Notes from Here and There

More signs of spring: Abundant sunshine, I killed my first mosquito yesterday, and mud. And mud. And more mud. This is my least favorite time of year, but it doesn't last very long, so I just learn to live with mud.

I thought I'd share some photos of my buddy Jill. She is one of a group of dogs that were found dumped by a gravel pit near Nenana. They had already been suffering from severe neglect, and I guess their human finally as a last act dumped them. They were thin, mangy, covered with lice, and not people-friendly. A local vet donated vet care, a local groomer donated baths, even arranging a time when the shop was closed so the fearful little things could be there in private. Anyway, six of them ended up under the care of Sirius--two being fostered with a friend and four others at the rescue yard. Of those four, Jack got adopted almost immediately. He has a very nice temperament and you can hardly tell he had a horror of a first life.

Then there is Jill. I decided to try taking her for a walk. At first, she was fearful.

But her confidence grew within a block. I suppose she is a sled dog after all, and she has those genes such that marching with purpose makes her happy.

She has no muscle tone, so stopped frequently to rest. But she got out of the road to do so (smart girl!), and sat very prettily.

Pretty girl, huh?

Well guess what? My former neighbors, who now live in Anchorage, have decided to foster and maybe adopt her. They joined us for a walk yesterday and are going to pick her up tomorrow before they hit the highway south.

This is April, one of two puppies. She is still in a cone since her incision still hasn't healed from her spay going on 3 weeks now! Poor girl. I suspect it's due to early and prenatal malnutrition. But she is a cheerful and lively puppy. Her only obvious remaining weirdness from her neglect is that she is uncomfortable on a leash and very insecure when we leave the dog yard. When she gets uneasy, she flattens herself to the ground like a starfish.

These are the resident hooligans. They are like, "Why R U hand feeding hurrrrr? Where iz OUR handfulz of fud?"

This is May, the other puppy. She is the most scarred of all. She will nose-boop me, and accept hand feeding, but she won't let me pet her. Only the volunteers that are there daily have managed to get her into a harness and take her for a walk.

Back on the home front, the trails are getting really punchy, but we can still walk quite a ways.

My girls still enjoy the off-leash time.

Yaaaaay!!

This is where we turn around!

Sigh.

Couch symmetry.

Every dog has her floppular preference. Cricket likes to flop in the sun.

Thistle likes to flop on the dog bed.

This specimen is Cedar! He is one of three Hedlund huskies who were brought up from Minnesota a few years ago. They are part of a heritage breeding project that is seeking to restore old-style Alaska Native dogs. I do not know the story of how this woman in Minnesota ended up involved, but all three of the ones that came up from her now belong to different friends of mine. They are very good-looking, very attention-motivated, and like to shove themselves between you and any other dog you try to pet.

This one is Sage. He is much smaller and much gentler than his brother Cedar, but he's just as pushy to get All The Attention. He is very muddy at this time of year!

This is sweet Luna, a rescue who not only accepts hugs, but hugs back! She's also very gentle with her hugs. Cedar might punch you in the face with his giant paw while he hugs you. Luna would never! Well if you know anyone looking for an active companion dog as sweet as Luna is, let me know!