Runa and Morels

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This 4th of July, Nick and I had two EXCITING finds! 

1st- Morels! 

2nd- Runa Tea in Fairbanks! 

Lucky for us, Runa Tea has all the energy kick we needed to trek around the burn and hunt for the morels. Joining us on the hunt were Jezzy, Stormy, Supai, Belle, Derby, and Cartel. Success! 

Family Yard Day

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Today, Nick (older brother), Katy (mother), and I had a family yard day. It was Katy's last day, and Nick's first day, in Fairbanks, but rather than relaxing, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and cleaned and painted dog houses, spread gravel, and cleaned out sprouting trees. We had some canine helpers including Stormy, Jezzy, Cartel, Katy Canine, Amy and Sally. As you can see by Cartel in one of the last photos, they were very curious about the new paint. 

Bird's Eye View

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Last weekend, Derek and I flew over to the Chena Flood Plains. The pictures below show the flooding from the recent rains, the Tanana River, and the beautiful Alaska Range not far off. On the way back, I took a quick picture of Ryno Kennel from the air!

Family Help

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Katy braving the pouring rain to serve dinner to the sled dogs. 

While I'm recovering from an injury, I recruited some top notch help. For the next couple of weeks, Katy (my mother and Katy canine's namesake) will be helping with the chores around the kennel as well as learn all about being a handler. From scooping poop, to feeding and watering dogs, to free running, my mom experiences it all-- rain or shine. And recently it has been raining. ALOT. I was hoping Alaska would woo my mother with clear skies, balmy temperatures, midnight sun, and picturesque wildlife, but instead she has dealt flood warning rains, mud puddles, and mosquitos. Even though Alaska isn't on her best behavior, Katy seems to be enjoying herself nonetheless. 

Katy Human feeding Katy Canine

Supai, Jezzy, and Katy all helping Ryne do physical therapy stretches. Not everyone was necessarily helpful….

Granite Tors

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Here are some pictures from recent springtime activities. 

River Dogs

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Down at the river, we found a big white spruce stuck high and dry when the water level dropped. While chasing Jezzy, Sally ended up on the spruce and decided she'd prefer not to swim back to shore. The crew and I went out to giver her encouragement. This was a time when longer legs were definitely an advantage! 

Cabin Building

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This summer, Derek and I are in the process of building a small trappers cabin on the property. Last spring, Derek hauled in about 60 logs, so now it's time to peel and prep for building in the fall. As you can see, Stormy likes to supervise our work while Jezzy prefers to be underfoot, demanding to play fetch. The last two pictures show how quickly the yard is greening up. Just a few more days and everything will be full and lush!

Another May Day

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With the spring semester coming to an end, I had a moment to post some pictures. First, I'd like to highlight the ingenuity of a fellow commuter who made my day. I took this picture at the stoplight on my way home (I apologize for the dirty windshield, but it is break up season). Hopefully some day my Ford Focus can be that cool. 

This evening I snapped a few shots of the pups (Supai, Amy, Katy, and Stormy) playing during an evening stroll.