I
still don't know the answer which is my favorite season. Of course,
summer is the absolute dislike. During the summer I just wish I could
dig a foxhole in the permafrost and wait there safe from bugs and
bears for the weather to cool of. Battle for the first place will be
between autumn and winter. Autumn is so beautiful. Especially the
last weeks before winter when there is frost on the ground early in
the morning and the landscape begins to look all black and white.
Velvety dark waters are waiting to freeze over and I can walk in the
forest without all kinds of vegetation all over me. And of course the
sent and wait of the oncoming winter in the air!
With
all those outdoors activities there are dark nights by the
candlelight. Not to mention layered clothing and woolen socks! My
friends know that I walk all summer wearing my boots and I just won't
wear sandals or other similar things. And my neighbors know that I
might take my dogs outside wearing only boots, shorts and a t-shirt
even when it's -30C outside. And just for you to know I'm not talking
about my home in Joensuu. My apartment is truly in center of Joensuu
city and my door opens to the central square, so even I will wear
something more appropriate. So it's fair to say that I'm definitely a
fall/winter person and if I'd do a genealogy study I would find
relatives living in the arctic!
We continue our
autumn trainings until we have enough snow for a sled. I also took
two dogs for a walk at the same time and my genius idea was to
harness the other one - but when they get harnessed they just want to
pull! Thought of two harnessed Siebrian Huskies in front of me while
walking them made the breeder of my dogs laugh and declare the whole
idea suicidal. My next great idea was to teach my dogs to stay put in
front of my ATV. Valo already knows how to stay put when I yell WHOA
but he does this only when he's already ran for a while. But my dogs
pulled me and the ATV easily so I had to brake that dogs wouldn't
drag the ATV with them. Of course they didn't run very fast but I
think it's better they really have to pull than just run in front of
an ATV with motor running. And it's fair to say that there are only
two veterans in my team (10 and 8 years old) + Odessa (not that I'm
underrating her strength)! But it's good to know that this team could
pull a Chukchi sled on tundra, even if I pack something else on the
sled besides myself.
Besides
ATV training I bike with my dogs every week. It is especially
important for our "veterans" to keep fit and running free
or laying on a couch just isn't enough. Especially 10 years old Sero
is really inspired with biking! I broke one of my digital cameras so
I could safely duct tape it on my bike and take a video of my dogs
pulling. I have seen funny sledding videos that are fast forwarded,
cut in every few minutes because the dogs stop running or the musher
have to yell commands all the time and in those videos the dogs don't
run even for a one kilometer. Well, it's always good that people are
interested in sledding, even if their dogs don't actually do so well
:D !
We had
first snow earlier this week so I hope winter comes early this year.
In the meanwhile we just continue our trainings and hope good autumn
trails for all sleddog enthusiasts! Oh, and the puppy in the main
picture is Odessa's daughter Hilla.
