Learning to camp

Unfortunately, I received the sad news today that sledding is not allowed on the Hinckley Reservation trail system, which runs right out of my backyard. So, instead of sledding today, I took the time to set up a prototype winter camp, and work out the kinks before the dogs have to camp away from home.

The dogs were surprisingly calm on the picket, considering that they had never been restrained in this way before.









After awhile, Bandit wanted to find out if he could play with Willow while he was on the picket.







The dogs did better than I expected, and they stayed picketed for a few hours while I worked around the farm and hung out in the tent. I tried to make it as close as possible to a "real" camping trip, and I hope it will pay off in the future.

Huskies in their element

Today marked an absolutely monumental event: I took Loki and Bandit out for our very first sled run today! It was more fun than I ever could have imagined. The sled was harder to control than I thought it would be, but I got the hang of it fairly quickly, and didn't have any spills. Well, unless you count the time that my stepbrother jumped into the basket and tipped the sled off the side of a hill. The good dogs just held their ground and I hooked down while we hoisted the sled back up onto the trail.

I didn't take my helmet cam, because I was too concerned with just staying on, and learning how to steer the sled. Unfortunately, I also didn't have a free hand for photographs.

But afterwards, I managed to shoot some good pics of working with them on line-out, in harness and amidst all the beautiful snow! It has only just stopped snowing here now, and we have close to 8" of white powdery beauty.

Feeders and fenceposts

You know what, this homesteading and sled-dogging thing is hard work. But wow, is it SATISFYING work.

Last night, I came in from shopping around 9:00 pm, and Byron and I worked on putting up the new chicken feeders, dumped 100 pounds of cracked corn into barrels in the barn, and stacked 14 4x4 fenceposts under the safety of the eave. All this was done by the comforting glow of a little camping lantern. There is just something nice about that. I don't know what, exactly, but it's nice.

This morning, the fence guys showed up, and set the posts for the new kennels that are going in, inside the fence at the far end. So far, the dimensions look great - each kennel is 8' x 16', and should be spacious and very comfortable for my guys. The best part is that it opens straight into the fenced yard, so it'll be super convenient to turn them out for playtime in any combination of groups, or just singly for training, without having to crate the others.

The new kennels should be complete by Tuesday of next week, including gates, and new pea gravel footing. Then, the dog-related work is complete until next year, when new grass will be planted in the fenced yard, and I cross my fingers and pray that it doesn't turn into a mud pit again by fall!

Even in December, work is never done

I realize I've really been behind-the-game with the blog. I have so many things I want to write about that I've been jotting them all down on a scrap paper beside my computer. These things add up - it's almost insane the amount of odd stories that accumulate living here on this tiny farm.

The biggest news is that the coop has had a major overhaul over the last few weeks. With winter approaching, I knew I had work to do if I wanted the chickens to stay warm, dry and contented throughout the cold months. So, a brand new heat lamp was wired up to the roof of the coop and through the back wall, into an extension cord in the barn. It's been working beautifully. A few of the hens had been roosting outside the coop, in the pine trees, recently, and this has completely eliminated the problem. They just can't pass up the cozy temps now that the nights are getting chilly.

Speaking of roosts, we completely tore out the old ones and replaced them with brand-new "chicken litterboxes". Basically, we have a 2x2" roosting bar across the length of the coop, elevated about 4" above a row of black plastic tubs. Each tub contains a few inches of Stall Dry, and the chickens' overnight waste collects in the tub, dries out and gets scooped a few times a week. The chickens stay cleaner, the coop stays cleaner, and the droppings go straight into the compost pile, with no wasted shavings. I love it!

And lastly, we installed new "hatch doors" on both sides of the coop. I've seen most people call these "pop doors", but someone forgot to give me that memo! These little chicken-sized doors keep the whole coop warmer, and add more protection from predators, since the regular, full-sized entry doors can now remain closed. It's just too cute to see the chickens hopping up through the doors!

The last remaining upgrades include a couple of new wall-mounted feeders, and next year, I'll be ripping out their current run fence and replacing it with something cleaner, better-looking, and safer for the chickens. The run will be about 3' smaller as well. Since my chooks are free-ranging, it will mostly be used to contain them in the event of a predator outbreak, or to raise fragile chicks.

Speaking of upgrades, our dog play yard needs some serious TLC. I've been absolutely heartbroken this year with the way the grass was torn up, and in its wake, the absolutely unbelievable mud-fest that followed the lack of grass. I've thrown down bale upon bale of straw, more times than I can count, and before I know it, it's disappeared beneath the goo. Thanks to the fight between Bandit and Jasper, and their resulting strict separation, Jasper's been spending a lot of time out there, getting very muddy, and looking like a posterchild for an ASPCA commercial. Of course I never let him stay muddy (he gets frequent baths) but you'd never know by looking at him.

So, the plan is to have our fence guys come back within the next couple of weeks, install a partition on the small "L" corner of the fence, and put down a pea gravel substrate there to serve as a tiny, dog-version of an all-weather paddock. It will truly be more like a kennel since it'll have a dog house and little deck, and possibly a roof over half of it. I haven't decided yet. But, I figure that can keep Jazz safely contained while the grass is reseeded next spring, and he can be contained during rainy or muddy days to keep the yard in much better shape. I think it's a good plan, and I can't wait to see it start to take shape. I take the care of my animals very seriously and if there's a problem, I'm going to do anything I can to fix it as soon as possible. I really can't stand seeing a problem like that day after day, so it'll be a huge load off my mind when the upgrade is completed.

Other dog news... we still haven't gotten enough snow to try out the sled yet, but that's all well and good, as I'm still waiting for new harnesses to arrive in the mail. The snow hook, helmet camera and snubbing line (used to tie off the sled during hookup, and safer than the snow hook) are also still in transit to me. I'm kind of hoping we have a few more weeks of scooter weather before it turns to the white stuff, since the dogs really need a refresher of working in pairs before they go out in a group.

That about sums up the goings-on at Hoof and Howl these days. I'll be posting pics of the renovations as soon as I can!

Last Sunday, Byron and I traveled down to Columbus to visit a few places that we missed down there, and meet up with a friend. It was great to see the city again (and Heaven knows how much we miss the good eats!), but it made me appreciate the solitude and quiet of home that much more.

The highlight of the trip was a completely unexpected wildlife encounter, while sitting in an Arby's drive-thru (NOT the good eats I referenced earlier, just traveling food!). There was a huge raptor circling overhead, and at first I almost dismissed it as a buzzard - but a better look at the wing silhouette, and I found myself exclaiming, "Is that an eagle!?" I had my camera, so I snapped a few shots. To my complete amazement, when I zoomed in on my viewfinder, there was the characteristic white head and tail of a mature Bald Eagle!







I guess it just goes to show that even the most developed of places still keep their "wild side". This eagle was seen just north of Columbus, near Delaware. Certainly not something I ever expected to see while sitting at a drive-thru!