Tweedlydum

I'm starting to think about how sad it's going to be when I leave the dogs. I was out there cleaning the dog lot today, and everyone was being so damn cute! Fly snaps his teeth at you to hurry you over to his lot, because he knows he's not supposed to bark. Flip does this impatient tap-dance thing with his forepaws, Deja puts her head up-side down and waves a paw- then you scratch her butt and she flips over! Alis will make bedroom eyes up at you and snuggle against your side. Gringo is my sleeping buddy. The pups have finally learned about jumping up on their houses to ask for attention- which doesn't mean they won't follow you around and try to shove their noses in your butt! Yeah. I'll even miss that. I know the dogs and horses at my new job will also be cool, but right now it doesn't seem possible that they could be as awesome as my iditarod kids!

That's Fly to the right. He's the kennel stud (literally)

This is Scooby, a major leader

WSU and Luna in uniform

My job starts at the beginning of May, and I plan on leaving Blue on Black a couple weeks early. Thing is, I've been here for five months without time or opportunity to see the rest of Alaska- I've pretty much seen Juneau, Anchorage, and Wasilla. And Chugiak. which doesn't count. They tell me there's a lot more to Alaska. So as soon as I find out how to wangle the traveling cheaply, I'll head out, and hopefully arrive in Skagway at exactly the right time to start training. Looking forward to seeing more than two people a day- nothing against Karin and Varan; they're lovely people and lovely to live with, but in the last place I lived, I shared my room with five other people. The transition was rather jarring.

This is my kids, doing what they love best, photo courtesy of Leanne Quirk. It's the ceremonial start of the Iditarod. Scooby and Angel are in front, the little red dog behind them is WSU (pronounced Wazoo), Shotgun's behind her, followed by Trouble, then Voodoo, then Flip.

Note: It's been pointed out to me that most people were expecting to see siberian huskies. These guys are Alaskan huskies, which means they've got a little bit of anything that makes them strong, fast, and cold-endurant- shepherd, greyhound, whatever. They're all different.