A final fling: unfazed by the weather

Big Brown (foreground), who is named after the 2008 Kentucky Derby champion Thoroughbred, is our newest addition to the kennel. She is Ruffian's (who is also named after a champion Thoroughbred race horse) sister.

Spring. A time of renewal, birth and sunny days. For mushers, spring means movement. After moving hundreds of miles through fall training and winter's racing season, spring finds us moving equipment and dogs. It seems mushers never stop moving.

Tuesday morning, when northeastern Ohio was blasted by what will likely be a final winter storm, we headed north. In a last minute decision guided by the luxury of spontenaity I have been blessed with over the last year and a half, I made a final winter trip to Michigan to see my good friend Joann Fortier, have some fun, and bring home a new pack member, Big Brown.

You see, Odessa is expecting a litter of pups next month. So Joann had to make room in the kennel for their upcoming new additions.


Joann gives some lovin' to one of her top dogs, Odessa, who is expecting a litter of puppies next month. Ana looks on in the distance.

This meant another long car ride to northern Michigan.


But the girls sure have a blast when they're up north! I think they're yooper girls at heart.


Sophie bonds with Big Brown


Unfazed by the weather, Sophie and Ana played in the snow, along with Elise, who was out back "digging for treasure" in the snow!

The girls wore themselves out playing.

Sophie and Elise loved Ana



And when the girls finally fell asleep, Joann and I stayed up until 1:30 a.m. drinking wine, watching Iditarod videos and talking dog. Joann is like my soul sister. We think alike, want the same things, love the same things. We both have girls who are four years old, and have a lot of the same viewpoints on life.

So many people I've met in Michigan have become my second family. I know the sounds of their voices in my mind, the smells of their homes, and know I'd be welcome on any of their sofas anytime. I am always happy to head north, and always sad to leave.


Joann Fortier and me squinting in the bright sun as Sophie snaps our picture

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.

The girls

Too tired to write tonight. So, to pick up from yesterday, here are the girls in Joann's team:

Cowgirl, an absolute lover and the frontrunner of the team

Zoey, nope, she's not a Jack Russell. She is 100% the driving force behind the team, and very difficult to get a picture of I might add! She NEVER stops moving!

One of my absolute favorites of the Fortier kennel, Odessa, the matriarch. Many of the pups in the kennel are out of Odessa, including our Ruffian

Lilly - aka "Silly Lilly." Inquisitive, playful, and full of energy

And who could forget this girl! Making the best little doggy face...

Ana walks around on all fours for the better part of the day, pretending to be a doggy. And how could she not be impressed by dogs: she's been surrounded by 30 of them her whole life. She makes the best impressions of sled dogs I've ever seen! She also does a darned good snow angel!

Give a Howl!

Tak gives a howl

I am at the home of Joann and Larry Fortier, Coyote Run Racing Sled Dog Kennels, while they are in Minnesota awaiting the start of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. Joann will compete in the mid-distance category, which is still 150 miles with eight dogs. Give a howl out to Joann! She likes her sleep and her biggest concern was the lack of sleep she's going to get in the next couple days! She was also fighting some respiratory flu bug - not the kind of thing you want to go into a checkpoint race with!

The Fortier's dogs are smaller in stature and high energy! They have been in dogs for nine years, building their kennel through selective breeding and exceptional dog care. They live in Gaylord, Mich. Check out some of their dogs along with their racing stats, here. A couple are pictured below. I have never had a difficult time shooting portraits of sled dogs -- it's kinda what I do. But these dogs never seem to stand still! it's been challenging getting any good portraits of them!





"Smarty" from Coyote Run Racing Sled Dog Kennel




Fuzzy tree

But the landscape here always stands still and is always breathtaking in winter.



Mancelona Road

Ice fishing



Pumpkin looks cute for the camera

Finally, yesterday while I was doing kennel chores, Mike and Cathy Murphy stopped by with their little pup, Pumpkin. It was nice to have a puppy fix! Thanks for bringing her, guys!