A trip to the Wellert's

Jack and Ruffian awaiting the chance to run

Nights like this I can't sleep. Thoughts whirl around in my head: mostly of my passions, my dogs, my kids, sadness that these cool days are almost at an end, excitement thinking about pulling out the kayak soon, excitement from today's run.

There's a new musher in town. A couple weeks ago, my friend, Joann Fortier, told me about a guy who lives five minutes away from me buying Tak, one of her dogs.

You may remember Tak from when I watched the Fortier's kennel.



She loves to howl, but is very shy.

Today, I had a chance to meet this new musher, Rodney, who has just gotten into dogs and is brand new to the sport. I drove to his house and, after loading up his new dogs, including Tak, we made the 20 minute trek to the kennel of Jim and Lori Wellert.


Jim and Lori hanging out in Al Hardman's cabin during the Seney 300

Jim has been mushing for quite a few years and, most recently, finished successfully in the Seney 300 and the U.P. 200, completing his Iditarod qualifiers totaling 500 miles on the runners. He hopes to run the Iditarod and the Stage Stop, Wyoming's famous stage race, in the upcoming few years. Jim and Lori were kind enough to invite Rodney and me to their kennel for some fun in the mud with the dogs.

These pictures are not the greatest as I forgot my camera - something I am rarely without! I took these with my phone.

But here is the team with Tak, first white dog from the rear, and my 10 month old Ruffian, second white dog from the rear also from the Fortier kennel.


We had a blast, and Rodney was infected with the excitment and simple joy this sport brings.

Thanks to the Wellert's for spending the morning with us.