To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn...

A time for skiing, a time for sneezing, a time for baaaaaaaabies... Last Saturday, DL and I were just finishing breakfast when this spruce grouse came walking across the front yard, followed by six baaaaaaaaabies:

As soon as they moved away from my car, the babies disappeared! What great camouflage!

They scattered pretty far, but she'd cluck to them and they'd gather close again.

Solstice was a week ago now. Our morning runs look like this:

Every dog has her comfy. Thistle's comfy is like this:

Cricket's comfy is sunbathing in the yard:

Even Miss April is getting more comfy! She finished a 6-week course of basic obedience. April and May went together, with my friend MS as Mae's handler and me as April's. The rest of the class was comprised of highly trainable, eager-to-please labs.

April and Mae were from a severe neglect and abuse situation, so they may not have learned all of the fancy tricks, but they got socialized. May was braver, but even April came a long way! Remember: Everyone runs their own race, and it's only against their own selves. April achieved Bravely Crossing her Fence and Leaving her Yard, and Bravely Leaving my Car and Entering This Scary Building. SO BRAVE!

She even learned to relax a little bit in a Scary Place.

And on the last day, she Bravely Put her Paws on a Foreign Object, and that is a lot for a dog who has already walked the road she has. All of the other dogs were posing on the platforms and walking through hula hoops, but again, April is in her Own Race! I'm so proud. 😍

However, she would not. Sit pretty and pose with her certificate. Piece of Paper was Suspicious! After this though, she jumped into my hatchback for the first time ever! Which is good because she is getting big!

One day last week I arrived at the rescue to scoop some poop and pick up April, and I was like WHO DIS??

It's Freya! Just come up from an Anchorage rescue that was closing its doors. It's really too bad that shelters are so overwhelmed right now. But gosh, Freya is a sweetie! She's half malamute and has those traits like Koda has: Soft, brown eyes; huge ridiculous smile; marshmallow paws.

And she let me squeeze her! Fortunately for me, it seems she already has a home lined up. So no temptation for me! What a happy, sunshiney girl!

And my last Super Important thing to report: It appears that the native endemic "eskimo potato" or "troth" has outcompeted the invasive bird vetch along our main road:

Providing food for bumblebees! Yay!

Happy Solstice to all 14 of my Loyal Readers!

In praise of dandelions

Dandelions are generally the first flower to bloom every spring. They are the first food that bees and other nectar-sipping insects get to have. That's why I discourage DL--and everyone--from mowing them. Lookie the fuzzy bumblebees! I love them so, so much. The swallowtail butterflies are also out.

Fuzzybutt!

And look at this amazing hummingbird moth!

April is doing great at her Basic Dog class. She's not necessarily learning All The Things, but she is gaining confidence. Yesterday evening, we practiced Letting People Take Something From Me, and she did very well. Really amazing considering her severe neglect and starvation early in life. Last night's biggest breakthrough though was Very Bravely walking into the building before her Seester Mae, which is unprecedented! She's also taken to following me around the dog yard barking for attention. Normally I do not care for such brattiness, but in her case it's nice to see her feel secure enough to be a brat!

Thank you Pawsitive Dog Training for being so patient with us bringing our weirdo rescues to class, and thank you Sirius Sled Dogs Rescue for giving her a new lease on life. I look forward to seeing her settle into her furever home soon!

Happy Summer!

Apologies to my 14 loyal readers, who have been waiting with baited breath, for the long silence. I have had the Worst Allergy Season Ever and have been avoiding anything that requires use of my eyes. Spring has sprung, in all of its abrupt, explosive greenery. The trail where I posted the photos of the rutile ice thoroughly melted out and lost all of its snow and ice within one week. Nowadays, our morning run looks like this!

Then rainy weather came, and I had an appointment with the allergist. I have to admit that I was skeptical. I mean, I have known people to suffer seasonal allergies my entire life: White people, Black people, Asian people, Alaska Native people. People with access to resources (money and good health insurance), as well as people who know indigenous plants and lore. And I didn't know anybody who had ever overcome allergies? But... it turns out my skepticism was misplaced. When I got to complaining to my friends, it turns out that quite a few have overcome allergies! So uh... yes, indeed, there were things that could be done. I got a blood draw so they could figure out precisely what I was allergic to, and the idea is, in future years, a few months before allergy season, I start desensitization. So, birch drops. Or ragweed injections. Or whatever it turns out to be. Taken either orally or via injection, my nose and throat and eyes will not react. Then when the real allergen hits, my body will say, "Hey, I know this! It's nothing to freak out about!" and I won't get the horrible reactions. But it's too late for this year, so all we can do is adjust my antihistamine drugs, which we did. But this is good news for subsequent years!

I feel much better now. Of course, with allergies to pollen, it's so hard to know what did the trick: The rain? The new drugs? Or that birch is done reproducing? DL says it doesn't matter, as long as I feel better. I guess that is valid!

I'll catch you all up on Puppy News next post. I wish all 14 of my loyal readers a great week!