Dog Cam

Some of you may have heard that I had surgery recently and have been laid up around the house. Michael installed a couple of surveillance cameras downstairs (really cheap from Sam's Club). So now, instead of racing up and down the stairs to see what the dogs are up to, I can monitor them on the TV when upstairs! Complete with sound! I've been able to save a lot of things (my desk, my computer, the cameras, plastic airline kennels) from getting chewed up by Clifford, since I can now catch him in the act. Here's a shot of what my office looks like on-screen (clockwise, Snorri on HIS Kuranda bed, Forest entering the room, Blackie on the floor, BamBam under the desk).


Below, the second camera catches Forest, Glacier, Walker, Cliffie looking for trouble. Bootsie and Winter are on the Kuranda beds. PS: We had plenty of pretty dogbeds, the fluffy pillow-type with fancy fabrics -- all of which were destroyed during the week I spent in the hospital. Guess they had some anxiety. They have not tried to destroy the Kuranda beds, yet.

Snow Dogs

First snow storm for this winter, about 5 inches. Suzie likes it!

Do I Go Home Today?

My family brought me home,
Cradled in their arms.
They cuddled me and smiled at me,
And said I was full of charms.
They played and laughed with me.
They showered me with toys.
I sure do love my family,
Especially the girls and boys.
The children loved to feed me.
They gave me special treats.
They even let me sleep with them,
All snuggled in the sheets.
I used to go for walks,
Often several times a day.
They even fought to hold the leash,
I'm very proud to say.
They used to laugh and praise me,
When I played with that old shoe.
But I didn't know the difference,
Between the old one and the new.
The kids and I would grab a rag,
For hours we would tug.
So I thought I did the right thing,
When I chewed the bathroom rug.
They said I was out of control,
And would have to live outside.
This I did not understand,
Although I tried and tried.
The walks stopped one by one.
They said they hadn't time.
I wish that I could change things.
I wish I knew my crime.
My life became so lonely,
In the backyard on a chain.
I barked and barked all day long.
To keep from going insane.
So they brought me to the shelter.
But were embarrassed to say why.
They said I caused an allergy,
And then kissed me goodbye.
If I'd only had some classes,
When I was a little pup.
I wouldn't have been hard to handle,
When I was all grown up.
"You only have one day left,"
I heard the worker say.
Does this mean a second chance?
Do I go home today?

--author Sandi Thompson

Only once before have I been tempted to get a puppy. I figure puppies are more likely to get adopted, so I steer toward older adults and seniors instead. But this little guy was too darn cute. His whole family was at the MatSu Shelter; his mom Dusty was a small white husky mix, and his dad was a longhaired White German Shepherd.

It didn't dawn on me until a few days later, but he looks like a little Cliffie! So I named him Dusty Cliffie Junior, or just Junior for short. He is only 4 months old, but is already as tall as some of my adult dogs! And boy does he LOVE to run!

Puppy points!

Child's play!

Pyrenees Power!!
Still not tired yet...

Nibbler

Nibbler (a.k.a. Hannibal) 1994-2007. He was a lovable little guy. Dumped at the shelter when he was 9 years old, although the owner claimed he was 12 at that time. He was barky and a bit nippy, but only when he felt threatened. Nibbler was good with our other dogs, and really enjoyed dinnertime; he was the head cheerleader for meals.

Cutest Moose in the World!

A moose family was hanging around our house for 2 days, lurking in the trees. The dogs knew that they were there, but I couldn't see them. Finally, they decided to come out of hiding.

One of the calves had an unusual face, thin and llama-like. And he had pink lips! So I named him Pinky. He was very curious about me and came closer and watched me for a while.

His sibling was quite shy and preferred to linger in the trees. (Pinky is on the left.)

Here's Pinky again -- what an odd little moose!

Mom and Pinky decide that they are ready to move on.

The other calf rushes to catch up, he does :)

Michelle Phillips & Paul Geoffrion

Phillips' Leaders

Hugh Neff

Neff's Dogs

Yukon Quest 2006

Ok race fans, for all you folks who just can't get enough of the Yukon Quest, here are pix from last year's race. The race started in Fairbanks last year; I really missed it since it started in Whitehorse this year. Many of the mushers actually stopped for pictures, or slowed down! Not Mackey or Gatt though, they trucked right through. We couldn't even get down the river bank fast enough to get closer to Gatt, he was already gone!

The teams are on the Chena River going thru Fort Wainwright, just coming into North Pole.

Jen Cochran Strikes a Pose

Kyla Boivan

Eric Butcher

Gatt

Mackey

Saul's Dogs

A couple of Saul Turner's dogs. Aren't they beautiful? Note the spreader bars.

Saul Turner

Regina Wykoff

Jennifer Cochran

Suzie

Suzie is our very first dog. We learned everything from her. We got her from a New York shelter when she was a year old, a stray dog. We believe she is a Samoyed mix. She loves the cold and hates the heat.

Suzie is dog aggressive, which makes her very challenging. She needs to have her own space. She also taught us all about separation anxiety, escape artistry, landscaping the yard, and dog proofing the car and home. We took her to a Fiesty Fido class for dog-aggressive dogs, and she was expelled before the second class even began -- the trainer said to "never bring her back here again." Four different trainers there recommended that she be euthanized.

But I had waited, for thirty-odd years, to get a dog...after living with my parents, and in a string of apartments in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and time in the Army. FINALLY we had a house and there was time and room for a dog. So there was no way I was giving up on her.

Suzie has had many adventures over the past 7 years. She's gone to work with me, has been to West Point and numerous other military bases, went camping with us in Illinois, and drove with us across Canada to Alaska, camping along the way (in November temps...the mattress froze!) Suzie has lived in the bush in a cabin; her job was hauling wood on the dogsled. She knows all the mushing commands perfectly, but can't be with another dog!

Suzie has mellowed with time, and is more ladylike now. But she is still as tough as nails. I recently took her to the vet to have a broken tooth removed; she was awake and standing 2 minutes after they reversed the sedative! No one at the hospital had EVER seen a dog do that before.

Gosh It's Cold!

Well. I shouldn't have complained about -20. Now it's -43 below. Cliffie doesn't mind too much though.

BRRR!

Bam Bam is staying in bed! It's -20 below again, actually better than yesterday.

Here are Glacier and Cliffie.