2014 DOG SEASON

We have had a great season this year giving rides to family visitors over the Holidays, lots of new scout troops and completion of many bucket lists!  The excellent snow and cool weather has been great for the dogs even if not so great for the people with our  season now extending well into March.  Making planning for horse season tough but it is coming!

All of the dogs are in great shape this season and we have been able to run six teams for most of the season including two new puppy teams!  The reds—Ruby, Reba, Rudy & Roxie are going to be awesome and make a very pretty team.  The whites—Sally, Smoky, Samson, Stella and Rocky are still trying to figure out if this is fun or work.  I had to say good bye to too many of my old friends this year and this winter has been really tough on my Sammy too and know I will not put him through another one.  While the puppies were fresh and we will have another puppy team next year, the absence of my old lead dogs left a big hole.  I actually think I will for the first time in all my mushing days, buy a couple of good solid younger Gee/Haw lead dogs this spring/summer to train these fresh teams in next year. 

It was  also very nice to have lots of new help in the kennel this year!  In addition to Laura and my son Shawn, I also have send out a big thanks to Katie, Mike and Akoni for helping out on the trail and the not so glamorous jobs in the kennel!  Looking forward to working with this crew throughout the year and taking a big crew to the MUSH for a CURE race next year—thanks Mike— I think you are right, sometimes you just have to do it.

2014 HORSE SEASON

While it may not look like it— we are rapidly heading for horse season and honestly I am looking forward to it or at least some warmer weather!  I am partial to dog season just because it is so unique and I can dress for the weather, I melt in the heat but I am getting pretty tired of all of this snow and all the challenges that come with the cold weather—equipment, heating costs, extra hay and now almost all of our water lines are now froze in the barn including septic line and floor drains—down to one waterer and the faucet in the bathroom!

We are going to be BUSY this summer!  We picked up a contract with the YMCA and the city of Inver Grove Heights to do their horse camps in addition to three of our own for a total of possibly 10 weeks of camp!  Steve is watching the internet for some good candidates to add to the barn to get us through the season.  I know we will need more help too so we are currently interviewing for a FT live-in Ranch Hand/ Kennel worker to do some training and general work as needed, in addition to 2-3 other FT seasonal hires to help with DayCamps, chores, lessons and trail rides. 

MORE CHANGES...

We started to redo all the fencing in the paddocks and put new footing in them as well last fall but the weather caught up with us.   We will be finishing those as soon as the weather turns back in our favor along with some new stalls added on the other side of the barn for our old guys.  We also will be adding a 100x200 outdoor arena and some apple trees on the north side of the indoor and round pen. 

I am also laying the ground work for converting our hay field to a garden to support a local CSA with plans to provide weekly shares with fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs, fresh cut flowers and perhaps fresh eggs and other locally produced items—meats, cheese, honey, syrup, etc starting in 2015.  Steve and I and our equipment is getting too old to put up hay anymore and this seems like a much better use of the land and fits better with our community focused efforts.

Who know maybe HHH will be my only job by the end of 2015? 

It is always good to have a SMART goal!