hillbillies
Well, time to go throw some dinner on. We are eating early
tonight, as I have to make a late night run out to the airport
to drop Rainy off for her trip back to New Hampshire. Many of
you might remember Rainy as one of Moses and Kaylinn's children.
We sold her to Kim and Kelly Berg a year or so ago and they send
her back up last month to be bred to Q. It should be a very nice
litter.
I'm also going to drop Ronny off in the city for a few days of
'civilization'. Don't want to sour the boy too badly before
the real work starts! J
All for today!
Karen
