Nature's Kennel Sled Dog Racing & Adventures

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Friday, September 10th, 2010

Nature's Kennel

PO Box 5
McMillan, MI 49853
Tel: 1-906-748-0513
Email: info@natureskennel.com

Journals

Adventure Journals

Welcome to our life of adventure! Check out the latest kennel news, stories of your favorite sled dogs, and more!!
For more journal photos, click on the racing photo gallery.

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 THANK YOU Michele for your Lead Dog MMC sponsorship of Onyx! Since you knew him when he was a WILD one year old, I am so pleased that you can still love him today. Onyx, Onyx, Onyx, Onyx........ where to begin. He was a really cute puppy. He was an out of control yearling with out of control brothers. He was an unbelievable two year old sled dog. He was one of my main dogs as a three year old. And he is one of my favorites as a four year old! Onyx does everything a distance sled dog is supposed to do. He loves to run and he loves to eat even more. If he has a fault it would be the fact that he overdrives. He pulls so hard that I worry he is going to shorten his career by injuring himself with his incredibly hard work. It is this work ethic though, as well as his personality, tough feet, good coat, and eating skills, that got him chosen to sire a litter this year. We had him bred to Ayn, who is another one of our overworking, near perfect sled dogs. Together they have two pups, Huckleberry and Gallea. Even with all of the great traits that I have listed above, some people would argue that the most awesome thing thing about Onyx is his tail. In the middle of winter when he is at full plumage it is truly a sight to see! Posted by Ed

Sunday, March 28th, 2010 "Some coaches pray for wisdom. I pray for 260-pound tackles. They'll give me plenty of wisdom." Chuck Noll, retired Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Instead of 260-pound tackles, I will take 55 pound sled dogs that love to smile, lick faces, run really fast, and eat every piece of dog food in sight. That would give me plenty of wisdom. The quote this morning is inspired by Alex and Lauren's Lead Dog Sponsorship of Emmie's Pups. THANK YOU LAUREN AND ALEX!!!! Tasha and I got the thrill of doing our "Pulling Together" program in Pittsburgh Steeler country last spring and were spoiled by Pennsylvania hospitality. It was this visit that led to the naming of the "Steeler Litter" and it was this visit when we met Alex and Lauren. It shows my ignorance, but I had always thought Pennsylvania to be a flat and boringish kind of state. What was I thinking! It is gorgeous! Even going into the big city of Pittsburgh one gets spoiled with the views of a hilly and scenic utopian landscape. Alex and Lauren I can't explain how excited I am for you to get to name the puppies. I just went out and checked on Emmie and there are no puppies yet but her 63rd day of gestation is tomorrow so they should be born any day now. The rumor is that you may keep a seashell theme to the naming of the pups. I really like that! Ed Stielstra with superstar lead dogs, Conch and Sand Dollar! As soon as the pups are born, I will get pictures up on the website to help you out in your naming of these future 55 pound Mighty Mutts. Also, a HUGE THANK YOU TO GRANDMA AND GRANDPA HOGAN! In the photo below from the start of the 2010 Race to the Sky, Clark (the pups father) is on the left and Gimli (the pups uncle) is on the right. Posted by Ed


Saturday, March 27th, 2010 "I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." Martha Washington My rookie Iditarod I made a lot of new friends, one of them being fellow Iditarod musher Karen Land from Montana. Karen was fun to be around at checkpoints because she was always smiling and was super fun around her dogs. It was not too long after that race that I received a call from Karen explaining that she had a litter of dogs and she needed to find them the perfect racing home. Karen explained that all dogs are special but these pups were ultra special to her because they were out of her main lead dog Lolo and she had personally raised them from the day they were born. I was honored that she thought of me. I purchased the dogs but was not able to pick them up until a few months later. When I did I was in for a shock. Every single one of them were pure white! No markings and no way to tell them apart. These were the Presidents and First Ladies. Bill, George, Ladybird, Hoover, Jackie-O, Barbara, Lucy, Maimie, Eleanor, and Martha. It did not take long for the D.C. crew to fit into Nature's Kennel. And it did not take long for us to realize that they were all natural leaders. Hoover was one of Trent Herbst's main leaders during the last two Iditarods and Ladybird and Martha were superstar leaders on Pat Moon's team this year. I was able to go on a training run with Pat Moon's team the week before the race started and was mesmerized by Martha's beautiful trot. It is Martha and the Mighty Mutt Club Sponsorship from Sheri Weisbaum that started this thought this morning. Thank you Sheri, you have sponsored one of the most beautiful dogs in the kennel! In the photo below, Martha is on the right closest to the sled. Posted by Ed


Friday, March 26th, 2010 "What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." --Juliet Something new at Nature's Kennel! With a Lead Dog Mighty Mutt Membership you can choose an entire new litter of puppies to sponsor instead of one of our superstar adult sled dogs. We have offered litter sponships in the past, but this is the first time that we've offered members the opportunity to NAME THE PUPS IN THE LITTER!!! We have four females due in the next two weeks: Emmie x Clark (March 29th), Bruny x Hobo (March 30th), Emerald x Clark (April 4th), and Vixen x Clark (April 10th). So grab some friends, brainstorm some names, and "own" a Nature's Kennel litter. The fine print: We may ask you to rename a pup or pups if the name is inappropriate. For example, some names that would be unacceptable, "National", "Health", "Care". Posted by Ed

Thursday, March 25th, 2010 "I got all I need here." Max from Mad Max 2 We have a dog named Mad Max and the quote from the movie pretty much sums up his attitude about life. He is the happiest dog you could imagine. Everyone loves him. People. Dogs. Everybody! He has finished an Iditarod with Rich Corcoran and has been on my main team for the past two years and you would swear he is still a puppy. In harness he pulls as hard as any dog but as soon as you stop, it is play time again. I love this guy! Max was just selected by Brian Weisbaum and his Mom Sheri for a Mighty Mutt Club sponsorship. This is a special membership as it is in memory of Max Weisbaum their trusted family pet, or should I say family friend. Thank you Brian and Sheri, I trust that your Max is as happy as our Max. Posted by Ed


Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 Another Mighty Mutt Club THANKS! This time to The Carris Family! Mia, I look forward to meeting you and your family in the near future. Hopefully Luke will have an opening in his schedule to come visit Chicago as well. I really like writing these journal entries because I not only truly appreciate the interest and help to our kennel but also I get to write about the dogs that people chose for their Mighty Mutts. The Carris Family chose Luke who most of you know is my go-to "storm leader". In the 2009 Iditarod, Jake Berkowitz and I found ourselves in the middle of a cold and very nasty storm while we were on the Yukon River. Our two teams took turns breaking trail. This was incredibly challenging for the lead dogs because the snow had drifted over the trail and the dogs were running right into a gusting head wind with windchill temps that were off of the charts. When it was Jake's team turn to lead, he was depending on a superstar dog named June who he had borrowed from Jim Lanier. When it was my team's turn to lead, Luke was my man. He never hesistated, nor veered off of the trail. He was business. Thank you again Mia and family, and a very wise choice in your selection of Luke! Posted by Ed

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010 THANK YOU PPGI! Performance Promotions Group is our first Lead Dog Mighty Mutt Club Member of the year. They chose Caullie as their athlete of choice and one that I love. Caullie finished Iditarod with Trent in 2009 and then was one of Pat Moon's main leaders in Iditarod 2010. Her superstar sister, Rhu, usually steals the show but I think Caullie's abilities are catching up every season (she is in lead in the photo below). I look forward to having Caullie in my team for the 2011 race season because she is one of the sweetest dogs you could ever imagine. She makes great eye contact, will "wave" at you as you approach, and then burrow her face into your chest while you pet her. THANK YOU again Donna, Terri, Darleen, Amanda, Gary, and Brian! Posted by Ed


Monday, March 22nd, 2010 I received a nice long messege from Trent and all is great in Nome! Here are some excerpts: Hoover- awesome leader Tuuli- have her bred Krister- flawless health Crazy- ate well and is fat Uke- ate well and would be the first to get up and chew up everything Banjo- great up the coast Fiddle- best of the music litter Judge- pleasant surprise....ran well, ate well Cupid- strong headed to the finish Sled- No breakage! This years sled was Awesome and next years might even be better! Trail- Steps and gorge were the easiest ever. A smooth highway. No trenches like we usually have. Overflow only on the last day. Lack of snow in the burn was minimal. The glacier was over before I knew I was on it. There was snow on the Farewell Lakes and snow in the Blueberry Hills. The hardest part of the trail was from Safety to Nome. Trent said he had a lot of fun running with Chris Adtkins. (I had met Chris for the first time while out in Montana in February and was pleased to see Chris completing his Iditardo dream this year.) THANK YOU TRENT for taking such great care of our future! Posted by Ed


Sunday, March 21st, 2010 WE HAVE A WINNER! The 2010 NK Iditarod Fantasy Mushing Trophy goes to .................................. Craig Adams! Craig ended up with 838 points, just edging out Jon Brown who finished in second with 823. Thanks to all of you for playing and please e-mail suggestions on how we can make it even bigger and better next year( edstielstra@yahoo.com ). Just a quick bit of advice for next year, don't forget to choose "Ed Stielstra" because he will be in the race. Posted by Ed

Saturday, March 20th, 2010 Trent will be coming into Nome any minute! His team is still cruising and www.iditarod.com shows that he still has 11 dogs in his team. Hopefully he will call us from Nome in the next few days and we can get a report on who finished and how they are doing. We know that Jekyl, Onyx and Crazy are three of the dogs that have been dropped but we have not heard about the last two yet. Also, I can't wait to hear the stories of Trent's sled. Just like last year, Trent's students built his race sled for him. They are fourth graders! Posted by Ed


Thursday, March 18th, 2010 THANK YOU SQUARE ONE! You have kicked off our Mighty Mutt Club with a smart choice in your support of Ladybird. Ladybird led Pat Moon's team in both the ceremonial start and the re-start in this years Iditarod and I expect her to be leading for Ryne or myself next year. Thank you Michael! Upon request, we have added the "Lead Dog" membership option to the Mighty Mutt Club again this year. One of the benefits of the Lead Dog membership is an Iditarod poster signed by all of the 2011 finishing Iditarod mushers. Getting the autographs is one of Tasha's jobs in Nome so please sign up to keep her busy because the new baby has been too easy. Posted by Ed


Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 Some of you have asked for more pictures of Nate so how is this one. Nate is the one that looks like a human. Momo is the one that looks like a dog (even though she acts more like a human at this point). The big question, which one is cuter? Posted by Ed


Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 Tasha, Nate, and I made it home safe and sound from the hospital yesterday. Considering the amazing miracle of childbirth, it was uneventful for the most part. Most of that is due to the fact that Tasha is just plain amazing! Momo, TC, Hedgie, and Sam gave us a very warm greeting which was so nice. This was in sharp contrast to our three baby-phobic Guides who kept their distance from the little human creature. Don't worry girls, getting pregnant is not contagious. Trent is still cruising right along the Iditarod trail with 14 dogs and very nice run times. I still have not heard anything from the trail but I am excited to find out who has been running lead along the way. Thanks to Tim and Lynne for spoiling some of our dogs and taking them up to Calumet, Michigan to compete in the 1st annual Copper Dog Sled Dog Race! Even with this crazy warm weather, they had fun and are hoping to return to the race again next year. By the way, it was 61 degrees at the kennel today. That was actual temp, not in the sunshine! Posted by Ed

Monday, March 15th, 2010 With this unexpected onset of warm weather signaling the end of an amazing winter, most of you are excited for summer. Us here at the kennel are preparing for and getting excited for next winter (as well as finishing off this season with a flurry, hopefully a snow flurry). Therefore, I thought it never too early to start advertising for Guides for the 2010-2011 season. I also included a description of the new "handler" position that we will have available as well. If you are interested in joining the team with Maliko, Ryne, Tasha, and I please send an e-mail (info@natureskennel.com) or give us a call 906-748-0513. We are also looking for a "puppy person" for the summer. The position will provide room and board along with some spending money in exchange for taking care of our puppies during the summer. We are hoping for several litters so this position will require somebody that REALLY loves puppies! Help Wanted Nature’s Kennel Guides We are looking for hard working, motivated dog people to assist in training sled dogs, guiding dog sledding tours, entertaining guests on overnight adventures and giving dog sled rides at a prestigious ski resort. Our kennel is very remote, located eight miles from a paved road, fifteen miles from “town”, and five miles from the power grid and phone line. This is certainly a place to get away from it all. If you feel the need to be constantly “connected” via cell phone and computer, this is not the place for you. However, if you are a can-do person, who loves the outdoors, working with dogs, taking on new challenges, and meeting new people, this is a great adventure for you. Here’s some of what you can expect as a guide: • Feeding, watering and “scooping” (yes, that means cleaning up dog poop) for the 16-24 dogs you are responsible for in the mornings and evenings. • Running dogs with the four-wheeler (in the fall) or the sled (in winter). Depending on the time of the season, this could be a short 3 mile run in September to a longer 30-40 mile run in January or February. • In the fall, since it can be somewhat warm for running dogs in the afternoons, we work on projects around the property which can include things from repairing equipment, light construction projects, camp preparation for tours, etc. • You will also be expected to chip in with the chores in shared spaces and camp such as doing dishes, chopping/hauling firewood, and cleaning. • You will need to help with snow removal and trail grooming. We get nearly 300 inches of snow, so you will be come very proficient with our snowmobile and our tractor with the snowblower! • Once winter tours begin, you will be host, tour guide and trail guide for winter tour guests. Check out our winter adventures page for more details on the tours you will be guiding. This is the most challenging yet rewarding aspect of the position! • You can expect change…no two days are the same, and plans can change quickly. Tour guests, the weather, and dogs, are all factors that may effect even the best laid plans. You will need to be flexible! • Guides are expected to help with puppy training and socialization. • You can also expect to fall in love with many of the dogs on your team, change the lives of guests on your tours, and to have a new appreciation of winter. Guide positions run from September 1st through May 1st. Wages, tips, and room and board are provided. Our guide housing is warm and rustic and is a shared living space with both males and females. There will be the possibility of living without running water. You will receive scheduled days off. However, you will be expected to work all winter holidays. You may receive Christmas Day off, but do not expect to be able to leave for an extended time over the holidays as it is our busiest time of the season. We have poor cell phone service, but do have a cell phone booster in our home for emergency and short phone calls. We have wireless satellite internet in our home, but if you’d like to use the internet yourself, you will need a laptop. Phone and computer usage is limited to certain hours of the week. Our lives, especially in the winter months, revolve around the dogs. Just about everything we do in the winter is about dogs, for dogs, or related to dogs. Sled dogs or something relating to sled dogs will be the topic of most conversations. We have very high standards of dog care and expect the same from our guides. Much of our time in the fall includes training, of both humans and dogs, our expectations and training methods. We set very high expectations for ourselves, our dogs, and our staff. This will most likely be the hardest, yet most rewarding, adventure you will embark upon. If you are still interested in this amazing winter adventure, give us a call at 906-748-0513 with any questions. Otherwise, e-mail your resume with three references to info@natureskennel.com. Help Wanted Nature’s Kennel Handler We are looking for a person interested in assisting Nature’s Kennel race teams with all tasks from fall training, winter training, racing, and spring clean up. Interest in dog care and maintenance is a must, though no previous experience is required. A handler must love dogs, be physically fit (capable of lifting at least 65 lbs or a dog into a dog box), be clean and presentable, capable of updating the website with photos and journal entries, and be a MORNING PERSON. Your tasks will vary depending on the time of year. In the fall your responsibilities include but are not limited to: Meeting and getting to know all dogs Assisting in training the dogs on ATVs Helping with tasks around the kennel During winter training, a handler can expect to be responsible for preparing for races, which includes: Slicing meat Packing gear Caring for dogs at the kennel and on the road Driving a truck and large trailer There is no guarantee that you will be running dogs during the winter months. At races, you will be responsible for: Driving truck and trailer to checkpoints Preparing for teams’ arrivals at checkpoints Parking spot ready, sheltered (if possible) Meat, water, and straw easily accessible to musher Sitting with musher while eating Making sure musher sleeps and wakes up at appropriate times Watching dogs while musher sleeps During the races, all traveling expenses are covered while supporting our racing for two months along the West Coast in states such as Montana, California, and Alaska. In addition, you will have the opportunity to stay in Alaska during the month of March caring for extra and potentially dropped dogs during the Iditarod. A handler is needed from September 1^st through May 1^st. You will receive room, board, and two months of free travel, but it is not a paid position. If you are still interested in this amazing winter opportunity, give us a call at 906-748-0513 with any questions. Otherwise, e-mail your resume with three references to info@natureskennel.com. Posted by Ed

Sunday, March 14th, 2010 I promise that all the Nature's Kennel entries from here on out will not be about baby Nate, but I've been confined to the hospital, so I don't have much other news to report. My parents made the drive up from Belding (near Grand Rapids, 7 hours away) as they could not resist the fact that a grandchild was out there somewhere without them! Ed headed back to the kennel yesterday to do some work and get a good night's sleep (or at least he had hoped to...Jake called with dog reports from Alaska and Momo was barking to wake him up early). Nate and I made it through the night together and I decided that one night as a single parent was enough. He is able to go to the nursery after 11:30 pm for most of the night, but he was really out of sorts and had a hard time settling in the evening and calming down to be fed. So, after watching a few other content babies suck on pacifiers near the nurse's station, grandma pulled through and brought out one for Nate, and now he's a much happier baby. Ed came back this evening for dinner and then will stay to take us home in the morning. I'm very anxious to get back out into the sunshine (something that never happens up here in March) and a bit nervous to be on our own! However, Momo, Tasha Canine and Hedgie are all experienced mothers, so I'm sure we'll do just fine. The Alaskan crew is doing great. Trent is moving along great with 14 dogs. He dropped Jekyl a few days ago and most recently Onyx. Pat's team is up at Sheep Mountain with Jake and Ann-Jeanette Steer. Ann-Jeanette has been running the dogs this week with a Becoming an Outdoors Woman program. I'm sure those dogs are thinking this has been the best Iditarod ever...a trip to Alaska, a short run on the Iditarod Trail, a flight in an airplane, and now a vacation at Sheep Mountain Lodge with the ladies and Jake! Ed is the talk of the maternity ward, how he's here to deliver the baby when he is supposed to be out on the Iditarod trail. What a guy. Posted by Tasha


Friday, March 12th, 2010 IT'S A BOY! About 10:30 last night Tasha's water broke so we headed off for Marquette. The hospital is located about two hours from where we live so all season long we have been concerned about the drive. We were sure that the baby would wait for a big blizzard or freezing rain to make his appearance. But instead, we had a beautiful relaxing drive over. Warm, dry roads, no traffic and only mild contractions. Once at the hospital we soon discovered that the little fella was pointing the wrong way. He was trying to stand up to get a better look instead of taking a dive. The staff here at the hospital immediately prepped Tasha for surgery and at 3:52 a.m. Nate Stielstra came into this world at 7 pounds 4 ounces. He has sparse redish/blond hair, all of his toes and fingers, and is much more alert than I thought he would be at this point in his life. Tasha is doing great too! She is holding Nate as I write this and wants me to add that she, no we, are so glad that I am not somewhere out on the Iditarod trail hearing the news. Tasha has been resting comfortably. I was amused that her major concern with the c-section, after the babies health of course, was how soon before she could be active. The doctors were direct in that there will be no food bucket carrying in her near future. Posted by Ed


Thursday, March 11th, 2010 Tasha spoke with Pat today and all of the dogs from his team are now in Anchorage and are happy and healthy. Pat has been greeting the dogs upon their arrival, as I am sure that he misses them as much as us. Bruce is taking the dogs tonight and then Jake is pitching in and will be keeping the dogs at Sheep Mountain Lodge until the race is over. THANK YOU JAKE! THANK YOU BRUCE! We still do not have any direct report from Trent and his team. His run times look great! Iditarod.com shows that Trent has dropped another dog but we do not know which dog yet. It appears that Trent is taking his 24 hour rest so hopefully he will give us a call during his long break. In kennel news, we are loving the warm weather and trying to take advantage of it to get a lot of projects done. Overnight adventures and mini-drives are still going in full swing and the trail is holding up surprisingly well. Ayn's pups are filling up with good food and she is a very relaxed first time Mom. Tasha human is still pregnant and still soooo full of life. Our neighbor Jim Haibach is up visiting from Pennsylvania and has been helping add a little fun to the circus. Posted by Ed

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 2:30 p.m. I just talked with Pat. He is out of the hospital and without long term damage but is banged up and disappointed in the outcome. He did know that all of the dogs are in good health but they may stay in Rohn for awhile due to logistics. This is not anything to worry about though because there are trained staff at the checkpoint as well as Veterinarians. In fact, Steph, one of our past tour guests, is a volunteer at the checkpoint and I am sure that she will spoil them in every way possible. Posted by Ed

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 The only update we have on the Iditarod is that Pat has been released from the hospital and fortuneately has no internal or lasting injuries. We will keep you updated. On a side note on the home front, Ayn has just started having her puppies. There are two born so far and we are checking on her hourly. We will sneak some pictures on the next check and get them posted. Onyx is the proud father. Well, maybe not proud because he is a dog and he could probably care less since he is out on the Iditarod trail with Trent right now, but he is the father. The theme of the litter is going to be things related to the Race to the Sky. Ryne and I had such a great time and were spoiled by the Montana hospitality that we thought it was the least we could do to thank everyone involved. Photos: 11:15 a.m. Ayn and her two pups; Huckleberry (male), Gallea (female). Close-up is of Huckleberry. Posted by Ed


Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 We are sad to report that Pat is out of the Iditarod. We are still not sure of all of the details but we believe that somewhere between Rainy Pass and Rohn Pat got knocked out when he crashed on his sled. The information we have at this time points to Sam Deltour as the one who found Pat, helped him, and then got our dogs to the Rohn checkpoint safely. Melanie, Pat's wife, has talked to Pat and he is OK but is being checked over as a precaution. The race marshall talked with me tonight and according to his contact in Rohn said my dogs are all OK. As we get more 100% reliable information we will pass it along. Posted by Ed

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 Just a quick update from Detroit Metro Airport as Ryne and I are almost home. Pat Moon is doing great! He arrived into Rainy Pass last night less than 1/2 hour off the schedule that I made for him. It appears that he still has all of his dogs running in his team and he looks great. Iditarod.com posted a video of Pat in Finger Lake and he was his normal checkpoint smiling self. Hopefully we can get more information about Pat and Trent soon. As soon as we do we will share it with you. A HUGE THANKS to Cliff Henning and Ryne for all of the help this past week! It would have been a lot of work without them but with them it was a lot of fun. Also, HUGE THANKS to Bruce and Debbie Pearson for taking care of the dropped dogs during the race! Thanks to you Bruce and Debbie I will be home for the new arrival. Posted by Ed


Monday, March 8th, 2010 A quick summary of yesterday's events: Pat Moon left 17th yesterday with 15 dogs: leaders Rhu and Lady Bird; Luke and Hera in swing; team dogs Lumber, Kar, Jasper, Juneau, Gus, Prancer, Caullie, Sprout, and Prancer; and wheel dogs Martha and Arlo. Trent Herbst and sixteen dogs left awhile later in 60th position. With Trent were the excitable instrument puppies Banjo, Uke, and Fiddle; freedom fighters Wallace, Flynt, Crazy, Krister, and Judge; veterans Onyx, Cupid, Hoover, and Alaska; newbies Tuuli and Jekyl; and Zack Steer dogs Dasher and Gluttony. It was hard to tell if Trent's fourth grade helpers or the young canine racers were more fired up! Hoover and Gluttony lead this rambunctious bunch. Ed's two cents about the Iditarod so far: It will once again be a fascinating Iditarod to watch. There are a few teams that may start the race running even longer (and slower) and resting even less. This has been the trend the past few years and I predict it will get even more exaggerated this year. A few of the teams that may really push the front of the pack right from the start are; Sebastion, John Baker, Hans Gatt, and Lance. I spoke with a few of the favorites about their race plans and they all were just waiting to see what mother nature was going to throw at them. It has been very warm up here which could mean a punchy slow trail or if the temp dropped below freezing, it could mean an incredibly hard and fast trail. Sorry to sound so wishy-washy but we will all know more very soon. I did not see every team at the restart yesterday but two teams that really impressed me were being driven by Lance and Zack Steer. Both teams, even though they were coming off tough run/rest schedules in the Yukon Quest, were animated yet focused. One thing that I do know for sure about the Iditarod.... I can't wait for Iditarod 2011. Ryne will also be racing in the Iditarod next year and we are so jazzed that we have used all of our free time this past week working on our estimated expenses, schedules, and business partnership packages. We have an amazing group of dogs to work as we will be combining Pat's Iditarod team, Trent's Iditarod team, Ryne's qualifying team, and a few of Sam's team from this year. I hope summer goes by fast! Posted by Ed




Sunday, March 7th, 2010 We've been enjoying the Michigan sunshine this week! The trails ere are still in great shape, the girls are finishing up the last weekend at Boyne, and mom and dad are keeping all of us at home under control. Dad did some meat slicing this morning and had a few helpers to load the freezer. Dent just cound not contain himself and kept trying to pull the full blocks out as dad put them in. Ayn and I had a pregnancy photo shoot in the kennel nursery. Ayn is one of Tasha Canine's puppies, born two years ago on my birthday. She is one of our superstars, finishing the Iditarod with Trent last year at under two years old. She is due March 14th...so we could end up with puppies and a baby on the same date! It's kind of hard to tell how really big we both are. However, I think we are both ready to be un-pregnant. Ahh...to only have a 66 days of gestation! Posted by Tasha


Saturday, March 6th, 2010 What a great day! The dogs did perfect, Pat was happy and calm, Claudia was the always smiling Iditarider, Cliff and Ryne had the handling under control, Dave drove the second sled with the skill of a veteran, and the crew from Richards Excavating ran with the team (a very long way) up to the starting line while I rode. The pictures say it all: Posted by Ed




Saturday, March 6th, 2010 Today is the big day! The ceremonial start for Pat and Trent's Iditarods! Before that all gets started though, I really want to share some photos of last nights 5th annual Iditarod Open House hosted by Bonnie and Jim Foster. It was great to be around such mushing celebrities as Sebastion, Hans, Libby, Lee/Claudia, Mike, Eric, Bill/Brenda and others. Thank you Bonnie and Jim!!!!! We really enjoy how warm you welcome us mushers from Outside. I am already looking forward to visiting with you again next year! Posted by Ed

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