Marshmallow anyone ?

Tuesday 15^th October 0.4 degrees 

Everything has been coated with a wonderful sprinkling of icing sugar loveliness. Yesterday the woods which have now been striped of their autumn leaves, stood bleak, naked against a black steel horizon. But today well it’s all brand new

The path is slightly padded with the snow. It is also somewhat slippery in places. With cart wheels locking and skidding, the small downhill become a process of lock and release. Lock and release. Not that dissimilar to try to do skids on a BMX.  

The hay bales standing in the field, which have been sealed in a white plastic look like giant marshmallows, with the overnight snow softening the edges.

Commitment Day – 102 Sleeps

Monday 14^th October     minus 8.4 degrees ! 

I have registered for my first competition. 60km therefore 4 – 5 hours of sledding – weather depending of course. It’s a big event which goes over Australia Day Weekend. Perhaps it’s a bit early in my learning curve – but I at least have something to aim for. Just for the recorded – I am not interested in breaking any records. For me – it’s about working with the dogs and enjoying the experience. First and foremost the dogs health and well being is paramount. If I can finish with fit and healthy dogs – then we are all winners. Only 102 more sleeps.

Training cancelled today.

It has been quite cold during the last few nights which has frozen the ground. On one hand this is good but on the other this is bad, Good because the frozen ground provides a seal. So when the snow comes – it gathers on the top and therefore starts the first layer instead of seeping into the ground, making it wet and mushy. The bad side. The dogs paws, tendons and muscles can be injured when the ground is so hard.

 Come 7pm the snow starts to fall. 

Day Off – Humans and dogs rest

Sunday 12^th October Day 

I found my thermometer!!

Training has been continuing for the past few days as normal.

At this time of the season we go out with 3 teams. A team of 12 which runs in front of a quad bike and the rest of the teams, are trained with the carts. On the carts one can have a maximum of 8 dogs. Any more and it is impossible to stop them (well at least in my case anyway)

The new track is dirt road with a top layer of stones. The rest of the path goes though a quaint wooded area, where I am sure I could spot Hansel and Gretel’s ginger bread trail. There is a small creek crossing with is a great place to stop for the dogs to get a drink. The turning point mid way into the training is an open field. This sometimes can be difficult because the following teams (they are the teams which follow the quad bike team) like to cut corners and start turning when they see the leading team turn.

An extra person ie someone not driving – becomes a must have. They are free to help out when turning or when other issues arise.

Just like people – the dogs have different levels of fitness. So it is important to group the dogs together that are about the same. There are many reasons for this variation. Older dogs, dogs returning from injury, also bigger dogs generally have to work harder as they carry more weight. There are other factors when putting a team together – but I will save this for another time.

Stepping back in time

Wednesday 8^th October

We headed back to the autumn training cabin today to clean… it was so quiet without the dogs there…. I took a moment to record some 1940’s Norwegian Summer House décor. Which I personally think makes all the difference to this unique place.  Enjoy…

The worlds smallest ceiling fan (note the tea bag for size reference). Just perfect for the hot Norwegian summers.

And a brief goodbye visit to the "Tree of Wisdom"

Time Moves so Fast

Tuesday 7^th October

With the autumn season so brief but brilliant, I would like to share the last of the Autumn moments. 

Where has the week gone? So much has happened and I have had no time for myself.

We have left the Autumn Training camp and moved up to the winter camp. All 52 dogs are settling into their new home for the next six and a half months. It has been a very busy week. Preparing the new dog boxes and cages for the new arrivals. Moving all my belongings into our new cabin – which we have rightly called the “Hillton”. But more on the new cabin later. We have welcomed our first guests, which ended in an invite to Cape Town…. If this holds up I should be a right jet setter in the summer……Training with the carts continues – so new routes and river crossings to master !!

Autumn Images

Thursday 2nd October

Time for some Autumn Images

Moose/Elk Hunting Season

Tuesday 30th September

The woods are full of hunters. Strangely dressed people walking out of the woods with guns. Moose/Elk hunting season started 25^th of September and continues for a month or until the quota is achieved. Each region is dissected and a moose/elk count is completed by various government agencies. From which a quota or kill count is determined. Tepee tents with groups of hunters pop up in idyllic landscapes. But a moose/elk hunter is not a hunter without Elghund (Elk Hound) An ancient Northern Spitz-type breed which in the National dog of Norway. A stocky, strong willed herder and guardian.

The fashions’ of the hunter is an oddball mix of camouflage and fluro fabric with serves as both a disappearing and reappearing act. Camouflage to hide from the prey and fluro to avoid being shot by your fellow hunters.

Now, I don’t have an opinion on the ethical treatment, either for the for’s or against. I am just reporting the goings on of my local environment….    

The First Sickness

Saturday 27^th (afternoon) ….

Upset stomach episode… Well I suppose it was to happen at some point. Mind you last season I did not get sick until February which is 6 months into the season. This year it has struck early, 4 weeks in to be exact. It’s a combination of lack of hygiene, the weather, poor diet and seer exhaustion. I can explain all three.

Lack of hygiene: I do have gloves for feeding and separate ones for picking poo and all the yucky jobs. Then disposable gloves for delicate jobs as separating dog meat and applying medicines and lotions. Hand sanitizer in the toilet and hand soap in the cabin. That is clear. But it’s the time between switching gloves and the gloves off gloves on that is the issue. I have to learn early – that it is important to not touch your face, not swip your dry lips;

not to rub your eyes. The hands and the face should not be friends during these times

Weather : Due to the constant rain fall – there is mud everywhere, sticking to everything and getting everywhere. Any dry day helps but at the end of the day the mud does not help when trying not to spread gems

Poor Diet: Oh I eat – that is for sure – but I need to go for the healthier options of multi grain bread instead of my favorite “Polar Bread” which I am sure is a mixer of SUGAR and flour – and that is just the start

Seer exhaustion: Don’t get me wrong when I work I work hard. However I am facing so many new situations in this job. Firstly I had a pretty lazy 3 months off before I arrived here. So physically I am not at my peak. Meeting new people. Learning to switch off when hearing ongoing Norwegian : ) Meeting and getting to know all the dogs. Learning new routines, new ways to work with the dogs. Learning to drive the dogs on a daily basis compared to once every 10 days (as per last season) Driving cars on the other side of the road. The colder weather – as I have come from a tropical north Queensland winter – which average I think about 24 degrees. In fact the over exposure to all these new things although exciting, has 

an unpleasant side effect. You are so focused on absorbing everything that you forget the most basic functions; and that in itself is frustrating..