Farley and I

Here is a new puppy. I can take him home with me if I want. Hmmm.

A Precarious Position

If you think you are having a bad day check out the Dude.

A game for you...

So we came up with a fun new game for you...It's called "Guess wha'ts in the mugs." If you get all three of them right, I'll send you a prize.

Me Looking Hardcore

Well not really...

randomality

I'm sitting at the Backporch again and have been blessed with some insightful lyrics..."You can't rush love" and "You're freakin' me out." Sometimes I wish you could, and sometimes you do freak me out. I mean "you" collectively to my family, friends (some more than others-you know who you are), classmates, society, humanity, God. I think one of the first steps to recovering from an addiction is admitting it. As I am sitting in a cafe, drinking earl grey tea, I admit to you that I am addicted to caffeine. I love this stuff. This morning I had an "extra hot triple grande snickers latte." It was delicious and invigorating. That's it. If you want to intervene feel free. But I'm definitely not ready to give it up yet. Although Lent is coming up...

The last couple days the beauty of this place has hit me hard. It is so amazing. I drove the dog truck up to the moutain the other day which was empowering. Usually it's the guys who do that, but I was driving up solo so it was me. I controlled the music, the latte stop, and was responsible for making it safely up with precious cargo. I think I probably looked pretty hot too. All that to say driving to the moutain presents a skyline of peaks. Driving away, an amazing view of buttes ahead and moutains in the mirrors.

Today I had a day off and went downhill skiing and then topped it off with a bit of nordic. I'll post a pic sometime of me looking all hardcore in my rental helmet. I may be heading back to t-town mid-april and I am already playing through the drive home in my head. Today I am torn between absolutely loving this place and wondering how I could possibly leave to move back to Tacoma. But school and people are the easy answer. I love the snow and will await until the time I can live in it for another winter. Bittersweet is the perfect word. I know it's premature to get all sentimental, but I'll definitley miss this place. I feel like these months will be best summed up by the word transition. I guess life is pretty much always one big transition, but this feels a bit different. It's not over yet...

Fashion on the Mountain

Sneezy's not so sure about his new duds.


Even the puppies get some fashion action.


Mickey isn't so sure either.

Hollywood Musher

US Weekly here I come. Rachel and I hit the town with The Dude and THIS is what happened...Love it.

Winter in the Desert

Delhi


Shakespeare

Random Moments of Happiness

I hope these pics make you smile.

This is actually not an angry dog, not a scary one at all, although he looks it. It's my good buddy, Maverick, and this is how he smiles when you come over to say hello. Look at those beautiful teeth.



Starla's Paws



The Dude Smiles

A Gnarly Tree..

This is an awsome old juniper. Beautiful and twisted...
I give you permission to go wild with your own metaphors.

Skijoring

My nordic roots and love for dogs surface. Skijoring basically is harnessing up a dog and skiing behind it. It was a blast.

ThOuGHTs from The BackPOrcH

I have been sitting in this coffee shop for almost four hours, surfing the web, catching up on emails, and fluctuating between being highly caffeinated and slightly less decaffeinated. Mars Hill Grad School is the first link on this blog and I often visit what I have known as "home" last year to check up on the happenings. I also spent some time visiting student blogs and was impressed by the depth, honesty, creativity, and beauty I found. So much so it almost and I mean almost, moved me to tears. Although many tangible and intangible things separate me from MHGS for at least a few more months, I have pleasantly discovered I am still deeply connected. Most of the time I am too impatient to actually read people's thoughts on their blog. I'd much rather just look at pictures. One because photos provide a visual connection, two because I get impatient, and three because sometimes people seem to be trying too hard. And THAT is a person I do not want to be. I must admit, I consider myself to have depth but not always. And so far this blog has leaned much more to the "not always" side. Even when I started this blog I noted my apprehension toward trying to be too much of a philosopher. Because I know myself enough to know I am not. And I'm insecure. If I post more than pictures and short captions will anyone actually read them? And does it really matter if they do? I guess we'll find out because reading other's peoples thoughts challenged me to go out of my comfort zone and share a bit more..

First off, why am I a dog musher? Surprisingly enough, it's not just another adventure, an escape from the "MACP three-year plan", search for a man (although.. I did met a rather stellar guy), faith crisis, or other such meltdown. It actually has more to do with my call to counseling, an ongoing dream, and putting those two together. I've tossed around the idea of using animal therapy, specifically with sled dogs, in a residential treatment program for addiction-for eating disorders. So here I am. After a year of exploring my own story (to tie a nice little bow on reality) and feeling the constant pull of curiosity to know, really know, if this little idea I had would be feasible I decided to forgo the life I knew in Tacoma, the community that kept me there, and move to a town where I knew no one and where my lifestyle would become that of a musher. I wanted to know how to take care of the dogs, if having a kennel at a rehab center would be feasible, what it's like to have 100 dogs as coworkers, but most of all, if these amazing creatures could teach me anything about life, love, and healing. And if they could, how can I share that with others? That's what I'm in the middle of...

The answer to this question is undoubtedly YES. I've learned to think in metaphors, or more accurately ACCESS these metaphors that are hiding in my mind. And to say that sled dogs provide a few metaphors that could be helpful in recovery is an understatement. From everything to food to trust to forgiveness to power to exercise to emotion, these dogs have it. I know that at any moment I can walk out into the yard and have an encore of dogs vying for my attention. I know that I can go and get a big hug from any of these dogs no matter how I feel, a taste of unconditional love. I know that these dogs rely on me. And I know that these animals love well and that they are a gift from God. I know that someday these dreams will come together...My best friend encourages me to always "live the dream." I feel content and proud to say I am.

more puppies

We, and by we, I mean Kerry the mom, had 7 beautiful little puppies acouple of days ago. They look a lot like their papa, Oscar. Check out the size difference between the big white one and the little black one. We hope they all make it. Kerry is being a good mom and taking good care of them.

The Dude

After worrying that The Dude was not fairing too well, we are pleased to announce that after a few doses of worming medicine he is a normal puppy.

Remember those animals I mentioned?

Here is a drive by pic of the crazy lama and sheep..