News

Greetings from Wintermoon Summersun June 18, 2008 Full moon of cool mornings and baby chickens Full moon day was a big one: it was 33 degrees this am and we got the 4 wheeler back out and hooked up 8 happy dogs. Allison and I harnessed up Eleanor, Signe, Shim, Ida, Wing, Odin, Uno-tuk and Cinder and they went flying down the trail. Luckily there was a ditch with some water for them to cool down in. It was alot of fun. This was the latest I remember going out with the 4 wheeler. Drew, Allison and I have been jogging with the dogs every morning and because it has been quite a cool spring, they are doing really well. Especially Lemmikki and Trondheim. Now 6 months old, they run and pull with amazing focus and drive. They still love to run loose and play, play,... but I can tell they will be great this winter. And the next big event of the day, Callie and Sarahanna arrived for the rest of the summer. They are students at Evergreen College in Washington and Callie has been coming up here dogsledding with her mom since she was 10. We have a good crew for the summer. And I sat on a couch in the new living room with lilacs on the end table looking out the new skylight for the first time. Of course the back north wall isn't done and the roof not finished but why should that stop a memorable moment. It is a sunny space that will be really enjoyed. But the biggest focus of the last month has been the gardens. We are about 95% planted and although things are slower than normal they are looking good. We built a new greenhouse at Thornapple where the pigs had been last year, with the help of Kathleen and Randy, (soil looks good) and it needs a little more work but had 30 tomatoes, 30 peppers and 20 basil. We have about 140 tomatoes, great garlic, potatoes, onions, broccoli (the rabbits have gotten some), beans, peas, greens,.... and some very little squash. We should have a great harvest. Rebecca started us some turkeys from eggs and got 1 day old layers , 25 of them, and got them off to a good start for us. They are a month old and we should have lots of great eggs. They are very cute. Kayak trips start this week end and luckily the weather has turned warmer. There are still openings on some of the trips, especially the September ones. House dog Aaigimak is doing well at 15, but Sisu has gotten her calcium imbalance back again and had a seizure. She is on her medication and seems to be doing better. We also have a new thunder and lightning dog: Signe. She has taken Karhu's space. There are 6 and that seems to be about what I can handle altho with the new living room.... Now is the time to let me know if you have a group that would like to get a date for dogsledding this winter. And of course I have a new trail in mind to build... along our western border.... trails week end will be October 4-5 and 11-12 and all are welcome. May 19, 08 Full moon of visiting handlers and growing seedlings (I wrote this on the full moon but it did not get uploaded and luckily Manya let me know so I'm doing it over...) DJ was just here and we just took Lemmikki and Trondheim now 5 mos., out for walks in harness. They are doing exceptional! And in the last month they have gone on harness walks with Erika, who is on her way to work on an organic farm in MA, and Kate. Jennifer is coming next so they are getting alot of attention and still so friendly and loving to each other. David has 100's of tomato, basil, broccoli,... seedlings started in his house and they will be going into the gardens soon. April 20, 2008 Full moon of the vanishing snows First, sorry the news is a couple days late as I've been having computer woes.... But have we been having fantastic weather. Today is was 60 degrees- perfect building weather and David and I got the roof and tar paper on the cabin addition. And what's the most perfect, we went dogsledding on snow right up until then. My last run was with Eleanor, Signe and Oskar (siblings) on APRIL 16 ! One of the latest times in awhile. The Dogwood loop was still open and in wonderful shape. One early morning run a couple weeks ago, we were on the Petrell Creek section, after a fresh snow and there were tracks from a pack of wolves. This pack didn't just run through, they had a party! I have never seen so many tracks in one place; it was beautiful and fun to imagine them.... There were no kills visable and it was about a month past breeding season. A couple days later, Craig and I took teams down to see the tracks and there were 3 immature eagles circling around, so probably there was a kill somewhere near. And the next day, there was one lone very eaten deer skull laying on the creek. The next time I went, it's now early April, my wheel dog's back feet went through the ice and I knew it was time to go the woods trail. Receiving 17 inches of snow the second week in April was such a gift and I went out every day. And now, hard to believe in one week the snow is all gone. So I've started garden seedlings and planted greens in the greenhouse. David has been cutting and spliting wood like crazy after almost running out this year. It was a cold winter. Pups Lemmikki and Trondheim are 4 and one half months old and have joined the dog yard. They kept climbing the 4 foot fence and taking off on me. Lots of deer and smells to follow. They still play together constantly and I take them on loose walks. The dogs are doing good and I'm planning to start training with the 4 wheeler this week. Riley had surgery for an anal growth but is recovering nicely. Mel is eating better and went on 3 runs this late winter and pulled the whole time. We lost another elder Wintermoon dog this month: Wasamo, 14, the lightning dog. His name was Ojibway for lightning, he was born in a storm and could run as fast as..... He was also great great great grandfather to the puppies and was always a gentle, affectionate and loving dog. And a good leader- he ran on the elder team the last few years. There's pussywillows and red wing blackbirds, puddles and robins, and soon the lakes will be ice free and we can get the kayaks out. See kayaking for our summer schedule; we'd love to have you join us. And as Amelia Earhart says "Adventure is worthwhile in itself." March 21, 2008 Full moon of the wild and growing puppies Good news on the puppy front! I have kept 2 of the three month old Libby(daughter of Gabby and Bombo) and Jax (dog of Craig's) pups. I have the all black male, now known as Trondheim, named for the town in Norway where my grandfather was born. And I have the little brown girl, now Lemmikki, a Finnish word for sweetheart. They have been going out to the big dog yard and meeting the other dogs, going on walks, learning to sleep on the couch, chew everything and be the subject of hundreds of pictures. They are pretty cute and so far have been coming when I call. This week end is our last group of the season, the mother/daughter and the snow is holding. We have had some sunny warm 30 plus days but we still have a very good base of snow. Hopefully we will still be sledding for weeks to come. The dogs are all doing great and have been so good on all the runs. Just a couple girls in heat to keep things interesting but no problems with that. There is very sad news about Karhu; she was not able to survive the immune disease she had. She was one of the smartest, gentlest, loving and energetic dogs I've had and I miss her alot. I could let her loose at the gangline and she would run back to her house. I had a wonderful visit from a handler of old- actually 01-02- Robyn. She is now married (Pedersen to Thayer), living in Colorado, teaching yoga and doing her art work. She has a beautiful collection of cards with great writings and her theme is "fearless self expression for your most delectable life". She's studio lila at www.studiolila.com. Last trip, it came up about trails.... as many folks have been admiring the new Inuit Trail. I am looking at the first w/e in October, 4-5. Anyone who would like to come up and work in the quiet woods and help out; I provide the food and all. As the days lengthen, our thoughts turn to our wonderful gardens. It has been so satifying to serve the dried tomatoes, potatoes, onions, squash, carrots,... and all this winter. David started the pepper seeds this week and next we will start tomatoes, herbs, flowers and all. It is what sustains us as we loose our beautiful snow. Along those lines, I was given Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and can hardly put it down. It's about her family deciding for a year to eat only food that they buy raised in their neighborhood or that they grow themselves. I have been captivated by Kingsolver's writing and she is true to form in this non-fiction as well She takes a very serious subject: "the conspicuous consumption of limited resources has yet to be accepted widely as a spiritual error, or even bad manners", researches her info and adds wonderful experiences and insight. She helps advance the concept of locavores and is a great inspiration. I highly recommend it. We want to add Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Iowa, Colorado, Washington and more California to our season's guest list. Many thanks for joining us. February 20,2008 Full moon of more cold and many guests It has been so fun to have women from all over the country: California, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nevada, North Dakota.... and to have women returning for their 10th and 13th times! It has been fun conversations at the dinner table, in the sauna and on the dogsled. The mushing has been devine as we got a good base of snow early in the winter. We haven't had alot lately, but an inch or two now and then to freshen up the trails. AND speaking of trails, finally after over two years, I can announce that the INUIT TRAIL IS DONE !!! It is named after my first three dogs: Cayenne and her 2 offspring: Hildur and Petra. Cayenne was an Inuit dog from Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories, Canada and had been Lloyd's dog before I got her as a present December 25, 1986, the day she had Hildur and Petra. The dogs are doing good and have been loving all of the attention. The new ones : Eleanor and Signe are great leaders and Clark and William (who have both done the Iditarod with former owner Matt Weik) are good pullers. We have one sick dog however so please send her some good thoughts: Karhu has an immune disease and we are hoping the medication will help. Speaking of Cayenne and my first dogs.... I have finished the first chapter of the Wintermoon book. It took over a year to write. It is about getting started with dogs and was fun to think back twenty years to those momentous events. The book chapter is a perk at the $100. level of dog sponsorship. You can sponsor any Wintermoon dog and at the $50. level you get a mug with the dog's picture and $100. level a mug and a chapter. At the end of January we had fun helping out at the start of the Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon in Duluth. We were a handler crew helping the teams to the starting line and got to see alot of dogs!! It was unfortunate however that there were a number of crashes on the first turn and Jennifer Frekking, who has come in 2nd in the past, tipped and broke her wrist. She had to drop out. Another women crashed and broke her sled and had to have another one brought in. She went from 2nd out to last but was able to continue. Hopefully the Beargrease Committee will make some changes with this. As many of you know, I love books and Tammy from Oregon just brought me a new Balto book: The Adventures of Balto, the Untold Story of Alaska's Famous Iditarod Sled Dog by Patricia Chargot. The picture on the front looks like the real Balto, who also looks alot like our Aaigimak. (who by the way at 15 is really doing well) I haven't gotten to read the whole thing but there's a quote at the end when Balto and his team mates get to Cleveland and are in a parade from Judge James B. Ruhl, chairman of the Balto Committee: "The dog is man's best friend. A dog's love is akin to a mother's love. He is man's last friend when the cloud of misfortune hangs over him. And he is to be found watching at his master's grave when the last friend has departed." January 22, 2008 Full moon of clear, cold skies and growing puppies Libby's 6 week old puppies are laying in front of the wood stove; they are very smart pups, as it has been below 0 and actually -25 at night. They are very cute too and are enjoying all the attention from everyone. They come running to the door and it is pretty hard not to let them in. Libby is a good mom and they took their first walk with her today down the Grouse trail. In other trail news, we worked on the Inuit trail today and we are almost finished.... I am really hoping soon. The other trails are great; we have gotten close to 50 inches of snow this season. And the dogs are doing great and loving the good trails. Handler/intern Abby Taylor arrived this week and is getting to know the dogs and layout. She is from the East Coast so this is a new experience for her. In the rare bird department this winter is a female cardinal. I have never seen one here before. The winter moon has been so beautiful and bright in the clear sky, reflecting off the curves and folds of the snow. It brings forth such magical feelings and love of winter. There's peacefulnes that falls with the snow and it lightens ones soul. Hope yours is full too. Full moon of Gabby's grand puppies December 23,2007 Gabby, our beautiful 5 year old from Ursa and Hund, is proud to announce the birth of six grand puppies born to her daughter Libby. The father of the pups is Jax, a black and white male from Chel Ethun. Libby's father is Bombo, son of Petra and Kivi and is owned by Craig Johnson, a Wintermoon partner. Libby's sister is Kapu and brother is Uno-tuk. The three males and three females were born December 10 and are coming to Wintermoon for the winter to be able to meet all the guests. Their eyes are open and they are starting to waddle around. In other very good news we have great snow. We have had several amazing snow storms with almost a foot of snow each time! The trails are great- like floating on snow. We have several open and are working on getting the South Cedar Loop and the new Inuit trails open. The dogs are really good and have been enjoying lots of runs right from the dog yard. It looks like Petrell Creek might have slush this year and not be open. Rosie has left for Colorado and we have had so many good friends come to help until the winter handler Abby Taylor arrives January 21. MANY THANKS to Wendy, Jama, Allison, Drew, Jane, Dana, Mietuk, Anita, Linda, Julie, Maija, Jennifer, Craig, Kate, Lynne and David for all the wonderful assistance!!! We have started on a little addition project to the cabin and it will progress throughout the winter. The Bunk-her has some beautiful new siding and porch and railings upstairs. It has been fun to work on these for the celebration of our 20th season. With the start of the New Year if anyone would like to help sponsor any of the Wintermoon huskies, you can get a mug or chapter of the Wintermooon book. Please see sponsorship page. I have completed the first chapter and it will be sent out to the sponsors very soon. Found some great pics of Hildur, Petra and Cayenne. We all wish you a wonderful 2008 and winter season and may your year be filled with the wisdom of huskies: live in the present moment, forgive, play and exercise with gusto, get enought rest and give kisses to those you love. And I want to thank all of you who have come to Wintermoon Summersun over the past year for supporting and believing in us. Full moon of trail clearing... November 23,2007 We have been having the pleasure of walking around all the Wintermoon trails, nippers in hand, quiet abounding, and snipping off all those pesky woody plants that grow up in our path. It is such a meditative and soothing thing, although a little hard on the back. The Dogwood and Grouse trails are almost done and we have also been chipping away at the new, never been used, Inuit trail that is along our northern border. It is about 3/4 done and I am really looking forward to running dogs on it this winter! Then we still have the south Cedar Loop and the Raspberry to do. It has been made easier, unfortunately, by the fact that we don't have any snow. Our 5" that we have gotten has melted with some warmer temps however there is some in the forecast for this week. Thanksgiving was a wonderful celebration with all the Brimson community of friends. This was my 34th year attending and it is very grounding to be able to have this connection with a place and long time friends. It reminds me of a wonderful saying Sandy gave me- contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have. I have been thinking alot about this winter being my 20th season sharing dogsledding. All the wonderful people I have met, all the wonderful dogs I have and have had, the fun mushing... that is a huge space of thankfulness in my heart! And in the other type of space category: we're giving the lodge a renovation too. The dogs have been doing very well training with the 4 wheeler and are getting in great shape. Signe and Eleanor the new dogs,(Oskar's sisters) have been leading for me and seem to like their new home alot. We did get the rest of the garlic planted with our warm fall and everything is done in the garden except we are still eating kale from the greenhouse! It has been alot of getting ready for winter: firewood, trails, construction projects, putting away stuff, promoting trips,... Rosie is leaving next week; she has been a wonderful help and has been great to have here, hard working, positive attitude, loves the dogs and outdoors and fun to be with. The winter handler- Abby Taylor an intern from Salsbury College arrives Jan 20. So in between lots of great friends will be helping out- Jama from Arkansas is coming later in December, Wendy, Mpls is coming up the middle week ends in December, Linda and Julie are coming up next week end, Allison, now at Northland College, is coming for a week before and after Christmas and DJ, upstate NY, is coming for 3 weeks in January! Wow are we lucky. If anyone else wants to come up to be with the dogs, trails,.... you are sure welcome too. It is a beautiful time in the woods too. With all the leaves down, you can see so much more and the subtle colors of dried grasses with the green firs and grey aspens and white birch trees are beautiful. The winter birds are arriving and the pine grosbeaks really add a splash of color. Lots of blue jays, chickadees, gray jays and nuthatches too. It seems just yesterday I was able to feed the dogs at 9 pm and still have daylight and now I better be out there by 4:30 ! I am sitting at the dining room table and see snowflakes in the air. That makes one's heart sing! Full moon of garlic planting time October 25, 2007 The leaves are all blown and fallen now but there is still a golden brilliance with the tamaracks (Eastern larch) turning. We are blessed with alot of them ( they like semi-wet "feet") and so Brimson is alive with their feathery golden colors. And so that means it it time to plant garlic. We have 10 pounds planted already and hope to do 10 more today. We cover them well with straw and it is so fun because they are the first things up in the spring. We had a great trails week end and got to celebrate 2 birthdays: Jane and Allison and so out came the "party promy dresses" and Hugos- here we come! It was fun to dance after a hard day in the woods. We really got alot done on the trail too. We connected the Dogwood with a brand new section that meets what we built last year. It is at the northern edge of our property and I think will be called the Inuit trail in honor of my first 3 dogs: Cayenne, Hildur & Petra who were Inuit dogs from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada. It will be a beautiful trail with lots of variety of terrain and trees. Many thanks to Jane, Allison, Jennifer, Rosie, Deb, Maija and Craig for all the great help on the trail and moving the piano !! We had a little excitement that Saturday morning too. Craig was up helping and we were setting him up on the 4 wheeler with 3 of his dogs- Libby (Uno-tuk and Kapu's sibling) and T-too in lead, then Jax with 3 of my dogs. He was almost ready to go when we heard snap and the gangline broke right behind the leaders and away they went. Jennifer and Alllison ran after them, Craig went for his truck to meet them where the trail comes close to the road and Deb, Jane and I put the other dogs back. When they didn't return, I got in my truck and went looking. Craig said he didn't see them at the trail, Jennifer ran up and she didn't see them, so they turned around and I started walking the Dogwood. I walked the whole thing thinking I might find them but they were way too fast and ran the entire loop. Jennifer and Craig met them as they were almost back. Both were fine and smiling.... We have 2 new dogs: Signe and Eleanor, both from Claire Seekins and sisters to Oskar. They love !!! to run and are doing well. We lost our elder, the big beautiful white Kuu this past month. He was 16 1/2 and really did well right up until end. Maija gave him a wonderful and fitting tribute: Kuu Bear... Old soul Youthful spirit Charmer Companion We'll see you on the trails.. The morning runs with the 4 wheeler are going very well and the dogs are getting stronger. Rosie is having fun here and is a great worker. She will be here until mid- December. The living room/dining room looks great after it's sanding frenzy; I love the exposed log beams! Full moon of the fall rains September 26, 2007 It was made perfectly clear in the morning light why the dogs were so barky last night. As I walked Aaigimak down the driveway for her morning stroll, the deep impressions of tracks were unmistakable! The moose had come all the way to the edge of the dog yard, then whirled around and back down the drive to the corner where the sled dog trail goes into the woods. If only I had gotten up, but it was so warm and comfy and we had had two days of really hard work taking the old ceiling down from the living room/dining room. Yes, we started another big project... well, why not, kayak trip season had been over for almost 12 hours. It had been a desire of mine for such a long time. I was hoping to be greeted by beautiful log beams and good looking wood; unfortunately we will be grinding and sanding for a long time. One of the reasons to start this week, it is Jennifer's last week and Rosie's second week here and so there are 3 of us which really helps. We will miss Jennifer and her caring ways with the dogs, people, pigs & chickens, gardens,... Yes again, it had been a very busy summer. We are just taking in the last of the garden- big boxes of squash, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and garlic hanging in the shed. The carrots are great too although we are fighting with the deer over them; we cover them with tarps every night so the deer can't eat them. We had a great visit with Manya and Joe from PA. this month and they helped us with so many projects like finishing up the interior of the Bunk her and digging potatoes. We are so happy that the fall weather has included lots of rain, over 5 inches since last month, about what we were behind. So much rain that we were able to go down Petrell Creek into Breda Lake for our swan song kayak. It was amazing; I can't ever remember it being that high water. We did not see a single rock! And it was so fun to have 6 family members on this trip from a 16 year old granddaughter to her 64 year old grandmother. Fall kayaking also included snow the second week of September and the Sage group here showed alot of sisu ! (Our wonderful Finnish word for tenacity, guts, endurance...) as they paddled in 40 degrees. Luckily the next 2 days warmed up nicely. We have started with the 4 wheeler training the dogs altho not every morning is cool enough so we still jog with them too. They are doing great and dreams of snow trails dance in all of our heads. Speaking of trails, I will be having a TRAIL WEEK END OCTOBER 19-21 for anyone who would like to come up and help work on the sled dog trails. I provide the food, Bunk her, sauna,... Just call (218-848-2442) or email. One of our elder dogs, 15 year old Spice, the beautiful red, high energy, bark at rocks, always ready to go, has gone back to live with Pat Jones who I got her from 5 years ago. Spice had been a leader on a sprint team and was ready now to really retire. We will miss her gentle spirit. We have gotten to see Maija recently because she moved to Grand Marais to start a nursing program. It will be good to have her close. The fall colors came a little early this year, probably because it had been so dry but the maples were brilliant. I was thinking how the intense reds of fall seem to evoke such wonderful feelings like passion, creativity and courage... which is so helpful when dealing with change. Time to go run dogs,.... hope to see you sledding this winter..... Full moon of hot and dry August 28, 2007 (entered a little late....) We have been spending a bit of extra time watering the gardens & animals because of lack of rain; we have had high fire danger again too. The dogs are doing well altho can't always go for runs in the am. with this heat. The kayak trips continue to go well and we are having so much fun exploring all the lakes in the area. The wild rice is growing and filling Petrell Creek, Breda Lake and Wolf Lake. We've continued to see lots of eagles and loons this summer. The broiler chickens have been butchered and the pigs are really growing. They love visitors, especially ones that pick grass and kale for them to eat. Last week end was the 25th Brimson Sisu Run/Walk with over 250 participants. There were great prizes, wonderful music from Jennifer Levenhagen, the handler, and Kari Munson, good food and a beautiful day. The dogsledding schedule is posted and we are thinking about the fun of gliding through the woods on soft and beautiful snow already. We would love to have you join us and if you have any questions please let me know. And so in fall we head out to the trails to get them in shape. Any one wanting to join us nipping trails is so welcome : October 19-21. I provide the food and all. It is a fun time to be out in the woods. Full moon of happy kayakers July 29, 2007 We have had 31 kayakers here since the last full moon... from places like Kansas, Arkansas, Montana & Wisconsin. With the hot weather we have been having, it has been wonderful to be on the water. We've seen lots of birds- loons, eagles, an osprey nest with young, blue herons, and a muskrat swam almost right up to my boat and today, Jennifer saw a wolf on the shore of Petrell Creek. Sarah and Jim have been carefully tending the gardens, chickens and pigs while we have been paddling. All are doing well. The 150 broilers are out in the pasture now in four pens. And the pigs... do they love to root ! They are the perfect soil preparers for future gardens. I can see planting lots of garlic in their space this fall. And they are very friendly- they seem to like to be petted and are quite social. The thousand seeds planted last month have really taken off however we have had to do ALOT of watering as it has been a dry summer, again. We have been eating delicious greens, basil for the pesto and peas. We have 90 tomato plants and they are just starting to ripen. Lots of good salsa in our future. The dogs have been doing ok too altho this is not their favorite time. They are enjoying getting brushed, lots of water and pets. I have been thinking of trails already tho and have some trail week ends in October if anyone is interested in coming up for nipping and swamping the brush on the dog trails. I provide the food, sauna, Bunk her... We have gotten some more done on the inside of the Bunk her too so it is almost done. Then to the outside. We have openings on one kayak trip in August, the 17-19 if anyone would like to join us. Both September trips are filled now. The wolves have been howling again off to the East. I imagine they can move around a little more now the they young are 3-4 months old. We have been short on northern lights tho this summer. The fireflys have been making up for it. And during the day, there are so many colorful yellow and purple finches and hummingbirds to delight us. I am putting together the winter dogsledding schedule and if you have a group that would like to come, please get ahold of me for dates. Keep cool and happy trails. June 30, 2007 Full moon of thousands of seeds planted and Jennifer's birthday Jennifer, the kayaking assistant and dog handler arrived at the beginning of the month and we just celebrated her 25th birthday. She is fitting in very well, loves running the dogs, the alternative life-style and kayaking. We have done a couple trips already and July is full. We do have lots of openings in August however. Jim and Sarah have pulled a million weeds and planted thousands of seeds. The gardens are coming up, altho it has been dry here again and we have had to water by hand alot. We have a new 60 tomato plant greenhouse at Thornapple and the pigs have helped us expand the gardens there too. The pond has had a makeover and it is so sweet to see the goldfinches and other birds go to it for water. That was the intent of building it but the flowers and rock builing part has been fun too. The dogs are surviving the hot weather and bug season. Not to much they can do in the heat; they all have shade, dig themselves nice holes in the dirt and get lots of water. We have an opening in one of the cooperative cabins (6 weeks a year) if anyone is interested. Please call or e mail and I would be glad to share the details. I am starting to schedule the dogsledding dates so if you are interested in having a custom trip with 6-10 please let me know and we can talk dates. It has been fun to see the baby fawns following their moms into the woods. Lots of baby birds showing up at the feeders too. And this year: the bear. It has come numerous times and knocked over the feeders; just looks at me when I yell- go away bear! Then ambles off. Jennifer has gotten to see it so that is nice and Jim, Sarah and I saw a moose on the driveway and they have seen a wolf twice. The life force bursting forth at this time of year is such a miracle and a blessing to be part of. We had our first basil pesto from the garden and it was wonderful ! May 31, 2007 It's a blue full moon... rising... It was actually orangey and very large lighting up the sky as she rose.. magnificent! A bookend for a very full month. It started out very dry and I'm sure many of you heard of the forest fires up North here, particularly the Ham Lake on the Gunflint which burned 75,000 acres. We could smell the smoke but did not have any here, luckily. Then about mid-month it started raining, usually 1 to 2 tenths of an inch and has been steady all month. It's great to relieve our fire worry but hard on the gardening. So were are a little behind in getting the gardens in. Sarah and Jim, the garden interns arrived May 15 and have been hard at it preparing soil, building a new greenhouse at Thornapple, putting up fences and planting potatoes and onions. We also moved the 2 pigs from my house to Thornapple where they will spend the summer. They are so amazing how they root up all the weeds with their noses. And they like to be petted and rubbed. They have escaped twice and once ran out into the woods but we were able to round them up. Jennifer arrives tomorrow and will be helping with the kayaking trips. She went to school with Maija so knows a little about us. Speaking of Maija- she is just leaving to visit Adolfo in Guatemala for a few weeks after completing her pre-req classes in nursing. I had alot of fun at the Living Green Expo in eary May. It is for businesses and products that promote sustainability and it was great to share what we have been doing here for 34 years! The dogs are good and we have still been getting them out with the 4 wheeler on the cool mornings. Otherwise jogging with them which suits them just fine as they really like to stop and smell the _______ along the way. This past w/e it was great to have the help of Rebecca, Carl, Meg, Deb and Sarah helping run them and we got so many out. Meg and Sarah have attended our last couple mother daughter dogsledding weekends and know all of the dogs so very well. Sisu is temporarily a house dog as her calcium levels have gotten to high and needs a little more attention again. She and Aaigimak seem to be getting along altho they both prefer the log loveseat. We have a new dog Jude from Claire and Chris again. She looks alot like Oskar and is related. It is thunderstorm season so I have my 5 dogs that usually need to come in: Juno, Hund, Raven, Karhu and Sisu. We have been have a number of slumber parties. The bird songs are so sweet this time of year; it seems they are all so happy or territorial... We have had about 20 gold finches coming to the thistle feeder and I had to put up another one. The trees are about 80 % leaved out and things are just starting to bloom, the air is filled with earthy and fragrant smells and the gardens are calling..... May 2, 2007 Full moon of warm temps and low moisture Well last month I wrote it was starting to snow but not sticking on the ground... well a happy April Fools to us! We got 12 inches and I was so thrilled to take the sled back out and mush every day until Easter. I didn't drive my truck the entire first week in April so I could use the driveway for running the dogs and it was heavenly. The last sled runs on Easter morning had both Uno-tuk and Kapu in lead and they did very well. My only thought was where was this foot of snow in December ? And now we have had 18 days in a row with above normal temps, many 50 & 60's, and so it is dry again and the fire danger is high. This is really something we don't want to see. Our morning runs are now done with the 4 wheeler and on foot, both of which are very satisfying. The dogs can run so much faster pulling the 4 wheeler (I have it in Nuetral with the engine off) than I can run with them but it is better for me when we do the harness and skijor belt. I'm here on my own this month and so mornings are pretty busy. This morning it was the elder team of Dune, Spice, who will be 15 on May 11 !!, Makoon, Wasamo, Sisu and Louise. They had that 4 wheeler rockin' on the post before we got going and they did great. All the dogs are doing very well and are starting to blow out their winter coats. We are looking forward to the May 15 arrival of Sarah and Jim who will be helping out this summer with a focus on the organic gardens and farm. The 2 pigs come next week and the chickens in June. Then at the beginning of June, Jennifer will join us and she will be doing alot with the dogs and kayaking. We have alot to do this summer so if anyone is interested in coming up and volunteering let me know. There is the Bunk her to finish too, trail work, dogs, carpentry at the cooperative cabins,... I want to thank everyone who has sponsored dogs in the new husky sponsorship program. I have over 75% of my dogs over 8 years old and with the older dogs, it usually means more medical attention. Last year it was around $4,700.00 in vet bills so this program really helps to insure that the dogs can get the care they need. The cups with the pictures of the dogs are turning out really nice too. More info on the Sponsorship page. It is fun to have a little more time for reading and I got a book that I heard about in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know (which I would recommend). It is by a Japanese Masaru Emoto called The Hidden Messages in Water. Amazing info and research he did on the the ability of water to copy information. Water formations would change based on words he presented to the water.... there are wonderful pictures. The seedlings are planted and up, the spinach is up in the greenhouse, the goldfinches are turning yellow and the red wing blackbirds are back and the wood frogs had started their chorus... it is a magical time with new energy. There are still openings on kayak trips and it would be great to share some of the Northwoods splendor with you. April 2, 2007 Full moon of the spring melt We thought we had such a good base of snow after the storms last month brought 22" but 5 days in a row of 50 and 60 degrees showed us ! The snows have again melted earlier than previous years and I fear we are looking at an inconvenient truth. We ended up the season only about 5 inches below normal with 64 inches. Now today mother nature is playing April Fools and it is snowing but the bare ground is soaking it in. We do need the moisture though. Another passage is that Kate's time ended on March 31. We really enjoyed her and she was so good with the dogs and people. From her first day, picking up a hammer and helping with the entire Bunk her addtion to her last, teaching me how to copy and paste and taking Sisu for a run, she worked hard and was a joy to have here. She is off to visit family, do a little traveling, a dog sitting job and then probably back to the Cities to look for her next adventure. We just finished the brochure, newsletter... and so you should be getting it in the mail soon. I am excited about a new offering with Judy Wick, massage therapist. She is an experienced runner and personal trainer and we are going to have a workshop for women that looks at all aspects of running, races and triathlons. See the page on Running Seminar for more info. I have been having fun writing the book about Wintermoon. A side bar to the chapters as I move through the years will be about how the dogs got their names and what they mean. I am reading a book that Andrea (top returnee at 13 years!) loaned me this winter: The World is as You Dream It - Teachings from the Amazon and Andes by John Perkins. One part I read that I really liked "For most tribal people, the risk was not so much one of dying but of not living properly. It was the quality of your time on Earth, not quantity, that was important." I am enjoying the book and would recommend it. One way that spring adds to our quality of life is the return of so many birds. The grouse are drumming out in the woods; earlier than usual because the old fallen trees they stand on to proclaim their territory are free of snow. The feeders are now the reds of the purple finches and yellow of the evening grosbeaks. There's the motion of large flocks of finches, juncoes, siskins coming and going. And the ever present BLUES of the jays and black and white of chickadees. And Whitey is still here coming every day altho she/he was gone for about 4 days in March. ?? If anyone is interested in a summer break up in the woods and would like to volunteer in exchange for a cabin and food, let me know. We will have lots to do this summer with gardens, kayaking, chickens, pigs, building projects,.... We are planning the kayaking trips and there is still time to reserve a weekend for a group of 6 or more or you also can start signing up as individuals too. I can already hear the water splashing against the boat and the wind in the trees. We would love to have you join us. March 3, 2007 Full moon with lots of snow We have had full blown winter (finally) this past week; two great snowfalls with over 20" of new snow. David has been out with the groomer and the trails are looking suberb. We are so happy because this should mean our dogsledding season can last longer. Dogsledding has been great and it is so fun to have women come from all over the country- in the last month: Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arkansas, Texas, California and even Germany. It is like taking a vacation tour for Kate and I to hear all the great stories and descriptions of other places. It has inspired a chapter in the book I've started too. I would like to share some of the interesting stories I have heard from guests. Wait til you hear about David the quail who bonded with a dog and was "housebroken". Husky sponsorships are going well too with 13 dogs chosen already. The cups with their pictures are turning out really nice as Kate is the official photographer. She just got a digital camera before she came up for the winter and has a great eye. Plus she is so good with the dogs, I'm sure that helps. Aaigimak who just turned 14 (daughter of Hildur) is doing so well as the housedog. And her hair and tail have grown in alot more too. She is happy to go on walks with all and has been nice in sharing the house with Dune the last 2 weeks. He had a tumor on his front leg removed and all seems well. After it is healed, he should be able to run again. He is the greatest leader and has been wonderful with the elder team. Planning has started for summer kayaking groups. If you have 6-8 and would like a week end just for your group, please let me know soon as I will be doing my brochure shortly. That beautiful Petrell Creek we have been running the dogs on this winter, becomes a pristine and gentle waterway for kayaking in the summer. And I am ordering seeds for the garden this week. Pictures of basil, tomatoes, peas, arugula and peppers dance in my head. We will be starting some in David's heated workshop later this month! Happy St. Urho's Day, March 16, to everyone. He's the amazing Finnish guy who chased to grasshoppers out of the grapes. Everyone wears green and purple (works for me) and you should see how cute the dogs are. February 1, 2007 Full moon of deep winter cold We are not worried about our snow melting here... we are having an artic blast. And it has proven the hardiness of canines and of women from CA, AR, NY, OH and IL ! We have continued to have small snowfalls throughout the month and so we have had enough snow for our Minnesota womens dogsledding adventures. It is sisu country and great tenacity and endurance have been shown. Many thanks to DJ who has helped out on the last 2 trips and brought her cute huskies from NY. It is a great time of year to pull the rhubarb, broccoli and chicken from the freezer to serve for our hearty dinners, sit with candlelight and tell stories about the days mushing. We have had some great runs down Petrell Creek and around Salo Lake. Our newest little husky Wing is proving to be a very good lead dog and Uno-tuk is getting into it also. Great progress has been made on the Bunk-her project and thanks to David and his log work, the railings are magnificent. The deer have not been coming up to the feeder in the daylight this year. Every morning we see tracks and empty bread wrappers where they have pulled them out of the bags though. There has been a pine marten coming regularly and the ravens have just found the slab of dog meat we put out for them. We have been hearing the pileated woodpecker but not any owls yet. Kate has been doing great driving the dogs and they all love her. We had a very memorable event Jan. 26 in Duluth. The group of women- Jane, Mary, Jenny, DJ - who were doing the Beargrease trip went to the Gala to hear Libby Riddles speak. We sat with her during dinner and got to hear stories of her 40 dogs in Homer, talking in Juneau on the cruise ships,...AND we for some reason :) we sang selections from her very popular childrens book Danger the Dog Yard Cat , to 200 people. All with props of cats paws, snowflakes, and musher garb. It was fun to be part of the event. We are really enjoying the mushing alot and we are starting to plan the summer kayaking schedule too. Let us know if you are interested in getting a group together for kayaking. January 3, 2007 Wolf moon It is the farthest the moon is from Earth for many years to come and the wolves here have really been howling to it... and the huskies too. It is so beautiful to see the moonlight reflected on the snow. Yes, we have snow! New Years eve started with rain and it was so sad because we had just gotten 3 fresh inches... then it turned to snow and we got a wonderful additional 6 inches. We are still behind normal though. I think all the dancing on New Years eve in the ball gowns (those women from Kansas can dance) helped bring on the snow. The purple disco balls that Kate had were great too and of course the chocolate. We had a good first trip: 8 women from Kansas and it started snowing when they arrived. So our first sled run down Petrell Creek was beautiful. On one of our runs we met a fox coming down the trail towards us. Not many other tracks because of the fresh snow however the week before Rebecca reported seeing many wolf tracks. In the fall newsletter I talked about starting husky sponsorships in 2007. I now have the details on another page in the web site. Check it out if you would be interested in helping with a fund that goes to veterinary care for the huskies. And you will receive a great mug with a picture of any husky from our kennel. I also talked about Christmas day, 2006 being the 20th anniversary of my first puppies Hildur and Petra and dog Cayenne. It was wonderful to sit that day and think about those early memories. And I did start the book! I really did not have an idea what would come but it did and I am enjoying writing about it. I think the purple paper, purple pen helped :) Kate the handler is doing great. I asked her what she thought after 1 1/2 months and she said it is wonderful, that the dogs are amazing and she loves to see the different personalities emerge. Like Uno-tuk who knows he is so good looking, and Natasha who is so cute and shy. She said it hasn't been hard at all adjusting to this life style and has enjoyed having time for crafts, art and books. David and I think Kate is wonderful too. A hard worker, conscientious, attentive with the dogs, warm personality, quick learner and just an overall great fit here at Wintermoon. I think you will all enjoy her this winter. Since right before Thanksgiving we have been working on a Bunk her project that has had the most amazing energy- so many folks have been helping: Keith, Adolfo, Mietek, Jane, Dana, Rick (Kate's dad), Sue, Craig and David. I want to thank them all for an incredible job!! And I would also like to thank Dawn for a membership in the Minnesota Women's Consortium- a great group of womens businesses and organizations. And speaking of winter... there are still openings on many of the trips listed under DOGSLEDDING so think about joining us this winter. The snow on the pines, the howling huskies, the guiet of the trail, the surprise at the Bunk-her... a grand adventure ! December 5, 2006 Full moon with snow ! And the moonlight glistening on the snow is one of the most beautiful and magical things to see. It's been cold too with temps hovering around 0 for over a week. We are still training with the 4 wheeler and the dogs are doing great. Uno-tuk has been running in lead and 3 of the new dogs: Wing, Chloe and Odin are very good lead dogs too. The elders Karma and Kuu, at 15, are in the log cabin pen and got a deer carcas from some hunters for a treat. We have sign ups for dogsledding from Kansas, Washington, Colorado, California, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Oregon so far this year. There are still openings for lots of dates; check out the dogsledding page. Kate Zieman started as the winter handler about 3 weeks ago and is doing great. So far she has run with the dogs and 4 wheeler, chopped chicken and carved moose, nipped on our new trail, sawzalled, hammered and screwed on the Bunk-her and fed, watered and collected eggs from the chickens. She likes the variety and is a great worker. I think you will enjoy meeting her. Speaking of the new trail, it is coming along and is going to be beautiful. It winds through the spruce, up thru some large aspen and back to the Homestead Trail by the creek. We are about 80% done so if anyone wants to come up and help with trails, you are very welcome- any time works for us! Winter brings a stillness and quiet to the land and it is wonderful to let those feelings settle into our selves. We need beauty and that replenishment for our spirits. Happy Holidays. November 5, 2006 Surprise moon This full moon surprised me because we have not been able to see it coming... the month of October has been the cloudiest, snowiest, coldest... but clear tonight and there she is. We have had almost 10 inches of snow already but it has now melted. That's ok though because we still have a bit of trail work to do. The new trail we are building along our northern property line, to be named after my dog Willow, got off to a wonderful start with last week-ends trail work. It is amazing what 6 nippers can do: many thanks to Linda, Julie, Julee, Laura, Denise and Jenny. A spectacular trail emerged amid very thick stands of brush. I can't wait to see it with snow. This week end a smaller crew, in numbers and age, took on re building the first part of the Grouse Loop coming out of the Petrell meadow. Thanks to Rebecca, Kate and 11 year old Meg and 10 year old Grace. Oh the beauty of the confidence of 10 & 11 year old girls. You should have seen them in the mornings, with the skijor belt on, running down the driveway with Sandy, Mel, Dune, Sparky,... They each took out 3 dogs the first am and 2 the second. They watered all the dogs and fluffed and added straw to their doghouses amid pets and dog kisses. They remembered all the names, even tho the ones on the houses might be wrong. The giving and receiving between dogs and girls was heavenly and priceless. Rebecca is an amazing mom and person. The Kate from this week end is our new Wintermoon handler and it was wonderful to have her help and to start to get to know her. She came up kayaking last summer with her mom and sister. She is a great worker and I think we are going to have a fun winter. Newsletters and brochures are just done and going out in the mail. If you have any questions about any of the dogsledding, please let me know. The dogs are really doing well going out with the 4 wheeler and I have been trying some of the new dogs in lead. Wing did very well yesterday; I just got her from Claire and Chris. We did lose a very well known and big personality dog from the kennel. Mr. Barbaloot (named by Craig from Dr. Suess' The Lorax) died from cancer at only 11. He loved to start the howling, to put his very large head in your lap, to make you laugh, to be in lead and to stop short at a full run to poop. You always felt you had a friend with "Looty". October 6, 2006 Harvest Full Moon What a magical full moon time- I could see the moon rise - 6:28pm and the sun set - 6:44 and tomorrow morning it will delight again with a sunrise of 7:18am and moon set of 7:57. There's a grounding energy being able to be between those two beauties. Then add all the brilliant fall color and cooler temps, the start of fall training, having hired a great handler and I am a happy camper. Kate Zieman, St. Paul, will be starting mid-November. She, her mom and sister came on a kayak trip last summer and again on a Superior paddle this fall. The dogs are excited to be using the 4 wheeler again. We go out the Dogwood Trail, then out over to the road and back up the driveway. It's a great starting loop and they are doing well. Raven is out for a couple weeks because of mouth surgery; she had several bad teeth that had to be removed. She is sleeping in on the couch and is happy about that. We have another new dog- Wing - a 7 year old F from Claire and Chris. I have started flagging the new section of the Homestead Loop that we hope to build this fall. It will be about 3/4 mile and follow my northern property boundary. Everyone is invited to join us either Oct 14 & 15 or 28 & 29 for trail building. I provide all the meals, sauna,... in exchange for help with the trails. It's a great way to be in the heart of nature and very satisfying to look ahead of you and see thick woods and look behind you and see a beautiful trail. I am almost done digging potatoes and carrots and then the garden will be done for the season. It was an ok year; pretty dry though. Still have garlic to plant in a week or so- hopefully about 20 pounds this year. There's a dogsledding trip January 13-15 that will be open to families. There is a family with 2 teenagers, one an exchange student from Germany already signed up. And as our wonderful kayaking season wound down, I found time to read a book that Manya sent Running with Champions by Lisa Frederic. She was a handler for Jeff King and after 3 seasons ran one of his young teams in the 2002 Iditarod. It's quite an inside perspective of a midlife journey. One part that really struck me was at the beginning she talks about how she came to be interested in mushing. She and her husband lived on Kodiak Island and fish for a living; they decided to go watch the Finish Line in Nome one year. This was her observation: "The musher stopped the sled under the arch, barely glancing up at the symbol that marked the end of his journey. He glanced shyly at the crowd and shuffled along the length of the team. He ran his hand down the body of each animal, wrapping his giant arms briefly around several. When he reached the front, he sant to his knees next to the two leaders and buried his face in their coats. When he stood up, his eyes were bright and wet. The crowds seem to confuse him, but the emotion on his face confused me. He seemed more grateful that victorious, more humbled that triumphant." With her very first mushing encounter, I felt she captured an essence that most of us feel and quickly read the rest of the book. I recommend it altho there were parts that were hard to read. There are still a couple week ends available if you are interested in putting a contract custom trip together. And there will be a couple openings on a trip we do with the Beargrease Sled Dog Race January 27-30. We will be helping at the Start and with a team running the mid-distance race, in addition to running our dogs. (not in the race :) September 7, 2006 Full moon of the harvest time It been a fun month for kayaking with friends coming from NY, OR, GA, IL, and a trip to Brule Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Our stars were aligned- we had an island campsite, warm days for swimming, no bugs AND northern lights! There's still an opportunity to kayak in September on Lake Superior: I'm offering 1 day outings the 10th, 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th for $50./day including lunch. We will meet and paddle near Duluth. Call or email if you're interested. In general the weather has been cooler- alot of mornings in the 30's and 40's so the dogs are much happier. I've been jogging with them and had help last week from Makela coop cabin members ll year old Meg and her mom Rebecca. Meg was great- the skijor belt was a little big for her but she took out Mel, Spice, Kuu, Louise and Louisa. She's come on the mother-daughter week-end the last 3 years and is really good with the dogs. She remembers who they are, even when they have the wrong name, and helps her mom out too. It's still very dry here- we are about 4" below normal and the leaves are really starting to turn colors. It's the time my thoughts turn to TRAILS !!! Every fall we have a week end or 2 when all are invited to come and help with trail building and maintenence. It is a wonderful time to be out in the woods and the work is invigorating. No skills or experience is necessary and I provide the food, Bunk-her and sauna. Let me know if you have any questions or would like to join us. DATES FOR TRAILS WEEK - ENDS: OCTOBER 14 - 15 and OCTOBER 28 - 29. The gardens had a hard time this summer with the lack of rain and heat however the garlic and potato crop are good. We'll get some carrots and squash too. Looking back on the summer, what strikes me is how patient the dogs seem to be. They are the extreme example of acceptance for what is and calmness in waiting. This was a hard summer for all of us with high temps and lack of cooling rains and yet they are a testament to perseverence with a joyful attitude. Bless them. We still have week ends available for groups of 6 to 8 for dogsledding December to March. Have a group of friends or family that you'd like to share a memorable adventure with? August 9, 2006 Full moon of the heart of summer It was a classic Northwoods full moon night and I have never heard the wolves howl so close. It was about 10 pm and I needed to go to the workshop and get some dog food for Sisu (she has been staying in the house alot and has a special food). It would have been only a matter of 5 minutes that I was outside, that's part of what makes it so amazing, and also that I actually was thinking about writing this. To the southeast, really right where Makela cabin is, a group of 3-5 wolves started howling. It seemed like mostly adults; none of the high pitched yips of pups; They are probably only 3-4 months old and still may be hanging around a den sight. ALL of my dogs responded immediately and howled for about one minute. Then silence. After several minutes the wolves howled again and the dogs responded again. The moon was rising over the tips of the pines and it was so exciting to be standing there soaking it all in. Later, after I had gone to bed, I heard one lone wolf howl again, out towards Thornapple meadow. I might have been a little worried if the broiler chickens were still there but we have butchered all of them and the "girls" : the laying hens were all safely in the chicken coop. Several nights before this as the moon was rising and I stepped out on the front porch, the moonlight glistening on the pines really did look like snow on them. I know it has been exceeding hot and my brain is kind of mushy and all of us here are really anticipating when snow will come.... but it really did look like it :) . I am planning some special kayaking for September. SUPERIOR SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS : September 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, or 24. It will be one day kayaking on Lake Superior in Duluth, along beautiful Park Poing (the bay if it is too windy) including lunch, kayaks & gear, for $50. E mail if you are interested. I am also scheduling the winter dogsledding custom contract trips for groups. If you have 6=8 folks who would like to come North and have an amazing winter experience please contact me soon. I am sure most of you have heard the very sad news that Susan Butcher passed on from luekemia and a blood disorder. She was only 51 and leaves her husband David and 2 daughters. I got to know Susan when she came down and ran the Beargrease ( and won it in 1990). She was dedicated to her dogs and was a wonderful person to have involved in the sport. The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is celebrating it's 25 anniversary this year and 2 things about that: Libby Riddles will be in Duluth speaking for it and a book is being written about the Beargrease. I have been working with the committee some and will be doing interviews of past winners. Had a very nice conversation with 1989 winner Dee Dee Jonrowe about her race. The forest fire is pretty much contained now at around 30,000 acres and we did get some much needed rain. We are still about 1 1/2 inches below normal though. The dogs are feeling so much better now that it has cooled some. We can go for some runs in the mornings again. I love that part too. We did lose our oldest sweetie Luna a couple weeks ago; he was 15 and still looked like a puppy to me. He was having quite a hard time with arthritis though and I think some of his organs just shut down. I am thinking of a fall trail clearing week end early in October. We need to build a new section to replace the Simola driveway which is now getting plowed. A pair of robins has built a nest and has new babies right above Gabby, Kapu and Uno-tuk. They are very attentive parents and find bits of dog food; location, location. Some things are starting to lose the green and we love to see those mellow colors. Have had a few mornings in the 30's !!! JULY 10 Full moon of the hot summer (written a little late as I had to do a little celebrating "the coming into the world date" and take care of 160 chickens..... more about that later) Not only has it been hot here but also dry now; fire danger is extreme and there is a major fire burning, 15,000 acres so far in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We always get a little nervous when we get this dry. And of course the dogs are not really happy in the heat. They all have their sun shelters and get fly repellent on their noses and ears every day and LOTS of water. We have had to curtail the usual morning walks as it has been warm and I don't want them overheating. They have been getting their winter coat brushed out too. They are all doing well though and I don't know what they dream about, but I have been planning some new trails in my mind. It always makes me feel better. The gardens are doing just ok. Lowest thing on the totem pole in order of priority so they could use some more watering and weeding but we are getting lots of basil and greens. The broccoli and zucchini are coming along too. The chickens 150 broilers, and 12 new baby laying hens, and the 6 girls , adult laying hens have been taking a chunk out of the day. Feeding, watering and moving the 4 pens over at Thornapple are the main things. Unfortunately, I don't have a handler so it takes a little longer. If anyone is interested or knows of anyone, I am looking ! There's baby birds everywhere. The blue jays and grey jays are so cute and noisy and follow their parents to the feeders and then just look at them. Sometimes mom or day will give them a seed and then they get it. The garlic is actually looking pretty good; it was planted in the fall. 14 pounds of it ! So hopefully we will have enough for winter. Now is the time that I am scheduling the custom contract dogsledding trips. So if you have 6 to 8 (women, mixed, parents & kids) and would like to have Wintermoon exclusively to yourselves please get ahold of me soon. I still have quite a few dates that are open. A 3 day trip is $375. and a 4 day is $450. which includes all the meals, lodging and dogsledding. The kayaking has been lots of fun this summer and there are still some openings. See Kayaking. The beauiful and intense colors of all the flowers are food for the soul and summer is a time of renewal and rejuvenating. I hope there is some in your lives. Full moon of the heavy rains June 11 This spring has been a back and forth of heavy rains, almost 3" last week and then everything getting dry. But the mornings are a symphony of bird songs punctuated by a dog howl here and there. We had Craigs 5 dogs here for 3 weeks and so Mudshark had to add his 2 cents worth most mornings. AND this last week we had frost 3 mornings in a row. Of course the gardener in me was worried but the musher, a way stronger gene, was so delighted ! We took out the 4 wheeler and you could tell the dogs were delighted too. They like going fast and we just don't cut it for them when we run with them. The grass on the trail was as high as they were, the dew cooled them and it was a beautiful sight. All the dogs are doing well. Chloe and Odin have fit in well. Sister and brother, Karma and Kuu are together in the straw barn pen, which we expanded to about double the size. Luna, the oldest now at 15 is in the pen up by my old house. It has been typical spring busy when gardens are being planted and we have a batch of baby broiler chicks (150 this time and 12 baby layers). The gardens are about 75% done and the chicks are almost out of the brooder. I am running a little behind but the soil is great in Brimson so things should do ok. Have had a new handler for just a few days so that helps. I made a great connection with Northland College in Ashland WI and we have set up an intern program and Jenna is the first to come from that. There's a chance that another woman might join us too. There's still openings on all of the kayak trips so if you are thinking about it or know someone who might be interested, please let me know. It is always fun to be on the water. Full moon May, 13, 2006 Two new dogs have joined our pack (not puppies :( ). A new female Chloe, 5 year old brindle colored, built like Mel and full of energy and male Odin, black with dashes of brown scattered all over his athletic body, 7 years old. I got them from Clarie and Chris, former home of Mel, Kettle and Malcom. They have a racing kennel and want to keep their numbers down and raise and treat their dogs like I do and so it is a good fit to "retire" them here. Very lovable like all the others (Dune, Louisa, Louise) The dogs are doing great- we are getting out with the 4 wheeler on a regular basis and going for walks too. Mostly up to check on the 71 new baby chicks at Makelas. They are almost 2 weeks old and chirping away. We did have a sad passing at the end of April. My very sweet Willow, daughter of my soul dog Hildur who was one of my very first puppies in l986, had cancer. We had a great winter together; every morning she would take me for a walk. It was something that was so healing for me, helping to get centered for the day and I probably would not have taken the time if it weren't for her. It is truly the hardest part of my life. The spring birds are a bright spot on the landscape. The rose breasted grosbeaks just arrived. Each male has a bright red chest bib that just makes you smile. And each one is unique so you can identify them and give them names like... Bob ! The purple finches, which of course are also red... are around, robins, red wing blackbirds, gold finches, and the very dark baby grey jays have arrived. If someone asked me I couldn't tell you where my sunglasses and sunscreen are...it has been that long. It has been raining for a week - 1.6 " last Tuesday and 2.85 for the month already - 1.77 above normal. Good for the fire danger, which we were flirting with earlier but not so good for getting into the gardens. The seedlings at David's are doing great; some tomatoes are already 2' tall and need to be planted soon. We rebuilt the greenhouse at Thornapple, as it fell under the 89" of snow this winter, and plan to start planting soon. So I missed seeing the moon this month but it is like friends that you don't always get to see, you know they are there. And the thoughts and images of them are also wonderfully fulfilling! Full moon April 13 11:40 am In one month's time.... we went from having lots of snow- over 2' to brown ! It really is scary how fast the sun can take care of all that snow ! The ice went out on the lakes this week. So the 4 wheeler is out and we move on. The one constant in life: change. One thing I do love about this time of year; when you get up in the morning, you put on polar fleece, then by afternoon you are in a t shirt and by the time you're ready to feed dogs in the evening, you are back to the original polar fleece outfit. Sometimes you start the wood stove at night but usually not. The bird feeder scene has really changed too. All the pine grosbeaks are gone but in the early morning the evening grosbeaks come. The trill of the red wing blackbird fills the air, the purple finches are the color, the juncoes flock to the ground and all the different sparrows are passing through. It has continued to be warmer than normal and I have started kale, spinach and chard in the greenhouse. The 14 lbs. of garlic we planted in the fall is up about 4" and looks great- yeah poppers. I have had a little extra time lately to do some reading and my friend Suzanne Swedo, CA, sent 2 great books. One is about Minnesota but she was asked to write on the back cover since it was Lost in the Wilds and she has written a book on How to Survive in the Wilderness. The other I have just started but she highly recommends and I am really enjoying is Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin which is about using the mysteries of autism to decode animal behavior. The dogs are doing good and have been enjoying some loose walks and runs as well as going out pulling the 4 wheeler. It seems lots of folks really liked the Aggkaka Swedish Pancakes we had on Sunday mornings. It is from my Toimi friend Melanie (Johnson) and I have put it on the recipe page as requested. It was a great dogsledding season- so many wonderful folks graced our homestead and shared in the fun. April brings a deep satisfaction. Full moon March 14, 2006 Sunset 6:18 pm Moonrise 6:28 pm What a treat to be feeding the dogs tonight and have this amazing, slightly orange full moon rising behind them in the east and the glow of the sunset still in the west. With the dogs and me in the middle, it was a particularly centering feeling; one of those moments when everything feels right in the world. We send the energy onto you too! We still have lots of snow- step off the trail and you are up to your knees. It is great. Last week end we had an interesting run. To start with we had 3 kiwis here ! (That's what folks from New Zealand call themselves) So David, Rena and I were each taking a sled out with one of them. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, sunny, in the 20's, we all had our sunglasses on. We weren't even around the Dogwood Trail and it clouded over and started to thunder. At first, we couldn't believe what we were hearing, but it continued. And unfortunately we did not have Hund on the run with us; he is so afraid of thunder. Now it is getting darker but we pressed on to the south cedar loop. Then it started raining, then it started pouring,... by the time we returned, we were all pretty soggy. I have to say that New Zealanders are really good sports! They had a great time. In other good news, the Iditarod has been going since March 4th and there are 2 women in the top 5 ! Dee Dee Jonrowe was 3rd and Aily Zirkle (who has won the Yukon Quest) was 5th. Jeff King was in the lead. We are still hoping for another month of mushing but I am starting to plan for this summers kayaking trips. If you have a group of 6 to 8 and would like a custom trip, there are still lots of dates available. Also there will be dates that individuals can sign up for too. Please see KAYAKING. The dogs are doing great. It has been fun to see a couple new dogs run in lead this winter- Gabby is doing particularly well, Louisa had never run there before and really seems to like it and Uno-tuk too. I recently saw Cinder at wheel trying to take the gee I had called out when the 2 leaders were going haw. Maybe it's time to try her too. I had a big frustration this week when I read an article in the St. Paul paper from the end of January with a huge spread on dogsledding, and it wasn't even that Wintermoon did not get listed. It was that the handler who was taking the reporters on a run told them that "these dogs are not your friends". I am not kidding you! I have a really hard time when folks make such _______ remarks. And with a huge audience. He was also reported as chastising his young lead dog. I will be writing a letter to Beth Gauper who wrote the article. It has been a wonderful winter here with so many folks becoming friends with the Wintermoon dogs. The trips have been so much fun and it's easy to feel I live and work in paradise. Along those lines, as many of you know we really feed the birds here, and have some great sitings at our feeders. Recently, a white headed chickadee has been coming, really sticks out of the flock and is so cute! I put a flat of the frozen dog food out about 30 feet past the feeders up about 3 feet high hoping that the ravens would see it as a dead something... (we have never been able to get ravens to the feeders) and about a week later, they came. Now we have had as many as 8 at a time. They are so full of grace and "magic". In the dog yard the other day, a loud tapping on a dead aspen, and there was the pileated woodpecker, in a tree right above Kuu. The eagles have been returning also, four circled over the dog yard this week. Thanks everyone for making this a great winter. Full moon February 13, 2006 oh oh late again,... no handler again.... a handler is a valued person who helps out with the dogs and all the other chores... and when there are 34 huskies, there are alot of chores. So it's me and the huskies which has some nice advantages like I am much closer to my dogs when I am out in the dog yard all the time. I just read a quote from Hudson Stuck, a missionary in Canada and AK who wrote a book about his traveling over 10,000 miles by dog team about anyone can have a relationship with a dog, but to have a real connection with them is very special. I love the part where I feel I am really connecting with my dogs mental and emotional being. It is an experience for me that feels very important to making the world a better place, a place where all our relations count. AND !!! we have been so fortunate this winter to have WONDERFUL snow. 75 inches so far this season, compared to 61 normal. The trails are still great and there are still openings on the March 17-19 trip ($300.) and the mother-daughter (ages 8-16) trip March 24-26 ($150.). The winter has been great! Filled with guests from all over the country- Florida, Washington DC, Colorado, Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Illinois, Canada, North Carolina, Georgia,... so fun to connect with folks from all over the countries. Coming up: folks from New Zealand ! With only a few trips left, thoughts turn to kayaking. I have alot of dates in May, June and July if anyone would like to get a group of 6-8 together. Let me know and I can tailor the trip to your interests. Full moon January 14, 2006 I've been getting some calls "do you have snow?" and even though we too have been having warm temps, we have lots of good snow !!! We ended up with a 20" snowfall in December and several smaller ones since and so the trails are great. And the dogs are loving it- trip season has started so they are getting lots of runs in and of course lots of petting. With the trails being groomed by David, the mushing has been devine. And speaking of trails, it is fitting that on the full moon, we ran the new trail - south Cedar loop- for the first time. It goes along the southernmost boundary of the property by Makelas. What fun. There is a wonderful stand of old white cedars that we pass through, cross Beaver Creek and through the open creek marsh and greet 2 of the grandest aspens I have seen. A nice variety on this trail. Our 2 newest dogs Hanna (Hund and Junos sister) and Sparky (part Siberian) are settling in and seem to be loving the program. Very friendly dogs. I got them from a friend who is getting out of dogs and he has Sparky's sister, 5 years old, Natasha, a little shy, but warms up fast and then is very friendly and a good puller, that he would like to give away. So if anyone would like a nice husky, let me know. I actually have her here right now. It has been a warm winter so far; this time last year, it was -40, and I am not missing that! But you do have to wonder... many of our friends in the southern part of the state have lost their snow again and that is not right. I am so grateful that our is good. WANTED; Handler/Assistant We are looking for a woman to join us full time this winter to help with the dogs and dogsledding adventures. No experience necessary; just an adventureous spirit, good attitude, love dogs and enjoy people. A sweet little cabin, great food and some compensation. Please e mail or call 218-848-2442. December 16, 2005 Usually I am disappointed when it is cloudy and we can't see the full moon; not today- it is snowing !! It started yesterday and we have 16" already with more expected. It's meant a bit of shoveling, David really did alot yesterday-all the dogs spaces. But the trails will be beautiful. I am going out with the chain saw today as there still are a few trees that fell over the Dogwood trail that need to be removed before I can run with the sled. A very anticipated event every year; it is like visiting an old friend to greet those trails again. We still have a bit of "nipping" the brush on several of the others. The dogs are doing great. We were up to running 8 at a time with 4 wheeler; now I will drop it to 4 for the sled. We will all feel like we are flying with that light sled. We lost an elder this month- 16 year old Atim. Son of Nanook and Moon. He was one of the best leaders we ever had- so intent on running. His name is Cree for dog and he was always shy when having his picture taken. I always imagined him thinking- enough with the pictures- let's go! There's a new look to the cabin. We moved the solar panels to the porch of the Hiltunen (the main lodge) where they will get more sun and be closer to the new batteries, which I also moved into my cabin. The winter birds have arrived. We are getting both the beautiful red pine grosbeaks and yellow evening grosbeaks. The chickadees are here in full force and now that there is fat at the feeders, we see the woodpeckers, grey jays and blue jays alot. The deer are back too. I think it is the same older doe as last year with two new ones from this spring. If there isn't enough bread and seeds out, they go right to the bag and start pulling it out. It's a winter wonderland! November 15, 2005 The seasons have really changed... from a warm fall to a snowy November. The snow is falling and blowing all around today, about 5 inches on the ground already. We have been hurrying around, tilling the garden, planting the garlic(14 lbs.), mulching the perennials, stacking firewood, picking up stuff... We have been training the dogs with the 4 wheeler almost everyday and are they getting strong. Some of the new dogs are doing very well at leading: Malcom, Mel, Kettle and Hannah. The 2 trails weekends went very well and we have a new trail (still thinking about names- maybe something with aspen because of the huge ones along the trail) that is on the Makela (south) side of the road. It's a very interesting one- besides the grandmother aspens, it goes by some wonderful old cedars, into some open creek grasses and crosses Beaver Creek and past lots of tamaracks. It should be alot of fun to run it this winter. Quiet is starting to descend on the forest and the time of slowing down and reflection is approaching. We have so much to be thankful for this year. We hope that you are in good health, spirits and feel the gratitude of this Holiday. October 17, 2005 We like summer, and had a good one, but girl, do we like fall. It's been getting down to freezing most nights now and it really invigorates us and the dogs. Back to summer for a minute, the gardens did great and the freezers are full, the potato & carrot bins, canned tomatoes, and the chickens and ducks butchered. (That was a hard thing). As happens every year, I am surprised how fast the leaves go. They were a golden and red feast for the eyes this year and then, boom, they are gone, as in fall. But it means we are that much closer to our anticipated snow and winter. We have only just started on trails tho so we have some work to do before it comes. Two trail building weekends have been planned for Nov. 4-6 & 11-13 and everyone is invited. I provide the food, Bunk-her, sauna, ..... We are hoping to build a new trail on the Makela side of the road. The dogs are doing great and are loving getting out with the 4 wheeler (they pull it and us, with the engine off). Spice had a little adventure last week as she broke her chain just as we went by with 6 dogs and the 4 wheeler and she was not about to be stopped. Passed us, took a haw at the end of the driveway, and we could not catch her. She went up Peltos driveway and Maija went after her on foot; I took the team back and put them away, got in the truck and went looking. Very luckily, because she could have stayed in the woods, she came out on the road, just past the Simola driveway (about 2 miles from home) and I saw her. The biggest wow from that is this 12 year old dog wasn't even panting when I caught her, about 45 minutes after she started running flat out! Full moon July 21 as written in August, very late.... we have been sooo busy. It's been a round-robin routine of water dogs, water chickens, water garden, .... it has been very hot and dry. Then feed dogs, feed chickens, water again..... Everyone and everything is doing well though. It has been wonderful having Maija, Erika, Erika's friend Daniel and David all helping. We all have been going non stop. And we do have a beautiful garden this year and it feels so good to be eating broccoli, greens, basil,... organically grown. We are starting to freeze some for the winter and dogsledding trip time. Full moon June 21 and Summer Solstice What a great combination! And the weather even treated us to warm and sunny- amazingly summerlike. It has still been rainy and cold and the gardens are not quite in! The latest ever. We have added quite a bit of space at Thornapple (maybe 30' x 80') which includes 100 tomatoes, 40 broccoli, 80 basil, peppers, potatoes, squash, onions, eggplant and herbs. It really looks good. For solstice, Erika and Maija organized a wonderful celebration to share with the kayak guests we had here. We each took a piece of birch bark, with the idea it was like a little boat. We wrote on the birch bark: our dreams, something we would like to put out into the world, hopes,... Then we walked to the creek and on the way picked up nature treasures to adorn our message and carrier. At the creek, we took turns setting our "boats" into the creek. It was hard not to smile as we set them into the current and we all became one with nature. The laying hens are doing good, the ducks are growing like crazy, and tomorrow the 100 day old broiler chickens come. We are staying busy :) . Full Moon May 23, 2005 It's surprising we can even see the moon tonight- we have had so many days & nights of clouds & rain. But tonight is clear and she is beautiful. She illicits a call to spirit tonight as we have lost one of our dear canine friends in the last month. The energizer, velcro, blue-eyed couch lover Yukon went fairly peacefully in his sleep a couple weeks ago. He was amazingly active and alert right up to the end- all of 16 1/2 years old. It's a huge transition for me because I have gone from 3 house dogs to none in 4 months. I can't tell if Kissa, the cat, likes having the choice of any couch now or if he too misses his buddies that he cuddled many an hour with. We do have some new faces in the dog yard. A female- Mel and 2 males- Kettle and Malcom. They are young adults that I got from racing friends Claire and Chris. They too spend alot of time socializing their dogs and these are very friendly huskies, as well as good pullers. We are still exercising the dogs with the 4 wheeler most mornings as it is still cool enough. And we, Erika, Maija & I, usually take a couple out with the skijoring belt too. The mornings are full of bird song- the finches, jays, sparrows, woodpeckers, chickadees are so busy claiming territory and mates. It is truly a joy to be out there. The rest of day is usually spent with chickens and gardening. It's a season full of promise. Full Moon April 24, 2005 Three nights ago, I stepped out onto the porch to grab a piece of firewood; it was chilly, 9 pm & already down to 25 degrees. At that moment I heard a chorus of howls and it was not my dogs. It was from the southwest but it wasn't my neighbors dogs either. Way to close and loud. As I stood listening to the varied pitches of the group, I was sure I knew exactly where they were. I had been there the past several mornings, walking our Wintermoon dogs on the Dogwood Loop, ending at the muskeg where the trail got very wet. The first morning Karhu was loose and I could see her about 25 feet into the wet area, pulling on something, like maybe a deer leg. I called her, she actually came, and we went home. The next morning, with boots on, and a dog in harness, we walked up to where Karhu had been. There lay, just off to the side of the trail, a dead deer. It still had it's fur and just the start of ravens poking through one area on her side. But below one of the back knees, the leg was missing. I had not seen her, but several others had seen a 3 legged deer during the winter. We commented on how hard it must have been with all the deep snow. It looked as if she had just laid down in the soft moss off the trail and not gotten back up. No sign of struggle, no blood. It was that night the wolves howled. Erika said later she first heard one sole howl, followed by the group. The next morning Maija and Erika went down to the muskeg. The deer was completed gone; eaten. All that was left was the head and some fur. The transition from life to death to life was played out in a moment. And it was the luck of the universe that I happened to step out at that exact time to be a part of it. The snow left fast this year. Hard to believe that so much could do that. We went from running the dogs on the Dogwood Loop on April 4 with 99% snowcover to having none on the trails a week later. We are now using the 4 wheeler and jogging with them too. Full Moon March 25, 2005 rose 6:34 pm I am treated at this evening's feeding of the sled dogs to a goldish full moon rising over their heads. What a wild calling to have them lift their heads in the after dinner howl with the moon rising on their breath. The nature dance that I am in is wonderful movements: looking up, then down, then being quiet and listening, flying down the trail, then walking, sitting on the rock,....being able to respond to the moment and feel it. With over 90 inches of snowfall this past winter, the trails are still wonderful. The early morning temperatures are still below freezing which means we can go dogsledding. Maija and I each have a 2 dog team so we can go slow and savor the beauty, the smells , (she tells me she can smell the Balm of Gilead buds), the changes that come so rapidly at this time of year, (there is open water below the beaver dam on Petrell Creek, the pussywillows are bursting out,) we hope to see the raven nesting in the tall aspen along the trail but no sight of her yet. Change is in the air; I think when you have lived with the change of seasons, you come to anticpate them. That one can experience miracles so often is the greatest. December 2004 WE HAVE SNOW !!!!! It has snowed over 40 inches already this year and the trails are in great shape. And so are the dogs. They are loving the groomed trails done by David and the new grooming equipment. We have added some new trails; one past Peltos cabin. Have you heard about all the owls that have moved down from Canada? Mostly great greys and hawk owls. They have a food shortage there and thousands have come down to northern Minnesota now. We see several a week and they are beautiful. We also have some interesting birds at the feeders (and new feeders this year) a pair of boreal chickadees, a shrike, and one day I counted 30 pine grosbeaks at the feeders at once. A number of times, we have also had a pine marten. My neighbors have really been having the wildlife experiences in the last couple weeks. Diane was working in her workshop and one of her dogs was outside the door, barking and barking,after a while she opened the door to find her dog, nose to nose, with a wolf! It looked at her with what she described as a quizical expression and ran off. The dog chased it and she had a hard time getting the dog to come back but the wolf kept going. Then Pam came home one day and turned her vehicle around in the driveway to face out, turned off the engine and was sitting gathering her things when out of the woods came a bobcat. This was during the day and it just sat about 10 feet in front of her car and looked at it for about ten minutes. We are so lucky to live in the Northwoods. We have been seeing moose and wolf tracks around as well as the very abundant deer and rabbits. There are still openings on all of the dogsledding trips and we would love to have you join us.