So much Fun!

Well what a way to send off the year 2009...we were accompanied by our new friend Lyric, and my husband Jeff today! I was stoked to be in the mountains with my best friends :) Here is Lyric, she is such a sweetie pie, and really fitted in well with the others, I love the way dogs just adapt, and go for it! She was a little tentative at first as she loaded the truck with a line of dogs staring at her, but as soon as she was in, she relaxed and they all got to sniffing each other by way of introduction. When we got to the trail, she was already part of the pack!

Pleased to meet you Lyric!

So having another human companion, I had a chance to just be a dog while Jeff snapped away, we had so much fun (the dogs and I that is, I think Jeff was bemused!) The shots below show us starting out, time for treats, then time to play! Ha! Good times! You can click on each shot to enlarge it :)

After running around with the dogs (we were back up Loggers today) I had a time out for them to play, and grabbed some more great shots before we had 'quiet time'  - I always do this before we resume on the trails, otherwise any fellow hikers would be bombarded by over-excited me, and a pack of dogs!

Ruby-roo and Ever bear in flight, Julia came with us this morning and is seen here in pursuit of her new best friend, Corona!

 

Here they are post romp! Love the snow on Corona's nose

And here we are at 'quite time' =  cuddles, maybe treats, and a little chat with each dog. I am so glad Jeff came along, as these are really nice intimate moments that I can never capture on camera!

We stayed out a little longer today, so hope all the hounds are tired out for you! After heading down to the truck, Jeff went off to find lunch and I took everyone back to their people...Chester hung out with me for a little longer, and rode shotgun up in the front where we listened to CBC, dropped dogs home, and generally had a nice time together with a sniff and a pee here and there at various spots around town,before it was time for him to return home too

.

No, I wasn't driving when I took this!

Well happy new year to one and all, may 2010 bring you all peace and happiness and goodwill to all men (and dogs!) See you all Monday :)

Heading North, then exploring 2 different lakes

Wooo! The snow was much deeper on this route - more bounding dolphin-style leaps than yesterday's galloping! We headed North, and had a full crew today - with a new friend, Jasper - so fun! I carried Spank's jacket as it kept coming off (even with the extra clip) as we bounded and played and rolled in the fluff :)

Somehow managed to get all furry bodies in this shot!

Jasper, our newest friend, and Chester share some tender moments as they get to know each other in the shot below! Jasper is a Springer Spaniel, with ears even lovelier than Chesters as they flap about - he is another super good boy, comes when asked, and romps and plays well with all others large and small!

Jasper and Chester get to know each other!

We ran through the forests and had a good play, then tramped back to the truck, where each dog loaded in slow-motion, it was so funny, they literally walked up themselves one by one, except Smudge and Spanky, who were scooped into my arms, even Harmony trotted up without following Spanks! It was literally a conveyer belt of furry bodies, love it - I even had time to pull the camera out of my pocket and grab a couple of shots!

 

Harmony loads up while Nalla, Shasta, and Skipper look on, Chester poor darling had some snowballs to chew on! The second shot shows Corona loading up, and yup, Ches' still chewing away! Remember my comments about Skip and his squirrel chasing? Well he was top dog today...sooo good, not one squirrel barking excursion even though we ventured deep into the forests!

Skip near the top of the shot, getting in amongst the action!

Then it was time for Ju and Corona to play together, we parked on Westside (after dropping Nalla and Shasta home) and walked the Valley Trail to the twin lakes, where the girls romped. Ju on the longline today as there were loads of people about and it was a strange area...I don't know, I was tempted to let her off, but my spidey-senses said no, and I have learned in life to listen to those gut feelings!

weeeeeeee! These girls get along so well!

I laughed and took pictures and Ju made me laugh out loud burrowing her head and half her body into a snow bank! Corona followed her so all I had to look at was a pair of fluffy dog bottoms!

...believe me, they dove deeper...tails propelling them in; goodness knows what was in there! I think Ju likes to play pretend games, and Corona was just intrigued...these girls are so funny!

Then it was time for home, and on the path in the shot below with a pang I thought of Finna as it started to snow heavily. I remembered the time she and I walked the same path one late November and the snow was just getting started one time her mum was away. We were both so excited and she sang Arooo! while I danced around her! Rest in peace Finny xxx

 Retracing steps taken in the past...

Well folks, another great day of canine companionship - see you all tomorrow, Aroooooooooo!

Another Great Day!

We had another awesome hike today, some old friends joined us; Spanky and Harmony the Westies, and oh how they run! Little pocket-rockets the pair of them, and they are so funny with their little tails going like pistons! Click the picture below to enlarge...and you will see them both in full flight, head to tail!!

We also met the lovely Ruby for the first time today...another energetic and oh-so-well behaved girl! She gallops and plays, but the split second you call her name she literally pauses, and looks to you for direction, amazing. Here she is, ears flying...ha ha!

So the pack were full of beans today, Chester graduated to off-leash , and was a very good boy indeed and everyone just ran and ran, and played, then we sat and had some calmer moments where peace was restored, bottoms were sat down and a treat gently given to each, before the galloping began again.

Corona, Spanks and Harmony know treats are coming!

What a beautiful day!

We played on the lake then headed down the trail for home, the below shot is one of many I snapped away at, while I had a good 5 minutes rest and the dogs just ran round me...perfect!

Back in the truck, and after having a chat with each dog, and giving them a little treat, it was time to pull the camera out one last time before home :)

Then it was time for Julia to come play, and she was accompanied by Corona and Chester today. It was also her first time off leash - and didn't she do well!

We started off the usual way, doing a lap of the perimeter so get the poops, sniffs and general fizz out of them

starting out...

off we go...

...galloping round!

Then we found a snowman...Chester appears to be looking for his rear end to sniff! Haha

They were so much fun to play with :) Then I figured we had played enough, as they all seemed to start sniffing about and Julia (on her fresh legs) began her bounding through the snow, taking interest in some reeds by a frozen pond, so I made the call to leash up, trot back round the valley trail to home. What a great day!

Trotting to the valley trail where we leashed up, and headed home.

See you all tomorrow!

Suuuper cold, but new friends to keep us warm!

Brrrr! Another cold one today, a good way to work off all that turkey :) We had 3 new friends join us, and we walked up to Loggers lake, starting with a nice wide fsr, so I could get to know everyone before venturing into the woods! Smudge, Corona, and Chester joined us!

Corona leads the way, with Ever, Skip, Smudge and Chester following on our chilly start up the fsr!

Here is a bit about each of our new friends:

Corona is a top dog! She comes, plays, and sits nicely and is so pretty! She was super timid at first this morning, but as soon as we unloaded the truck, her tail went up and she romped and played beautifully before trotting out eagerly along the path. The minute I mention her name, her ears prick up and she comes to sit on my feet - what a good girl!

 

 Smudge, is a Very Small Animal (any Winnie the Pooh fans out there?!) and is a very good girl indeed. She also looked very cute her winter jacket! Smudge is so affectionate and played very well with the other dogs, a great addition to the crew!

Look at those puppy-eyes!

And then we have Chester...he is adorable! He also had a smart winter jacket, and was on leash today while I gauged his interest in Squirrels! He was such a good boy  - although he is super high energy, we worked on calm times with treats and affection along the journey and he seemed to be a super fast learner! He is a smart dog that's for sure, and was great with all the other dogs too. He also has amazing ears...super furry flapper types that feel lovely on a cold day!

Pleased to meet you Chester!

So we hiked and played, and made our way up to the lake. Skipper went on a longer than usual Squirrel barking session, and remarkably the others took no notice! Skip is a good boy though and always comes flying back - today he looked a little sheepish as he knew he had been longer...a smart dog though, and always in sight and I make sure I am always in earshot. I have known Skip a long time and we work well together, so for the rest if the hike I worked on him, keeping him busy and in step with us all. I think a new route is on the cards next hike, his mum said that he gets to be a smarty pants and learns our routes thinking he can bark up trees and just pop out on trail when he is ready! I always pick my trails based on a combination of  weather and who I have on that day's hike, so we will head North for the next Skipper walk - give him a change of scenery!  

Trotting along...then..a 'planned distraction' to keep the pack close!

Skipper and Corona heard their names, and we all investigated a 'very intersting stump' after I had called them all in. If any other humans were about I would look like a mad-woman, but being a dog is pretty fun in the forests...always something to sniff at! So after a brief play at the lake (no photo's - busy belaying Chester!) we trotted home, each dog content with the morning's work. There is a great spot, a clearing in the woods just before we reach the truck, and here we spent a few minutes quietly having cuddles and I had a moment with the new friends to tell them how good they had been. I was just giving Ever and Skip bear hugs when Smudge gave a squeak and she looked a bit chilly - she gave a me look that said, '...please may we go indoors now, and I would quite like to ride up front with you...' so I obliged, and loaded up the others before scooping her up to ride with me - my little furry side-kick!

Then it was time to take the lovely Julia for an afternoon play - Corona came along, and after waiting in traffic full of holiday skiers I decided that Ever could come along too - save trucking around Whistler. So we collected Ju, and headed for the golf course...so. much .fun! We walked on leash round the perimeter to get the fizz out of Ju-Ju, then out into the open snow for a romp! Surface hoar was developing and the snow made lovely swooshing noises as we played :)

What good girls they are! Ju-Ju, Ever and Corona trotting along together...I was stoked!

I love the ebb and flow of dog-play...romping around one minute...then off for a sniff the next! Amazingly we had the golf course to ourselves...must have been good timing as there is usually a few more folks roaming about!

Here is Ju in flight!

Then it was time for home, and three tired dogs, and one tired human trotted back to the truck...what an awesome day!

 

Even though Julia is blinking, I love this shot - it was captured just as a car with small dogs and kids showed up in the lot before we left, making us all jump! Ever jumped, Corona looked worried, Ju blinked and I laughed...so funny, and such good girls. We stayed with the canopy open for a couple of minutes after that, just for good practice. Off for steaks and potatoes now with my husband, input some more energy for tomorrow :)...See you all tomorrow! Aroooo!

Ho Ho Ho!

Season's Greetings to You All...!

The dogs ansd I had a festive walk up to Loggers once more, this time with photo's! It was as beautiful as yesterday, but I won't repeat my glittering landscape observations; just see for yourselves below :) We did not do the round-about route this time, as Julia was with us all on the longline and we would have been tied in knots around the alders! But we romped along Riverside and up to the Lake via wider trails and the fsr...it was wonderful!

Ju-Ju blended in so well with Ever and Skip! She played and danced, and in true husky style totally ignored snowballs...just romped with the others! She did get interested in a stick Ever had...they actually ran around together with said stick but I was busy belaying Ju on the longline, so no shots of that, but it was so funny! Skip gave her polite sniffs, and they delicately danced around each other after that - then the dogs would resume their personal investigations of the terrain (Julia like Skipper partakes in forensic-style sniffing!) before playing together at random...I love the ebb and flow of their antics...I could watch them all day!

...Fun Times on the lake!

We played on the lake, then headed back down to the fsr...where we had a mini photo-shoot! Was awesome, although I think I involuntarily ingested way to much dog saliva (don't tell my husband!)

Skipper Kiss...

Ju-Ju Kiss...

Ever doesn't kiss..

...but she does look great in photo's:

Merry Christmas!

See you all Monday :)

2 Awesome hikes :)

...but the darn camera battery ran out before I had even got the first shot! Actually it was all my fault as I left it plugged into the PC over night *sigh* so, you will have to take my word for it that today was EPIC! Ever, Skipper, and I went around Loggers Lake - I skinned up on my skis, and the dogs trotted along beside me..it was so beautiful I was mad not to have a camera. The snow was awesome, and the sun was shining through the trees in a way that they were icy popsicles with a light sugar coating of snow and they just gleamed...it really was out of this world! The Alders had bowed with the weight of the snow and ice and seemed to be bowing for us as we passed through...except for the areas just before the lake where they were crossing the path, but me being a conscientious landscaper had my pruners, and I snipped away at the twigs that threatened to take our eyes out!

I then collected Julia for a romp around Green Lake...we nosed around the Edgewater Outdoor center, a beautiful spot that is actually closed for some Olympic security..no one around but temporary buildings, so we turned tail and flew round to the Whistler Air dock, where Ju was transfixed by a chap kite-boarding. She gawked at him before doing her custom random dives into the pow, chasing an imaginary something...so funny. And again so beautiful, she was covered in a frosting of snow, and the afternoon sun was making it all sparkle on her and the trail, and with the backdrop of Green Lake and Mt Currie with a dark inky blue sky overhead it was so dramatic!

On the trail we met a chap and his 3 month old pup that he told me was a Cock-a-poo... ha ha ha!! That is a Cocker Spaniel X Poodle....I could not stop giggling to myself (I made an unfunny joke about her being a Cock-a-poodle-do! Ha!) Her name was actually Sophie, and she was cute, like a smaller Cali (see yesterday's pics) Anyway, sorry for no pics today...that sucks as it was beautiful, but battery is on charge, and Julia is joining us for the morning hike tomorrow...can't wait! Night all x 

p.s I just cannot post without a picture...here is one from the Musical Bumps! It represents how dramatic it all looked today. I Love the mountains!

POW!

I was stuck for words regarding the subject of this post...I think pow just sums it up really! Sunshine, amazing snow, amazing company (who can ever beat a doggy welcome!) and 2 great hikes, with another new friend! I haven't even managed to go skiing in any of this recent fresh stuff, and yet I am as stoked as if I got first tracks on the glacier :) - ah, the power of dogs! So firstly, the regular crew and I had a great hike up into the forests...we climbed today, in soft snow with a crust just over shin height to support us, perfect!

Starting out..with Skip and Billie-Jean from WAG ahead. I left the dog-pack off Billie today, figured she had done great work with it recently, and thought she may want a break! 

I broke trail as we climbed higher and the established boot pack ran out. We got so far today, and the trails was so beautiful, even when I got to the fresh stuff and had the lead the way it was still easy -  thank goodness for great temperatures! If it had been a few degrees warmer the snow would have been gloop and I would have had to pull out the snowshoes!

Taking a moment to sniff, with Skip making sure we are going to be moving along soon as he would like to get going! He is so funny, he either stands on trail and  waits for the others to be done sniffing, or takes an age delicately sniffing a particular tree or bush, as if forensic evidence is being collected!

Ever in the snow, such a pretty girl! After a while, we took a break, had a roll, a sniff, a treat or two, then headed back down...with a brief detour to bark at a squeaking squirrel that even I wanted to throttle after a while, it was yelling at us from a tree like an annoying squeaky toy! Skip barked his head off at it and stayed at it's tree a good few minutes after we had moved on...but in true Skip style he trotted up to us and sat nicely, asking to be told what a good boy he is! Love it!






And one other thing that cracks me up about Skip, (yup, guess he is the star of the blog today!) is his Hobbit style feet!, they are sooooo funny!

 I then collected the lovely Julia and her buddy Cali for a romp around the valley trails and golf course; what fun we had in the sunshine and deep snow! We hiked around the perimeter of the golf course first, to get the initial excitement out of the dogs and for me to get to know Cali in a controlled situation...we met a bunch of lovely people to chat with and Cali, who is awesome, but pulls like a shire horse after too many oats, soon settled and responded well to the leash and hiked beautifully along with Julia

 I then let Cali off, and put Ju on the longline for a run around - they were so good, playing so well, with me belaying Julia like a pro if I say so myself! Click the images to enlarge...I love these shots, and took soooo many pics of these two I should post an album just dedicated to this day!

It was then play time for sure as we went onto the open space of the golf course and into the full sun...lovely!

Check out Cali's tongue -  booger licker, ha ha!

 We then headed back to the trail and walked a little further to get the dogs calm enough for the hike home, they were both full of beans as was I! I like the warm-down part of hiking with them, to settle them and myself and get us alert and sensible for being on trail again! I love the below shot of Cali leaping back onto trail after a sniff at a tree as Julia watches.

Then back on leash with our smart blue Canine Energy leads that look lovely against the snow! the below shot shows calm re-established as we head home...I am exhausted! Hope the dogs are too!

What another great day - was lovely to meet Cali, and hang out with the others...I am off for a big steak! See you tomorrow, arooooo!

Pleased to meet you too Cali!