Er, uh...yea, something like that.
After the Jack Pine, a small crowd of people gathered around the truck while I was feeding the team to ask questions. Why are the dogs bootied? What are the reasons some people drop a dog in a race? What are you feeding?
I had written about this in the beginning of the season, but because of all the questions, I thought it might be worth revisiting.
The picture above is the meat I give my dogs: a concoction from our local butcher of scraps of all variety of meats (fatty parts of beef and liver mostly), frozen conveniently in pre-cut, one lb. blocks. Each day, they get one of these blocks, plus a sizable portion of high-protein (42 protein/24 fat) kibble, psyllium and a dash of corn oil mixed in with lukewarm water to form a delectable doggy gruel the group slurps up on a dime. They each also get 400 mg vitamin E, in pill form, and the older dogs, a dose of glucosamine.
Sled dogs eat like champs. They eat better than most people. And I, like a lot of mushers, read the ingredients of bags of kibble with a scrupulous eye.
One of the first questions most mushers will ask when thinking of buying a dog from another musher is, "is he a good eater?" There aren't a lot of picky eaters in this population (referring to not only dogs, but most mushers I know as well). A good sled dog eats almost anything and does it gratefully and with lightening speed.
Like mushers :-)
In other news...
Sophie at her audition for an elite school for performing and fine arts on Wednesday
This is my girl. The quintessential Sophie in true form. This picture, snapped five minutes before she auditioned for a spot in an elite school in our area, captures Sophie perfectly. Laid back, easy going, free-spirited.
Consider this. To prepare for this audition, she had to memorize two monologues of two minutes in length each, prepare a portfolio with two letters of recommendation from teachers/coaches, be prepared for an improvisation and a short interview on why she wants to study acting.
And yet, look at her. So calm. So poised. I am so proud of her grace and her talent.
We find out whether she's accepted on the third week of March.
Good luck, Sophie.
And keep your feet on the runners, and don't let go. Don't ever let go.
Good luck Sophie
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