“The Iditarod, where nature crowns the champion”

photo courtesy of Chris McLennan

   “The Iditarod where nature crowns the champion” was heard by all from one of the telecasters at the 42nd annual Ceremonial Start of the 2015 Iditarod.  If you follow the Iditarod you know this is the truth! If you don’t, let me fill you in a little bit on my favorite and only sport I follow.

      A few years back I stared to read a little about the Iditarod and mushing. My friend Deb told me I had to meet her friend Janet, who was a teacher who had received a grant to teach the Iditarod as part of her class curriculum. I was invited to the class as a guest and met Janet’s fellow teacher and friend Kurt who also became involved. Kurt loved it so much he now has his own sled dog team. The rest is history; I have to say I actually became addicted in following the sport, reading about its history and learning all I could about it.

     I am a HUGE animal lover and advocate. If any animal gets the tiniest of scratch it upsets me, I am a big ol’ softie when it comes to animals and their welfare. That being said, I have had people say to me, “I don’t like the Iditarod, they whip the dogs.” and many other similar things. I have to say that if that were true, I would not follow this sport. Do these dogs look unhappy to you? If you read about the current Iditarod nothing could be further from the truth!

photo courtesy of USA Today

These dogs are bred for this and get so excited they can’t wait to run! There are very strict rules for the animal’s safety and these mushers love their dogs more than life. When you watch footage of the check points the mushers stop at, the start and finish line, these mushers acknowledge and show love to their dogs before they do anything else. I have heard of and seen more harshness at an obedience trial than I have ever read about on the Iditarod trail. Some mushers such as my favorite musher, Martin Buser, sleep outside with their dogs rather than seek shelter at the checkpoints. Martin has said, ““I eat beans and rice while my dogs eat steak and eggs.” They have no need to use harshness with the dogs, the dogs love it.

Martin Buser photo courtesy of David Dodman, Here Martin thanks his dogs before acknowledging the microphone

I dream of being out in that silent snow with just the sound of the dog’s feet padding on the snow, being away from all humans with just the company of your best furry friends. Some people say I am crazy, but the silent cold is my very favorite time of year, there is a magical quality about it. It is exhilarating and reminds you that you are alive!  My dog Odin feels the same way; we love being out in the winter together as one in the magic. The beauty and magestic-ness  I have seen in photos of the  Iditarod trail are breathtaking!

Photo courtesy of Chris McLennan

 That is the upside of this sport. The harshness of it is the man against nature factor. Mushers run into extreme weather, moose, flooding, you name it. It is a sport for only the most dedicated, conditioned and prepared. You are not just tossing a ball around. You must be ready and prepared for the most intense opponent, Mother Nature. That’s what I thinks makes this sport incredible to follow, there is no way to predict what will happen next, and it is a true adventure!!!!

I have read about 4 time winner, Susan Butcher fighting off a moose with an axe. In 2014 everyone thought Jeff King was going to win, and he almost did, until hurricane strength winds took a hold. Like all good mushers do, he took care of his dogs first. He ended up having to scratch and pull from the race.

 Susan Butcher photo courtesy of galenfrysinger.com/north_america.htm

 In this sport I see camaraderie and friendship, there will be no pulling off the gloves and throwing down here! The local people along the trail, donate , spectate and get quite involved. There is one town that makes dozens of pies. others that make hand made beaded awards for being first to their town. It is a grand time of fellowship also, almost like a parade.

The Mushers and their dogs are out there not just to win but for the love of the sport. As I stated in my book “Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone”, “DeeDee Jonrowe, a wonderful, and kind Iditarod musher and animal advocate, states “Musher’s win in the manner they take care of their dogs, in the way they treat people in the villages, and how courteous they are to the volunteers .There are many ways to win in the Iditarod.” This year when  Martin Buser was interviewed he talked about how  he cannot compromise his values or beliefs to win his 5th Iditarod. He states, "I would rather sit in an unnamed lake and give the dogs the desired breaks that they deserve, and if it's 27th place, so be it and if it's 2nd or 1st so be it." This year another one of my favorite mushers is running for the awareness of Turner's syndrome, giving back and being a winner, just by being him. 

In the Yukon Quest, a similar race, last year Brent Sass was injured and Allen Moore, who was in first at the time went back to help him.

DeeDee Jonrowe photo courtesy of AP Photo/Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News

 Now if my over exuberance for the sport has gotten you intrigued then read on for some history and specifics of the race,  When you get as addicted as I am, you will be able to know what is happening.  I believe the history is part of the race’s charm!

Balto statue courtesy of Xen Xen

 In 1925 a diphtheria epidemic struck Nome, Alaska. It was the dead of the winter and the anti-serum to stop the epidemic needed to be quickly transported to Nome, No roads existed, air travel was too dangerous and all waterways were packed with ice. The Iditarod trail was the only solution. The serum was transported 674 miles from Nenana to Nome by a group of 18 dog teams and mushers. This is the well-known story of “Balto” who now has a statue erected in his name to honor him and all the sled dogs that saved many lives.

Joe Redington Sr and Dorothy Page worked very hard with others to get the first Iditarod going in 1973. It is now an annual event that has grown in leaps and bounds. The Iditarod is a race that is 1049 miles long. There are checkpoints the mushers must stop at along the way. There are also veterinarians at those points if any are needed. Also if there is an injury, or a dog just gets too tired , a musher may ‘drop’ a dog and that dog is brought to a warm place with volunteers to care and love the dogs until the race is over. The average distance between checkpoints is 60 miles.

The Red Lantern Award , photo courtesy of the Kaiser Racing Kennel

The Red Lantern award is given to the last musher to cross the finish line. A lantern known as the

Widow’s lantern is lighted at the finish line at Nome at the same time the mushers start the race. It is sort of an Olympic torch that once the last musher crossed the line, it is his job to extinguish it.  It is known as a guiding light, to the teams on the Iditarod trail and also a signal to the people of Nome that there are teams on the trail.

Mushers do not carry all their food on the sled. There is a however a list of necessities that must be on their sled and there is a long checklist. 18 of the checkpoints are “food drops” where mushers have their carefully packaged and labeled supplies delivered to.

When the race starts not all mushers leave at the same time. How is this fair? They use the “Common Start Differential Rule” to equalize the times in the middle of the race. During the race at one of the checkpoints  all teams except for the last to start team must be delayed the exact amount of time of each particular  team’s head start by staying at that checkpoint that amount of time.

Each dog team consists of as many as 16 dogs. The minimum number they may start with is 12.They must have at least 6 to finish the race, if they have “dropped” any dogs along the way.

All dogs are treated with great care and if the weather is extreme or the trail rough they wear their special booties.

 

Martin Buser with dogs with booties photo courtesy of si.com

I hope I have peaked your interest. If you start to follow this race,  I am certain you will become as intrigued and addicted as I am! 

photo drawn by John Van Zyle the official artist of the Iditarod

To follow this race and /or get a paid membership check out Iditarod .com.The race always starts the first Saturday in March and lasts about 8-10 days.The live videos will take your breath away!

You can also follow the Yukon quest for free at Yukon Quest.com

Some suggested reading about the Iditarod, mushing, and sled dogs are:

~Dogman: Chronicles of an Iditarod Champion by Martin Buser

~Susan Butcher and the Iditarod Trail by Ellen M. Dolan (this is great book for all ages, and has a lot of history and Iditarod basics)

~Any and all books by Pam Flower, a great adventurer and musher.  Her books are geared towards our youth but I enjoyed quite a few also. Her stories are amazing and her lessons for our youth are incredible.  I Tespecially enjoyed, “Alone Across the Arctic”

~A good adult fiction read is “An Echo through the Snow “by Andrea Thalasinos

~Another good one for our youth and adults is “Rivers: The Diary of a Blind Alaskan Racing Sled Dog”

~Iditarod Dreams: A Year in the life of an Alaskan Sled Dog Racer by DeeDee Jonrowe

This is a sport that definitely portrays the quote “It’s not how you win or lose it is how you play the game.” In this author’s opinion it is the most intense, exhilarating game of them all!

Till next time

Mush on!

Odin and Jodi

Odin J.  and I spending time out  during our favorite season

Wordless Wednesday

Raven Roo stating things quite clearly on Wordless Wednesday <3 This is one of many photos from our book "Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone"

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

I wrote this piece for "Cats and Dogs Magazine" this past summer and now that I am lucky enough to  dog sit again week again,I thought it was  time to share her wisdom on my blog.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

     We have all heard this saying throughout our lives but this last month when I had my grand puppy for ten days it made me think.

     If you look at the typical Labrador Retriever they just seem goofy, and as my husband put it, “Not the sharpest crayon in the box.” My grand puppy named June Carter Cash Dolphin (affectionately known as Cash, or as I like to call her Cash-a-Rooni from Looney Tooney town), does fit the stereo-type at first glance. She is a goofy, unassuming sweet girl.  But we can’t be so quick to judge this book by the cover.

     When Cash stays with us I often say, “I wish I could bottle that energy.” She could run the
Energizer Bunny into the ground.  Cash keeps going and going and GOING!  Our dog, Odin, loves to play with her but she wears him out. He is 7 years older than her and can only play so much before he just says ‘Uncle’ and throws in the towel.  When this happens we have to try to wear Cash out ourselves. We do this by throwing the ball, repeatedly, into the lake for her to fetch. She is such a joy to watch chase the ball that she loves more than anything in the world.  Another game we play is with a stick. The first time we played I really watched what she was doing and, after a while, I could see the wheels spin inside her head. I found sticks that were water logged so they would sink easily, and threw them out to her; she would swim out to them. If you watched closely you could actually see how she had to think to get the stick without having to search. She would swim out to it, look down, and actually feel around with her paws to make sure it was there. When she was absolutely certain she found it, she would dive under to get it. She came up with it every time. You could definitely see a thinking process going on.

     Cash likes to express her joy by barking. When she arrives at our house, it is with such joyful exuberance! She bounds into the house with the grace of an elephant running circles around all of us, with her main focus being Odin. Now at first the barking is just humorous because she is just expressing being happy. After a while it gets to be a little repetitive. Cash barks to get Odin up and chase her. She barks when they are playing and running and, if you let her, she will bark ALL-DAY-LONG! It took me about a day to realize I had to find a solution to this! When Cash barked I would tell her to go get a toy, and I would hand her a toy. The loud, shrill bark then became a muffled kind of fun talk that was definitely more tolerable, not to mention it made us giggle occasionally.  I have to say Miss Goofy Girl Cash picked up on my solution in about half a day. All I have to say now at the first bark is, “Cash get a toy.” She finds a toy right away and continues to play.

     One last little story makes me know that Cash is smarter than she lets on….

My daughter, Paige tells me my son-in-law, Jeremy, likes to hit the snooze button exactly three times every morning. Apparently Cash does not move or stir the first two times his alarm goes off.

The third time the alarm goes off, Cash jumps up and is ready to start the day with a happy wag of her tail (because I have noticed Cash is always happy). My point is, Cash CAN count! I do believe that counting would definitely be considered definitely intelligent.

     When all is said and done there is no better snuggler than Cash. When she is finally worn out and it is time to sit or go to bed, that girl literally presses her whole body against you and just exudes love. She lives life to the fullest and she LOVES a lot. That is pretty smart in my book

     We could all learn a lesson from her. “Never judge a book by its cover”, you never know what is underneath. I think this grand puppy of mine’s motto is definitely, “Live Well, Laugh Often and Bark Much.”  Words to live by! Thanks Cash for the reminder!

Read a little more about Odin and Cash’s antics and many more fur friends’ stories and “Furry Philosophy” in my book “Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone.”

Till next time

Xoxo

Odin J., Cash, and Raven Roo 

HONORING OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS LIVES WITH LOVE

“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” ~Winnie the Pooh

     I believe anyone who has ever loved a pet has felt this way! If only their life span was as long as ours. This short story resonated with me explaining why our fur friend’s lives are in fact so short.  It is from a young boy in a story I read recently. He said, “People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life—like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The six-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t need to stay as long.”

     In my book “Furry Philosophy and Memoirs  Set in Stone” one thing I mention is that,  “Making memory stone, glass art, that can include the ashes or fur, fused inside, of our beloved pets and family allows me to hear the best true stories of their lives. I am privileged to hear these amazing, heartfelt stories that help strengthen my belief that our pets are ALWAYS with us. I hear, time after time, accounts of unexplained magical happenings that confirm, when they pass, our fur friends stay close by, as angels by our side!”  That is my favorite part of what I do, is hearing those stories! Although feeling the sadness that people feel right after losing a pet can break my heart. Sadly I also hear a lot of “I wish I had done this before my pet died ….”

     We do not ever want to think about losing our best friends, our true, pure, unconditional love. On the other hand we can’t burry our heads in the sand and not know that it is a fact. That being said, I want to share some of the, “I wish I had done this or done that’s” from others who have lost, including myself, so that you don’t have to say,” I wish I had …”

     One of the most common, “I wish I had’s” I personally have experienced and want to share to help others who have multiple pet’s in the household. When my dear Kashmir went to the rainbow bridge, I took her to the vet to be euthanized and cremated. My other dog Cheyenne, just saw her leave in the car and never return. Cheyenne searched for Kashmir for months and kept going to check her favorite spots, it was heartbreaking. On the other hand when Cheyenne made her journey to the rainbow bridge, my wonderful vet came to my house and Odin was able to see and smell Cheyenne’s body. Animals understand death. If they can see and smell their friend’s body they understand. Odin was very sad and grieved, but he did not search and wonder and the process was immensely easier for him than it was for Cheyenne. If you can’t have your vet come to you, I suggest taking your other pets to the vet with you and bring them in after the pet passes or bring the body home before you cremate or bury. This will help your pets understand and not think their brother or sister just disappeared. I do believe grieving is so much easier than ‘wondering.’

      The other wish I hear so much is that people wish they had preserved more memories physical and written. I  hear things, such as, “I wish I had taken a photo of my pet’s eyes, bottom of foot to preserve foot print, saved a lock of fur or written down more memories with photos while my pet was alive.” I suggest honoring life NOW before you are in a life or death decision and too distraught to remember little details. I make myself pendants with Odin’s fur to honor his life now and always take a little of him wherever I go.

     It is not fun to think about our friends no longer being by our side. NOTHING IN THE WORLD is better than having them snuggled next to you full of unconditional love. I think we don’t have to think about them dying, we just have to remember to CELEBRATE their life NOW, every day. We should preserve those memories and little mementos, so one day we don’t have to say, “I wish I would have.”

Here are some photos from my book "Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone" showing special animals and the pieces of art I  made to honor them. 

You can see more at www.memorystonesbyjodi.com

Pure Joy

"A day without laughter is a day wasted."- Charlie Chaplin

                  Those words resonate with my heart!

     I think one of the reasons I married my husband is he always make me laugh. In fact when he went away last weekend he short sheeted my bed. The funniest part is, I didn't even notice. Since my husband was gone Odin took over the whole bed. Being the spoiled boy he is, and me being happy to snuggle I just slept sideways. The next day my husband asked me, "How did you sleep?" I said, “Great." He said, "Really because I short sheeted the bed." I had to bust out laughing. My husband is pretty darn funny. I am fortunate that my fur kids can make me laugh as often or more than he does. Laughter is one of the greatest gifts there is. I would like to share a few of these gifts with you.

    As with many kitties, when I open a can Raven comes running and meowing, thinking there must be chicken or tuna in the can. Recently I opened a can of pineapple and of course Raven came running. She will not stop meowing until I show her what is in the can. When I showed her what was in the can, I said, "Look Raven you don't want it, its pineapple." Before I could put the can back up on the counter Odin shoved his face in front of her and stuck his nose and had a bite of pineapple in his mouth before he even knew what he was eating. I could almost hear him saying, “I like pineapple." When he actually got the pineapple in his mouth he thought again, "No I don't like pineapple. Phooey." And he spit it out. Thank you fur friends for the giggle.

    Another laugh out loud moment brought to you by Raven. The other morning, when I was in the bathroom I saw two kitty paws underneath the bathroom door, beckoning to be let in. If you have a kitty most likely you have seen this and laugh every time. We have two doors to our upstairs bathroom one is from the bedroom which is a pocket sliding door, the other is a normal door. When Raven could not get in the normal door she went around to the pocket sliding door and managed to pry it open with one little paw. In the meantime I had opened the other door for her. She looked at me, walked right through the bathroom, like a princess with an air of dignity, and right out the other door. It was as if she was saying, “Thanks door maid lady."

    I also think pets cause us to make us laugh at ourselves as well by just having everyday fun with us. When we play with toys with Odin and Raven, they get so excited and happy that we want to make it more fun and name their toys. Even some of the toys have their songs and silly rhymes that we sing when we play with them. I'm sure my husband would deny it if you ask him but he knows all of the names of the toys too. There is 'Big Head', the big circular stuffed head with just eyes on it. There is Bobo the long dog, whose name has to be sung instead of said. We have Pepper, a stuffed green pepper with legs who has his own song, which is pretty much the same as the" Dr. Pepper" jingle with a few minor changes. I cannot sing that song to Odin without him acting happy and putting a smile on my face too. Of all the toys that we have, Raven's favorite toy is the ring off the milk cap. Nothing can make us laugh more than to see her grab that ring between her toes and fling it up in the air, catch it in her teeth and roll over on her back with joy.

     If I could bottle all the pure joy my furry friends give us, I would be a millionaire. Alas I cannot but, I can share the stories and hold the laughter in my heart every day.

Bite prevention by Odin J.

Odin, Raven and I feel very strongly about bite prevention. We hope to network and educate to keep as many of our pets as safe as possible. We need to RESPECT how the animal feels. We need to teach our children to respect an animal’s personal space and treat them how we want to be treated. Pulling a kitty’s tail or running up to a strange dog and sticking your face in theirs, is not acceptable. We need to teach this to our future leaders, just like slapping your sibling or friend is not acceptable. I feel we need to be the voice for the animals who cannot speak for themselves! Below I have included an excerpt from my book “Furry Philosophy and Memoirs set in stone reintegrating this subject I feel is so very important.

“Odin is a VERY smart boy. Being smart does not mean that he does not have issues. Odin is very fearful of strangers especially men and children. I don’t know what his early life was like, as he was a rescue, before he came to me.

     A very wise trainer I have worked with in the past, said, “Don’t set your dog up for failure. You can work with him in safe situations, but don’t put him in a situation he cannot handle.”  Most of all she taught me to believe in Odin.

     I believe EDUCATON is a major factor in “Bite prevention.”  One of the reasons I started “Future Voices Kids Club” was to educate children. I did this because I wanted dogs like Odin to be safe.  If a child approaches a dog (or cat) without asking and does not know the proper way to approach the dog, it is unfair to the dog. If the dog is fearful, the dog does not know what to do except to protect itself. This is not the dog’s fault but lack of human education. Not only should the dog be trained but children should be trained as well.

     Sadly many pets end up in shelters or worse- euthanized for lack of education and the unwillingness of the owner to dedicate time to the dog and commit to training. One on one training with a kind trainer can be extremely beneficial. Learning helpful methods such as proper door greeting and how to send Odin to a safe “place” which is a rug Odin has learned to go to and has helped so much. This is his place where he can feel safe, that no one will touch him.  When teaching Odin to go to his “place” I was told to point to it. Well, Odin being the smart boy he is, has learned when I point at something , be it my glove I drop in the woods,  or any miscellaneous item , it means I want him to pick it up and hand  it to me . When we first started learning “place” I pointed to “place” and Odin promptly went and picked up the “place” (rug) and handed it to me. I guess he showed me, huh?

      We have tried many things to help Odin with his issues. I worked with several trainers, always making sure I stay kind, patient and constant and that the trainer is not being forceful, which I do not believe in. I have taken TTouch seminars to keep Odin’s energy even and relaxed and I’ve worked with energy workers. Not only have they helped Odin, but they’ve helped me to keep my energy balanced so I can help Odin with his. I also practice canine rally and other exercises to help Odin stay focused on looking to me for direction and trusting me.

       I believe whole heartedly this quote by Stacey O’Brien “To that which you tame, you owe your life”

It is our responsibility to do all we can to help our dogs with their issues and not just throw them away like garbage. After all WE are not perfect and WE have our own issues and no one throws us away.

Sometimes it is just not one solution, but a combination of many. Try to find the right formula that works for both of you as a TEAM!  I highly recommend if your dog has problems don’t ignore them, set them up for failure or lock them up. I suggest working with a reputable trainer; ask your friends or veterinarian for recommendations. Above all make sure your trainer is kind and does not try to use unnecessary force or shock collars as a solution. Combine methods like the ones I have mentioned. There are also many wonderful calming items like the “Thunder Shirt” and “Rescue Remedy” that can help aid your dog if it is distressed.

Have some fun with your dog and be the best dog owner you can. Don’t give up on their beautiful soul. After all they would never give up on you!”

Please join me in spreading the word about bite prevention and share Odin’s video on your Facebook, twitter or Instagram.

Together ONE BY ONE we CAN make a difference!!!!

See Odin's  Bite prevention movie at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IUIdrfn87Q

Doggie and kitty kisses

Jodi, Odin and Raven

Keeping our pets healthy.

“I will acknowledge the profound and continual role of animals in my life as teachers and healers. I will repay this special gift by caring for, writing about and speaking on behalf of animals throughout the course of my life” ~Susan Chernak McElroy

     I believe after many years of working with animals, we need to stick to nature as close as we can, to keep our pets healthy. There are many ways to keep them healthy, not only by their diet, but we also need to be aware of what we put on their bodies and what we expose them to.

Sometimes the best remedies to chemicals and imbalance is going back to nature for balance.

ONLY put things on your pet’s skin that they can eat, as we all know they will lick themselves which lead to ingestion. There are some nasty ingredients out there that can REALLY harm your pet and YES even kill them. So please read ,research and listen to nature and to the animals! Research what they need. If something hurts them , you can go back to nature for answers. Consider researching bone broth and tart cherry juice for joints and cranberry for bladder. I believe the earth provides us with a solution to almost every problem.

     I feel this is best said by my often quoted friend, a wise ol’ bear named Winnie the Pooh, “If people were superior to animals, they'd take better care of the world.” 

 Here is Odin J., aka  my little marshmallow fluff , after his bath in his all natural organic shampoo with a white vinegar  and water rinse. He is thankful the ingredients I put on him, he could eat. His cologne is a mix of water with a couple drops of lavender, which is  safe and calming.
Future blogs will include some research I have done on healthy food, shampoos and supplements to help your furry friends :) 

Till next time,

 Jodi , Odin J. and Raven Roo