Puppies in a Basket!

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Last night I went over to SP Kennel to visit with the Izzy x Supai offspring. They’re almost five weeks old now and are motoring all over the place! They go by names like “the Big Fat Boy” or “Tiny Black Girl” or “Shy Brown Girl” or… you get the picture. Aliy and Allen will make their first two picks, and then I’ll have a chance to select two puppies. I know a lot of breeders and mushers have specific personality traits or conformation that they’re looking for (and I should probably do the same), but my 5-year-old inner child comes out and says, “Oooo that puppy is cute!” And there you have it. While good conformation is important, I think it’s the heart of a sled dog that matters more, and there’s no way you can tell that at such a young age.

While I don’t have photos of Scarpa and Petzl, they’re sassy as ever. They’ve mastered the “sit” command, which I’ve found very useful. I had never taught sled dogs “sit,” but one day, my friend Mari at ATAO Kennel said she had taught every single one of her sled dogs how to sit. While sitting in a race isn’t particularly important, knowing “sit” is just one more way you can connect with a dog, and it’s a perfect way to get puppies to focus. At least for half a second. So thanks for the inspiration Mari- I now want every puppy to learn to sit! And Scarpa and Petzl are masters at it. Well, at least for five seconds :)

Cabin Construction Continued

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The Wood Stove!

We’ve had a few chilly nights (4F yesterday morning!), so it’s kicked our cabin construction into overdrive! When temperatures start to drop that low, it means the ground is freezing, and any projects that involve dirt work better be about finished. Luckily, Derek finished connecting our water just in time! If you recall from last fall, we pounded a well next to the cabin. The well has supplied us with water all summer and fall, but it hasn’t been connected to the cabin itself. A submersible pump propelled water out of a hose at the top of the well casing, which meant that when temperatures drop below freezing, the hose was pretty much guaranteed to freeze. To connect the cabin to the well, we dug a three-foot trench, cut a hole in well casing, and connected the pump to a pipe going to the cabin. We then insulated the pipe to keep it from freezing in the winter. And truthfully, when I say “we,” I mostly mean Derek. I occasionally gave a hand, but most the time, I was busy running dogs or doing kennel work! I’m continually impressed by Derek’s can-do attitude and patience when tackling these projects with which we have zero prior experience!

Yesterday’s focus was installing our wood stove. We purchased a super efficient, 12-14 hour burn-time wood stove. The stove even has a filter to make the smoke “cleaner!” Air pollution in the winter is a major problem for the Fairbanks North Pole region because many homes heat with wood or coal, and the smoke sits in the valley. Two Rivers doesn’t have the same issue, but we figured we might as well get as fuel efficient of a stove as possible. Plus, it’s nice to sleep through the whole night and not have to wake up to restock the stove :)

The stove is located on the first floor of the cabin, so it was a bit nerve-wracking cutting through our second floor and then the roof to install the stove pipe! After several hours, Derek and I got to enjoy the warm and comforting glow of a fire in our new wood stove!

I promise to write a dog update here soon! The adults have been training 4-5 days a week and are LOVING the cooler weather. The yearlings are doing shorter miles and learning the routine. They, too, are looking strong! Thank you to all of this year’s dog sponsors. Our new dog sponsor gear has just arrived, so stay tuned for the latest Ryno gear!

Insulating the pipe from the house to the well.

Eagle Visit

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Over the past few days, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Eagle and boat seven miles down the Yukon River to visit with Matt Hall’s parents, Wayne and Scarlett, in their beautiful, remote home. Wayne and Scarlett live a truly subsistence lifestyle. Their property can only be accessed by bush plane (there is a large gravel bar near their house), dog team in the winter, or boat in the summer. Every summer, they put a fish wheel into the Yukon to catch anywhere from 4,000-5,000 Chum salmon to feed their sled dogs. Several years ago, Wayne ran the Yukon Quest; however, now Scarlett and Wayne own and operate Bush Alaska Expeditions, a remote dog touring business that offers the real deal.

Tyler, Matt, and I drove to Eagle (about an 8-10 hour drive depending on road conditions). We combined it with a trip to Delta to grab our winter’s supply of straw for our kennels. Once we arrived in the small community of Eagle (population 65ish), Wayne and their handler, Greg, picked us, and we took their boat downriver to their homestead. You might recognize the city of Eagle, Alaska as a checkpoint in the Yukon Quest. While the Taylor Highway does go to Eagle, it isn’t maintained during the winter months, so a section of the Yukon Quest trail travels on the Taylor Highway, up and over American Summit, and down into Eagle. From there, the Quest trail goes up the Yukon River to Circle, where it once again gets on the road system. Even though I’ve been to Eagle before, I had never seen it in the summertime. American Summit was known for blizzards, wind drifts, and terrifying conditions, and Eagle was a sleepy little community right on the banks of the frozen Yukon River. It was incredible to see all that country in a different season. The town of Eagle was still quiet and easy-going, but wow- American Summit and the Yukon River are TOTALLY different! It’s hard to believe so much water is rushing under our feet as we mush along the frozen Yukon. Or that American Summit actually has a graded road winding up its summit instead of side-hilling wind drifts and sloping glaciers.

While at Scarlett and Wayne’s house, we helped them move their fish wheel across the Yukon River and stage it in preparation for it to be hauled up the bank and stored for the winter. Moving the fish wheel across the Yukon can be a challenging task. If the fish wheel starts to drift too far with the current or turn crosswise to the current, it can result in disaster. Luckily, Wayne expertly pushed the fish wheel across the river and landed it perfectly in an eddy where it would sit until they haul it on land. After that, Matt showed us around the cabin, taking us grayling fishing, up a cliff to a falcon nest, and around the slough. He shared with us stories from his childhood and growing up in bush Alaska. What an incredible way of life! A big thank you to the Halls for letting me sleep on your floor for a couple nights and giving me a little glimpse into your world!

The view from Scarlett and Wayne’s house.

The view from a cliff overlooking the Yukon River.

The Hall’s fish wheel.

The Hall’s home, complete with old dogs waiting to be let inside.

We're Married!

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On March 23rd, Derek and I were married by close friends (Moore/Zirkle clan) who are basically family. On September 23rd (6 months later), we had a big party to celebrate! All my family flew up for the festivities (Mom, Dad, Nick, Cass, and Tom) as well as Derek’s parents (Rick and Sue). What they thought would be a vacation turned into a “work-cation” as they eagerly…or supportively rather… helped us to hang sheet rock in the upstairs and bathroom of the house. Not only that, but my mom and Cass single-handedly planned the party (I’m not much of a party planner). Even though it rained their entire visit, unpleasant weather can’t dampen this family’s spirit! They made our party an evening to remember. Good friend Amanda Brooks took our group photos as well as made that impressive cake!!

A big thank you to all the friends and family who came to help us celebrate!

Olsons and Pattons

Early Season Update

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A couple free loaders on our run!

After a few weeks of fall training, all the dogs are looking amazing! I may be biased, but I’d say they’re the best dogs out there! Here’s a short blurb about each ADULT athlete’s performance so far this season. I’ll be doing another blog post updating everyone on the yearlings’ performances as well as the retired athletes.

Amelia- She’s looking strong and focused. Amelia is one who moderately enjoys human contact, but prefers to hang with her canine buddies. I don’t think she particularly cares if I’m on the team or if it’s some other human. She’s a great eater and works hard, so if she maintains focus, she’ll be vying for a spot in the A Team.

Badger- Badger has Perm’s limitless energy. With his thick coat and good appetite, I think he’ll mature into a fantastic Quest athlete. He has a tough head and leads occasionally in training. Badger is looking strong so far this season, so if he maintains his weight (youngsters can have a hard time keeping weight on), he’ll be right in there with the core team.

Boone- Boone is sassy and jazzed for training. I love the energy she brings to a team. She made the Quest team last year and was one of the remaining athletes when we ended our race early in Circle, but her finicky appetite in cold weather is never a good trait when racing the Quest. Each year she seems to get a stronger appetite and hold weight better, so there’s certainly a chance she’ll be on the Quest team! Boone is a mainstay on the CB team, having run the race the last three years.

Cartel- Cartel is looking excellent. While running, Cartel normally either “power trots” or “ditzy lopes.” When Cartel is in the zone, she has a hard driving, authoritative trot. When Cartel is pulling but at 1/2 strength, she does what I call a “ditzy lope.” The ditzy lope is fine and still keeps us moving down the trail, but the power trot is something to write home about, and Cartel has been in 100% power trot mode. I hope she keeps that all season!

CJ- CJ is a little chunky coming off her summer hibernation, but that’s not slowing her down. She’s been training farther back in the team, normally with Yuker, just because she’s one of the few that won’t put up with Yuker’s antics. CJ is trail-hardened and proven, so she feels no need to brag and flaunt her athleticism like some of the youngsters. CJ used to be the troublemaker, but she’s starting to settle down and relax a bit.

Cooke- I’m really excited about this two-year-old. Cooke has been leading a lot, picks up commands, and has non-stop energy (almost to a fault). Because he’s always moving, it’s near impossible to keep weight on Cooke. If Cooke doesn’t make the A-Team this year, it will be for his exceptionally high metabolism. His drive, focus, and gait are perfect.

Crunch- Goofy Crunch. He’s doing great in training and makes sure we don’t forget our sense of humor. He’s playful and happy. Crunch gets a little too worked up during harnessing and can overheat before we leave the yard, but normally once we go through some puddles he’s good to go. Crunch also struggles to poop on the move, so we stop the whole team for him.

Drake- Drake is READY! He had a boring summer on the injury reserve list. At the end of last year’s Quest, Drake had a swollen Achilles and was prescribed months of rest. No sprinting, no running, no jumping- the poor guy! He’s back in training and seems to be doing well. He has another vet appointment scheduled for an ultrasound to check on the status of his injury. Fingers crossed Drake is good to go!

Elmer- Elmer is doing exceptional. He leads regularly, though he has a stubborn streak and likes to question my directional commands occasionally. Elmer is not a fan of water, so the enormous puddles we cross in training have been good practice. Elmer is very sweet and trots along just like his mom Crazy. Hopefully he has her Iditarod Champion endurance! Like several of the two-year-olds, if Elmer holds his weight, he’ll be in contention for the A-Team.

Ewok- Ewok has been leading often in training. She’s a bit of an airhead, so when she’s up front, it is mostly for her speed and drive. I have to run her up front with someone like Lefty, Goblin, or Katy to make sure she’s moving in the right direction. I like her energy and enthusiasm, so I hope to work with her in lead more this winter. Maybe by the end she’ll know Gee and Haw!

Fenton- I’m so excited to have this guy 100% again. Fenton had a swollen wrist tendon November of last year, meaning he had to sit out the rest of the season. Iditarod and Yukon Quest finisher, this guy has done it all. He’s exceptionally strong and has the best attitude around. I expect him to be on the Quest team. Fenton can run with anyone and is a great influence for his teammates.

Fish- Flying Fishy is spunky and ready to run. She’s one of the first to start chirping when I walk by the harness rack or pull out the ATV. Fish also likes to get the after-dinner howl going, but boy, she doesn’t have the prettiest singing voice. I can relate though. It’s fun just to belt it out anyway! Fish’s endless energy puts her squarely in the mix for the A-Team.

Flash- Flash, a.k.a. the Jumping Bean. Immediately leaving the yard (or anytime the team is going slow by Flash’s standards), she starts jumping up in the air as if she has turbo boosters. However, it doesn’t actually help that much sense the force is upward and not forward, but that’s ok. Her extreme excitement is almost tangible! She’s a huge cheerleader for the team with a need for speed. Her distant sprint dog relatives shine through occasionally because she just wants to go faster!

Goblin- The man. He’s starting off the season amazing as always. He’s been leading most runs, accompanied by a two-year-old to show the youngster the ropes. His old man croak bark is one of the first to be heard when I start stirring in the cabin before a run (his bark and Fish’s). Goblin is a very important athlete in the A-Team.

Jana- Jana is one of the older athletes on the team this year at seven-years-old. Even though Jana has beyond proven herself, she is one of the hardest driving dogs in the yard every single run as if she can never let a youngster one up her. Jana has been leading a fair amount in training. Given her extensive experience, she doesn’t need the miles that the two-year-old athletes do in training. Jana will run enough to stay in shape, but she has nothing to prove. She’s a rockstar.

Katy- Katy is in a similar boat as Jana. She’s trail hardened and proven. Katy has been training youngsters in lead and struts around the yard as if she owns it. It doesn’t matter that Katy weighs 35 pounds, she doesn’t put up with any sass from the pups. She’s been on the A-Team since she was a 2-year-old (well, back when I only had one team), and I see no reason why that would change now.

King Louie- Louie is beautiful. He glides across the ground with a seamless trot. When he wants our attention, Louie leaps onto his back legs and claps his front paws together over and over. It’s so cute, it’s irresistible and you have to go over to say hi. Louie is looking great in training. He has been running in lead with either Lefty or Goblin. He’s a little more sensitive than his siblings, so while I do want to push him this season, it’s more important that he keeps a happy attitude and matures for future years.

Lefty- There’s something special about this weirdo. He won’t let most people trim his nails and acts dominant yet shy with strangers, but he’s just so incredibly smart. A couple days ago, I left the yard on a training run with Lefty in lead. I yelled “Gee”, meaning up ahead take a right. He took the “Gee” very literally and made a 90 degree right, running past our parked cars and off towards the garden, wrapping the team around the platforms. I had to laugh, because he had in fact taken the command! While Lefty will never lead a Copper Basin Champion team (he’s rather slow), he’s one of the few dogs I’d trust to lead us through a white out blizzard, around open leads in the Yukon, or into the unknown.

Nile- Nile is beautiful just like his siblings. He’s rocking training so far. Normally he runs near the back of the team, but that’s only because his house is situated near the back of the hookup area. I plan to start running him in lead more since he showed leadership drive as a yearling. He’s huge and strong. Like the other 2-year-olds, if he can hold weight, Nile will be an A-Team contender.

Perm- Oh Perm. Her high-pitched bark greets me any time I step outside. Spunky, happy, endlessly energetic- these are all Perm traits that she passed on to her pups. I haven’t run her in lead during training (she’s a better race leader), but she’s always near the front. I expect Perm will be an A-Team athlete. Her obnoxious, in-your-face energy is a huge motivation for everyone! Myself included. She’s looking stellar as usual.

Rucu- Rucu is pumped to be back in the team and is looking strong. He’s trotting smoothly and seems to be 100%. Fingers crossed he’ll stay healthy this season after a reoccurring stiffness last winter. Rucu is one big muscle and maybe even the strongest dog in the team. It’d fun to hook a gauge to his tagline and see what sort of pounds he’s pulling.

Supai- Daddy-O! Supai is the father of the most recent litter of Izzy pups. He’s looking rock solid as usual. His tail seems to wag nonstop, and I hope that happy gene is passed along to the next generation. I anticipate Supai being on the A-Team again, since he always is. If dogs wore jerseys, I’d retire his number at the end of his racing career.

Uno- Make sure you’ve had your morning coffee before trying to pet Uno. Or maybe, Uno will be your substitute for a cup of coffee. There seems to be a magnet between her face and your head, meaning she always wants to jump up and be right in your face. She’s just so excited to see you and can’t wait to show her love. Her body seems to buzz with energy. I’ve considered turning her swivel into the next form of green energy and powering my whole house. Uno was the dark horse on the A-Team last year and did fabulously, so I hope she’ll have a similar performance this season.

Vanessa- Vanessa is a lot like Uno. She’s super energetic and playful, but only with the boys. Tyler has run her in lead a few times and said she did pretty well, so I intend to work with her up front throughout the winter. She has a spastic quality to her (like all her relatives), but it makes for a positive team atmosphere. She’s not particularly loud when hooked up, she just has such happy body language that it’s infectious.

Wingman- I’ve been running him in lead a lot with Goblin. I’d love for Wingman to mature into a main leader. He loves to eat, has a positive attitude, and did really well last year as a two-year-old. Wingman likes to do a couple laps around the yard before coming to the line at hook up as if to get some “zoomies” out. I really like Wingman’s agile, athletic build and anticipate he’ll be on the A-Team again this season.

Wombat- Wombat has matured into a really wonderful dog. She’s curious and cocks her head to the side whenever you croak “Wombat.” She used to circle incessantly and have a crazy, detached way about her, but now she’s calmer and very easy to connect with. She’s starting the season looking strong. Last year she ran on the A-Team in the Copper Basin and Quest, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was on the A-Team again this year.

Yuker- Yuker is a brute, and I say that in a very affectionate and loving tone. He’s kind of like Uno. Half harnesses don’t fit him well, so while the whole team wears half harnesses, Yuker is wearing a traditional one and getting tangled in everything. You just have to sigh and say, oh Yuker. His enthusiasm can be exhausting on a five mile run, but I’m certain that at mile 700, Yuker will be one of the first ones out of the straw. He is very sweet and loves affection, just a tad excitable. I’m anticipating he’ll be in the A-Team!

Supai and Izzy Pups!

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We’re very excited to announce the arrival of Izzy and Supai puppies! Izzy is an all-star at SP Kennel with 4 Iditarods and 3 Yukon Quests on her resume. She’s spunky, happy, and an amazing sled dog! We were so thrilled when Supai was selected as her date.

Supai has been a core athlete for Ryno Kennel since the very beginning and finished every race. He has an insatiable appetite, strong work ethic, and one of the friendliest personalities around. Supai was born at SP Kennel (I was visiting my brother in Ecuador at the time) and his mother is SP Kennel’s, Scooter. We’re hoping these pups are the perfect mixture of both their parents. Perhaps a future Golden Harness Winner in the mix?

Until the pups are older, they’ll be staying with Izzy at SP Kennel. Eventually, Ryno Kennel will be taking home two of these pups to join our puppy class. We can’t wait for them to join the team!

Season Logo

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Each winter, Roxanne designs a new logo for Ryno Kennel to represent each unique race season. And this year she out-did herself again!

Roxanne is a friend from high school, and I'm always amazed with her creative abilities! It can't be easy to come up with a new design each year, but she does it.

Warning Long Tangent (I didn't start out writing the blog post with this, but as I started writing about Roxanne, I couldn't help myself):

As I look back on the past six years since having our first litter of pups (the Ecuadorians), I'm in awe of all the friends, friends of friends, or friends of friends of friends who have helped us along the way. A Durango friend designed our main Ryno logo. Another Durango friend (Roxanne) has designed all of our yearly logos. Scott Chesney, Julien Schroder, and Whitney Mclaren have given us so many incredible photos to decorate the website and share special moments from the trail. Riley, Maliko, Gunhild, Liz, and Tyler have all given us so much time and energy caring for the dogs, building our home, or improving the kennel. Not to mention all the sponsors, friends, and family who have sent notes of encouragement or just a brief email that they're following along. While I try to individually say thank you and that this kennel couldn't function without all the support, sometimes notes fall through the cracks. For that, I apologize! But we truly couldn't live this life without you all, so thank you!

Resuming Original Blog Post:

Back to Roxanne- she's designed lots of incredible logos, so let's take a look back:

 
 
 

Just look at that diversity! So many different styles, colors, and designs. Thank you Roxanne! With this year's new logo, what would Athlete Sponsors like to see as part of their packet? Another hoodie sweatshirt? A tote bag? A regular sweatshirt? Baseball tees? Let me know your thoughts!

Final note- While the dog portraits are complete (thank you Scott), I'm still working on updating the Athlete pages. Most of the portraits have been uploaded to the main athlete page; however, their individual pages aren't finished. Don't cheat and look at the Athlete Page just yet. I'll let you know when it's complete! Once the pages are finished, and we can start the Dog Sponsorship for the 2018-2019 Race Season!

Here We Go!

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We're kicking off the season with rainy runs and school portraits!

Ewok lounging on the couch.

Jezzy checking out all the equipment.

Scott Chesney with Tailspin Media visited the kennel last weekend to kick off the season with school portraits! The canine athletes could choose between a couch photo or a white backdrop. Getting highly active sled dogs to relax and pose for the camera is quite a feat, so Scott normally has to come back for another photo shoot to retake any images with the pups who just couldn't sit still. I imagine it must be similar to taking school photos for kindergartners! We have lots of distractions ranging from treats to squeaky toys to jumping up and down and waving our arms. The award for most challenging canine to photograph goes to.... FLASH! Flash never ever stops moving, and she likes to look everywhere but the camera. Treats, squeaking toys, sound effects like barking fox or squeaking rabbits- nothing works. She just wants to say hi to everyone. That being said, Scott successfully got a fantastic photo this year! I'll be updating the athlete pages with their new photos and bios soon, so keep an eye out! Once the Athlete Page is updated, we'll be sending out dog sponsorship information. Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest!

Vanessa sitting pretty with the white back drop.

While the dogs put up with our silly human activities (like taking photos), what they're most excited to do is RUN!!! We officially started fall training, and the teams are doing great! The yearlings fit right in with the older dogs, and there are lots of new athletes who have expressed interest in running lead. Cooke, Elmer, Wingman, Vanessa, and Yuker have all had turns running up front. We're excited for the temperatures to keep dropping and the miles to get longer!

Building, Building, Building!

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We've crossed a couple BIG projects off the list these past couple of weeks: Last Frontier Mushing Co-op Storefront Yurt and moving our old handler cabin.

1- Last Frontier Mushing Co-op Storefront

Last season, Matt and Amanda of Smokin' Ace Kennels were kind enough to allow us to run tours out of their yurt, but this year, we're expanding. Over the summer, we've prepped a new storefront location directly between our two kennels. With the help of a few friends, we erected our Mongolian Yurt in just a few days! The video below provides a visual of a few of the steps. In the video you'll see Matt, Amanda, Kelsey, Tyler, and myself running around. As they say- it takes a village! Basic steps for the yurt assembly are:

1- Build the deck (thanks Matt and Tom!)

2- Set up the door and arrange the lattice around the door.

3- Put the center ring on pillars and place it in the center of the deck.

4- Place one spoke per "x" in the lattice and secure it to the center ring.

5- Pull a white sheet around the frame.

6- Place felt insulation around the yurt. We used two layers given our cold winters. 

7- Wrap the house in the waterproof outer layer and tie everything up with the three long ropes made of horse hair.

8- Wrap the house in the blue "skirt" and give everyone high fives!

Our other big project (or I should say, one of the other big projects) was moving the handler cabin. A few years ago, we built a small 12x14 cabin. This was the first cabin I helped build, so I'm rather attached to it. We considered leaving it at our old house, but we decided- when there's a will, there's a way- let's bring it with us!

The cabin itself is about 12x14, but when you add in the roof overhang, it's a hefty load. We rented a double axle trailer from a place in town and went to work with bottle jacks to hoist it up and on the trailer.

Once on the trailer, we drove the cabin to our new kennel and positioned it back in the woods. A big thank you to Tyler and Tom for all your hard work! We weren't sure it was going to be possible, but I'm so thrilled it all worked out.

The cabin is almost ready for the trailer to slide underneath.

Bottle jack supporting the front corner.

Securing it to the trailer.

Off we go!

The video below is of building the cabin from a few years ago. It describes how we harvested the logs, peeled the logs, stacked the logs, and scribed between them to make the cabin.

So what's next on the construction list? Sanding the inside walls of our new home, wiring the upstairs, and insulating and sheet rock of the upstairs. And of course RUNNING DOGS!!!! We'll officially start Fall Training on September first. We've run the dogs occasionally the past week just to stretch out and keep them happy, but our real season will start in about one week. This upcoming Saturday, Scott Chesney will be taking class portraits, so keep an eye out. It's about time for MUSHING SEASON!!!!

Puppies!

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You might have noticed over the summer that we didn't have the normal "summer pup-dates." Because we had such a large puppy class last summer, we opted not to have any litters ourselves this year. However, we also like to have youth coming up through the ranks to join our team when experienced veterans retire. So....a couple youngsters recently joined Ryno Kennel! These two gals were born May 25th. They were part of a litter of eight puppies. Their mother is Atigun (Ewok's sister), and their father is Kurtis, one of Nic Petite's athletes. Ewok has been a rockstar these past couple of years, so I was excited by the pup's relation to Ewok. Plus, Nic's team had a pretty outstanding season last winter. Of course, most people probably don't really care about all the genetics and who's related to who. You just care about the puppies! So here are a few photos of the girls! They don't have names yet- any suggestions out there?