Shower Day

Saturday 27^th September –  3.3 degrees

SHOWER DAY !! 

Just to set the record straight.. shower day does vary. But I don’t get a shower every day. Sometimes it’s one every two day. One every three days. This time around it will be 5 days without a shower. The training cabin has a shower of sorts however one needs to light a fire in order to warm the water that comes from the stream. And to be honest – although it sounds appealing, I don’t have the inclination or time to fiddle about with such fuss. So I go dirty. The autumn training cabin is somewhat remote, it’s 20km to the nearest crossroad and therefore the nearest petrol station / shop. About 1 hours drive to the bosses house, which has the best hot shower north of the Arctic Circle (well I think so at the moment). As the crow flies – it’s not that far. But the fjords need crossing and the only way is to go around. Not that I am complaining, it is spectacular.

Brake malfunction

Friday 26^th Septemeber – 3.8 degrees

Tomorrow is Shower Day !

The training route has had to be altered due to the slippery conditions. So the 10km route is half snowmobile track half road. The dogs ran well – but my hand brake snapped on the 100kg training cart. The remaining front brake is not the most pleasant to use. It’s lock and skids. And a locked and skidding front tyre, gives you little control. Added to this the “alternative” rope knot that I use to hold the cart while I load the dogs on the line; well what can I say…. Did not come loose, so out came the knife to cut me free and get me on my way. Arrraghhhh hump !!

After training I realized that I was still suffering from tiredness….. I am just to do the bare minimum today and hopefully get a couple of hours sleep in the middle of the day….

It’s still raining….

The days are long

Thursday 25^th – 4.08 degrees

Feel very heavy this morning. The teaspoon is heaped with coffee and my soon to be favorite “Viking

(powered) melk” at the ready ! Yesterday was a long cold wet day – up at 6am and sat down for dinner at 10.30pm. Spending most of the time in the tourist camp – making preparation for the upcoming tourist season. Digging trenches for cables and discussing the lay out for the new handlers cabin – but more on that later….

But the upside is more snow has fallen and the mountains surrounding the training cabin have been sprinkled with an icing sugar coating. It’s progressing southwards centimeter by centimeter. The forecast for the weather suggests that rain is on way and on Saturday it will be partially heavy.  

4 teams to train today – puppy walking – yard cleaning etc.

Later in the day ….

It’s been a long day and the least productive since I have started….Our chores to complete is never ending and when you try and fit in irregular tasks in to the already time consuming daily routine, the sheer thought of fitting it all in becomes exhausting. Awake at 6am and to bed at 12.06am with hardly anything to show for it is frustrating.  I am tired. And it shows. 25 days in, with little varation in wake up time and going to bed time. I am slow. Non Productive. Slightly irritable. Clumsy. The rain has been ever present. The yards muddy and I am wet and cold.

6 hours till I need to get up again….

Just like the "ye olde" days

Wednesday 24^th September – 3.3 degrees

I am very aware that with a few more days of minus degrees that the pipes that provide our water from the stream that runs from a mini but glorious waterfall out the back, will freeze. No longer with the outhouse flushing toilet work. The one tap that provides our water for cooking, cleaning and dog food preparation will also be made redundant. When the time comes it will mean a change that will affect me for the next 6 months. It will be the long drop toilet and daily task of collecting water from steams and frozen lakes will become the norm.

Dropping below Zero

Tuesday 23^rd of September – minus 1.4 degrees 

I have thought for many days the best way to start my blog. For many days and oh so many ways…

But when I awoke this morning at 6am to start another training day, and the mercury read minus 1.4 degrees, and snow has started to fall -  I knew that today was the day. 

My Life Subzero begins. 

I have been working since the 1^st of September and the weather has fluctuated dramatically, from minus 1.4 to 17 degrees. Very much affecting when and how we train the dogs. I am in the autumn training camp, where I work 7 days a week to train 45 sled dogs. The days are long. The work physical. But there is no other place I would rather be.