Northernmost

Time flies when you’re having fun, and we’re having a good time here in Lapland! During the first week of our holiday we had a couple of sunny days but for the most part it’s been snowy and wet, like today. The trails are holding up pretty well despite the mild weather and we’ve been out on daytrips nearly every day, exploring the trails in and around the village and visiting the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park on an overnight trip too. The dogs seem very happy to be on holiday and have been in a relaxed mood since we arrived here – eating well, working well and sleeping well 🙂 There have been a couple of less joyful moments too – like when the car broke down and when Fredrik snapped his skate ski – but we tend to forget about the debacles and focus on the good stuff instead. Life is an adventure so you’ve got to expect a few bumps along the way.

Tuisku shaking off the snow after a break. Five degrees (41 F) is balmy weather for Malamutes.

An eager Thunder checking out the trail ahead.

We went on a trip to Sissanki kota, where we cooked lunch on the fire.

Happy Malamutes awaiting their snacks.

Gemma, enjoying the sunshine 🙂

Hilary, looking regal in royal blue.

My Mum joined me and Leia for a day of skijoring in the national park. 10-year-old Leia is equally happy going on a leisurely “dog walk on skis” as she is going sledding with the team.

Love my fuzzy Bear ♥

Fredrik’s Mum nicknamed Leia our “Kim Kardashian” – can you guess why?

Titan inspecting his holiday dog house.

Yup, the straw smells the same as at home – this place will do.

My pretty Mom ♥

Another day, another trail.

Wilder – such a happy fellow!

My little team on an evening run around the village. I’m really pleased with how well they have worked this season. Tuisku is an absolute force in lead!

Plenty of snow in the kennels, we had to shovel our way in on the first day. 

Gemmy is happy to be in Lapland again!

And Hilary…not so regal looking in this pic 🙂

We have been enjoying the beautiful weather on the coast today together with Thunder and Leia. The wind from the sea was a bit nippy but we lit a bonfire and warmed up with some hot coco while the furkids had fun playing on the rocks. Leia even had a swim in the icy water but…shh, don’t tell anyone…I think she meant to leap across the water but miscalculated the jump and fell in!

Tomorrow is Kennel Clean Up day here at Northernmost, but looking at the weather forecast I realise that it’s going to snow tomorrow. We haven’t had snow for weeks so it’s quite typical that winter decides to return when we have a major cleaning day scheduled. Hmm..maybe we’ll have to go sledding instead?? Have a fun weekend, everyone!

Stay cool, says Thunder.

♥ ♥ ♥ We love you, Princess Fluffybutt! ♥ ♥ ♥

It’s been a great weekend for training, still no snow but low temperatures so we’ve had some nice  runs with the dogs. Right now we’re mostly using a local trail which runs in loops in the forest between our village and the next. This is our favourite trail for off-snow training as the soft sand is gentle on the dogs’ feet and perfect to run on until the snow arrives. Unfortunately my camera refused to cooperate and nearly all shots came out off-focus but below are a few snaps anyway – felt great to see Tuisku back on the trail today, even if he just came along for a shorter round.

A happy Wilder ♥

Hilary and Wilder pulling hard uphill. I love how dedicated these two are!

Tuisku (in the back) is wondering what’s the hold up??

Tuisku hasn’t been working in harness for a long while but our vet suggested that we try him on some shorter runs to see how his foot holds up. He seemed fine after the run but we’ll have to watch him carefully to see if we notice any changes during the next few days – fingers crossed!

Three happy tails!

♥ Happy dogs, happy life ♥

Remembering one evening in Lapland a number of years ago…Leia and I were snuggling up on the couch after an eventful run with the sled in heavy snowfall. It was late in March and the snow was already mushy and the ice on lakes and rivers was starting to open up. When we crossed Lake Ounasjärvi on our way home from the fells, I stepped through the ice up to my hips. The water was painfully cold and when the ice was beginning to break up around the dogs in front of me, I knew that we had to make a fast move and go back the same way we had come before we plunged any deeper. Luckily, when the other dogs pulled desperately in every direction, clever-girl Leia listened to my “turn around” command and managed to pull the team safely back to the shore.

Leia has always been reliable that way – a dog who knows when it’s time to work and when it’s time to play. She hasn’t exactly been the kind of Malamute who jumps with joy at the sight of her harness, however. On more than one occasion she has tried to escape the task by hiding in the back of her dog house! But once hooked up to the team, Leia runs like a locomotive and she always puts in a higher gear on the way home 🙂

♥

Yesterday we woke up to clear skies, crisp air and below-zero temperatures – a perfect day to go bikejoring! The ground was covered with a touch of frost when we left home in the morning but the sun quickly warmed up the day and we had to watch the dogs carefully to make sure they didn’t get too hot. This time of the year, when the dogs are not yet in top condition, it is easy to do too much too soon. While autumn training is a fun time for both us and the dogs, it is important to remember that Malamutes are usually most comfortable working when the temperature is between -30°C, to -15°C. Everything above can be too warm, and especially if it’s a sunny or humid day. We try to think of autumn as a time to be patient but it is sometimes difficult to say no to the dogs when they want to go faster and further early in the season. So this is a note to self: Winter is just around the corner, don’t rush it!

We explored a new trail yesterday and it turned out to be a fun ride with plenty of options for variation. When training left and right commands it’s ideal to run the dogs along a new route, as it’s only when they don’t know their way by heart that they really have to listen to your commands.

We still need to work on Wilder’s “wait” command, as he’s so eager to go that he doesn’t listen if a team takes off ahead of him. Hilary used to be like that as a youngster but has calmed down a little with maturity. She can now sit down and wait calmly until it’s time to go, at least on a good day 😉

Hilary has starting to grow her coat again after the summer. Yes, she’s a cutie ♥

Thunder (10.5) and Leia (9.5) are still running strong and pulling hard in harness. I believe the apple cider vinegar which we add to their food is really good for them. They seem almost younger than a couple of years ago, and Leia’s skin problems have completely cleared up. ACV is supposed to be good for arthritis too, so it’s definitely a supplement that I would recommend for senior dogs.

The Big Bears in sync!

Hilary and Wilder working with their heads down, halfway into the trail.

We passed a small farm with some free-grazing hens in the yard and cows and pigs in enclosures. Our dogs have never seen pigs before so it was an interesting first encounter – the pigs grunted and chased us on the other side of the fence and our dogs looked both excited and scared as we hurried past! LOL An excellent opportunity to train “On By!”… 

I hope we will have more of those crisp, sunny weekends this autumn – one feels energised and ready to start a new week after spending a few hours in the fresh air on a Sunday 🙂

After a hot and lazy summer it’s time to get in shape again. We have slowly started conditioning work by heading out for long and brisk walks in the evenings and taking the dogs jogging and bikejoring when the weather allows. Today was a perfect day for work in harness as the temperature dropped down to 5°C degrees (41°F) in the afternoon. Fredrik hooked up Gem and Wilder while I ran our seniors, Leia and Thunder. As you can see in the pics, we left our helmets at home by mistake, but the rule is – ALWAYS wear a helmet when you go bikejoring!

Wilder teamed up with his Auntie Gem today. Wilder is nearly 20 months and Gemma is turning 7 years young next week. Time sure flies by fast!

Gem has a soft spot for her nephew and enjoys working with him…

…and Wilder continues to impress us with his focus and drive. He prefers to be up front at all times.

Also Leia and Thunder seem to be in fairly good shape after the summer…

…they leaned into their harnesses and gave me a fun ride on the bike!

Running on sand is FUN says Leia!

We let the dogs cool down in the sea before we turned around and headed back to the car.

Hope y’all are having a happy and active weekend!

I give up! Just give it to me, pleeeese!!

My blogging has taken a bit of a back seat lately to dog activities and keeping up with my day job, while at the same time trying to complete the home redecorating project we have been working on since November. Someone had this crazy idea that all the rooms on the ground floor needed redecorating and decided to do it all in one go – walls, floors, ceilings, the whole lot! As you can imagine, our home has been in a state of chaos for six months now. Hopefully in June the work will be finished and I can go back to blogging as usual. I’ve realised lately that blogging helps keep my universe in balance. Maybe I’m addicted? Until next time, here are some pics of our Leia Bear playing with her red ball in the garden. Have a beautiful May everyone!

It’s amazing how much fun you can have with a little red ball…

The KONG Stuff-A-Ball is a durable rubber ball that is perfect for playing fetch and retrieve. It can be stuffed with snacks to make it extra appealing but if you have ball-crazy dog like Leia, chasing the ball on the beach is all it takes to have a good time 🙂

The grey weather continues but that doesn’t stop us from going out and enjoying the fresh air. Today we packed our rucksacks and went hiking along the coast together with my mum and Leia and Thunder. While the lunch was cooking over the open fire I went on a photo excursion along the cliffs while the Big Bears had fun in the snow. A great way to spend a Sunday 🙂

Leia and Thunder carried our firewood in their packs.

We stopped at our favourite spot by the sea to eat lunch.

The sea ice has already broken up, more than one month earlier than last year.

Thunder exploring the coast line.

Leia and Thunder chose to keep a distance from the fire, even though they could smell our food.

♥

Leia turned 9 years old this week.

But she’s still our puppy!

Catch me if you can!

We had a nice day out despite the weather. Hopefully we’ll see some more SUN during March.