SUGAR TAILS

Some may describe my neck of the woods as colorless. They are so wrong about that! What I see is more polychromatic. If the light hits the land just right it will have the effect of a disco ball bursting with a kaleidoscope of colors. When I travel the nearby trails I see the blue background of the sky and beautiful paintings emerge in my mind. During the change of seasons you will see the Treeline Emerald dragonflies around trees and ponds while the Chickadees chase them looking for a meal. Harlequin ducks seem like court jesters with their red, black, and gray feathers. Hilariously they waddle to and from the shore. The deep pinkish/purple flowers of the Prickly Rose are used for jellies, syrups. The nectar of these wonderful blooms was once used to save miners from scurvy due to its abundance of Vitamin C! Colorless? No way! The magic here is not contained in a water globe on a store shelf with it's white swirls when shaken. It glitters and sparkles for your eye's delight.

Today is the day for relaxing low impact exercise. Going for a walk with my dogs is a treat.

"Janet?" I called out. "

Yeah?" she responded.

"Can you clean and a refill the kennels with fresh hay. I promise I will take over feeding duty when I get back, Okay?"

Janet was looking at me with glee! She recognized a great day for outdoor activity too and was more than happy to help. I grabbed my fishing pole and with a whistle the dogs and I headed towards the lake.  

It was a two mile hike to my favorite spot. Fishing was a great way to stretch out food resources for our furry friends. The soupy gruel we prepare can be mixed with their dry food and helps lessen some of the expense. Their shiny coats and abundance of energy was a sign of their good health. Chuckles was happily aware of where we were heading. He ran past the rest of the pack curiously looked back to make sure we were following before bounding off ahead again. The debris crunching and snapping beneath our feet was rhythmic so I started to hum. The oldest dog, Corporal, heard something in the woods and I nearly tripped over him. His ears perked to the right, his nose went instantly to the ground and just as he was ready to run I yelled out. 

"Whoa, old fella! You are not playing detective today!" After rifling through my gear I found a distracting treat. Without hesitation, Corporal fell back into the pack darting in and out around my legs looking for more. 

The bench I built on the dock was inviting. I looked out across the lake and intended to send my line to the darkest spot hoping to find a school of Dollies. The dogs were scouting the shoreline and settling in. Thelma and Louise were tossing a stick back and forth. Their fluffy white tails swatting the ground in animation making a swirl of confection that looked like sugar sprinkling in the air. All was peaceful as I watched the fog of my breath lift and disappear after a long pleasant sigh. Throughout the day I had several tugs on my line and the cooler filled quickly. With such a great haul, I was sure we had enough to provide the calories the dogs were going to need for next weeks big adventure. It was late evening before we reached home and Janet had the dogs dinner ready.

"You shouldn't have, Hun. But I am glad you did." I said as I hugged her with appreciation. We headed inside and closed the blackout curtains before settling in for the night.

Preparation for the big event sends everyone's pulse racing. I untangle the leads and roll them in a tight bundle tucking it into the duffle bag along with the food bowls and neon green dog booties. The long black trailer has plenty of room and the kennels are filled with fresh hay for the dogs protection during travel. My lead dogs are Corporal and Chuckles. Corporal is a Siberian Husky. His frosty blue eyes were bright against the black mask of his fur. He pants with regal pride of his senior position. His brother, Chuckles, is the clown whose tricks keeps you laughing. He was doing a spinning jump as I reached out for a pet. His goofy smile and tongue hanging out was funniest thing you could imagine! These two pets run side by side and keep the rest of the pups in line on the ominous trails we train on. With a "Gee and a Haw" these smart boys can quickly move on my command pulling my sled at up to 30 mph's on rough terrains, long winding trails and treacherous mountains. Today we're facing a thousand mile trek on a trail well used during the gold rush era. Many miners were buried in avalanches on these trails, many more turned around giving up their hunt for gold (if you're interested in the history of old).

Mushers train over 8 months a year for this race. My beloved pups and I have a strong bond and tough minds that help us survive the tackiest of areas. The word elated does not begin to describe my dogs love of this run. You can feel their euphoria. The energy and freedom is evident as their excitement mounts with sharp barks and an eagerness to get started. Pulling up to the event you could see the mountains lined with trees looking like supernatural beings. The slippery thickness of the rivers hidden inside can overturn the most experienced Musher. Red, yellow, orange, green. The apparel of the other racers were vivid in color compared to the backdrop of grays, browns and whites of the landscape that lay ahead. Everyone was assembling their sleds and/or kindly handling their dogs in anticipation. The joyful barking echoed through out the hills like a call to the wild.

I leaned over Thelma to place her booties on her front paws, as the other canines waited patiently for me to get to each of them. Rosy cheeks and red noses were everywhere. Our race number is 11. After pinning it to my jacket, I rapidly rub my hands together before I slip them back into my gloves. The skis on the bottom of my sled were in position and the leads were unrolled and hooked to the dogs in careful order. I test the brakes and make sure the ice hook was set for use. We are ready! We hope to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race but most are hoping to survive the harsh environment. Instincts are persuaded to daringly dominate and conquer the challenges of the land. A spark deep down in your soul is ignited as you leave civilization behind for the unknown.