White dogs

 During Nora and I's Sunday hike we were hiking through the trees on our way back to the car when we suddenly heard a commotion ahead.  'That's not Kody', 'Is that a Saltonstall black lab?'.  We rounded a corner and there was a milling pack of dogs and people, and another white dog identical to Brewster.

It was Shanna and Jason and their white lab Kody.  They got Kody through ARF. an Anchorage based animal rescue group, just like we did with Brewster.  Both dogs originally came from Bethel where they shared a common grandparent.  The white dogs are cousins!

Nora was wondering if Brewster could sense the family connection.  And they certainly hit it off right away.  They were chasing each other and rough housing, and moving about so quickly that we had a really hard time even getting a picture of the 2 dogs together - and every single picture is somewhat motion blurred.

Brewster got to meet with one of his 'peeps'.   Patrick

Rainy Day Hike with Nora

If you look closely you can see some new snow on the mountains

Sunday morning Nora and I went for a hike with the dogs.  It was sort of a dismal day and the weather was supposed to get worse. So we went for a hike along the coast where we could always duck into the trees for shelter.

A highlight of the trip was when we got to a beaver pond and threw sticks for the dogs.  Tank leaped out into the water and it was covered with a thin skim of ice.  Big crash and splash and ice chunks flying everywhere.  The ice had been invisible to the eye, and I think it really surprised Tank.  It made Nora laugh.

Patrick

Nora liked the beach

In places the trail goes right along the cliff edge

Funny moment when Tank jumped into the water for a stick and it was covered with a skim of invisible ice

Nora checking out a really large beaver dam

Monashka Loop

I recently needed a picture of me skiing and had a really hard time finding one.  I have hundreds of pictures of other people skiing, but very few of me. It made me realize I am usually the one taking the pictures when out on adventures.

So yesterday at the trailhead when I realized I'd left my camera charging its battery back at the house I was initially a little bummed.  Then Philip said, 'hey I got a camera'.  And I thought, 'good deal, this time I get to be in all the photos'.

As it turned out that did not end up to be strictly true - Philip did take some pictures of Brewster and deer too.

It was a pleasant 3 hour hike in the sunshine.  Patrick

King of the mountain

We've lost the snow I was skiing on earlier in the week, but it still is beautiful up in the mountains.  Yesterday was absolutely stunning.  The ravens were making croaking sounds and dive bombing us as we went along the ridge to the summit.  I think they had evil intent and were trying to get the dogs to chase them over the cliff edge.  Patrick

Bunk Bed Dog

The other night I helped Brewster up the ladder to Nora's bunk bed.  He hung out with her for the reading hour before lights out.  Nora reports that when it came time to come down he went splat on the floor.  I guess ladders were not designed for dogs.  Patrick

First Ski of the Season

Monday's warm rain ended with a bit of cold air - enough cold air that we got some snow on the mountain tops all around town.  So yesterday after work I took the dogs up Pyramid and went skiing.  I was actually surprised at how much snow we did get.  There was a dusting of snow all the way down to 900 feet or so and 3 to 4 inches up high. 

Without a base it was not great skiing.  But I used my rock skiis and did not mind hitting the occasional rock.  It was enough snow to go skiing and thus begins the ski season!  Patrick

Trick or Treating Our Neighbors

Halloween is when you meet your neighbors.  What other holiday sees you going door to door to all the houses on your street?

Our street does not get many trick-or-treaters, but every year it gets a few.  And the neighbors have come to expect us.  Several times we heard, 'I bought candy just for you', or 'I was worried you would not come'.

In the old days before I had kids it was a different set of neighbor children who walked the neighborhood.  And last night I noticed that a couple and their children who are both under 5 were making the rounds behind us.  The neighborhood is growing a new crop of trick-or-treaters who will eventually replace Nora and Stuey.

Nora and Stuey did go trick-or-treating with their aunt and cousins by car out on Spruce Cape. And they did have fun and got a lot of candy.  But Nora was adamant about walking our street when they got back.  And even though it was lightly raining we walked and did not drive.  It was time to meet the neighbors.  Patrick