dog racing

traveling soon to the dog races...
Snow and ice and cold...

Looking ahead at the Sheep Mountain 150 here in Alaska...

.....then a trip to the UP of MI for the UP200 & Duluth, MN for the John Beargrease 300 just prior Iditarod 2013.

Shall be....a trip. More coming soon.

check back later.

Driving

Whenever you leave our place on the Denali Highway, it's a long drive to anywhere.

42 miles one way to mailbox (mail arrives our mail box just twice a week)

50 miles to the Paxson Lk house

120 miles to the bank, library, Delta greenhouse, post office, grocery store, doctor, vet, salon and favorite ice cream hot spot.
Fairbanks and Anchorage are 6-7 hr drives...Valdez is just a five hour drive.

There's little traffic on the Richardson highway which makes the trip more relaxed and enjoyable! Summer roads are typically in Good condition although road construction is prevalent in most areas of the state now thru Oct. 1st
The mountain views are always beautiful and we travel smart- armed with a variety of music, water, coffee, trail mix and sandwiches.

Today we're driving 120 miles one way for a visit to the library, the greenhouse and the grocer. Mail is in today also!

If we see a dozen vehicles, I would be surprised. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see a handful of moose,caribou and fox scattered along the drive.

Happy driving:)
Z

cha cha changes!

In the last 96 hours I've been seriously mulling over the fact that I'm getting ready to leave our kennel/ summer business for a month and headed to a different country- leaving so much in the hands of a new trainee.
Trey, our kennel handler who plans to stay a year-is the finest of help. We couldn't ask for a better guy for the job but a month away while John is commercial fishing remote on the western coast of Alaska seems like a stretch.
The sensible side began to fret a little!
Like any good business owner, I'm interested in seeing another profitable summer while it lasts and make sure everything runs smoothly...out here..hundreds of miles from anywhere.
And like any other good dog owner, I'm already missing the pooches. A month away from them is a long time.
Our summer business months are short and sweet and I feel like either myself or John needs to be around to over-see the operation if a big trip is in order. Uh!! Guess I'm officially a "grown up" now.


On the other hand, it's interesting how things always work out.
So, the day before yesterday I receive an email from my host family in Ireland asking me if it's ok by me if the present volunteer stays on with us there because she isn't able to find another great opportunity for the time being. I wasn't bothered by this but room might be an issue. It didn't sound critical to have my help now and maybe it would be a little later on. 
Then discussing all this with John over a coffee break yesterday; her situation and mine ( my responsible fretting side, the room issue, etc.) ......he had another idea.  Why don't we all go in October?

So, rather than go and fret..we'll go together as a family at the end of October for 10 days to two weeks. Trey will just have the dogs to care for and not the whole gamut. Plus we'll be living closer to town near by friends & services in case he needs something while we're away. Once in Ireland, we'll rent a car, see all of Ireland ( or as much as we can fit in) and stay with host family and I can still be of help in house with family and dogs and John can work on their home renovations. It's a win win. It was Johns idea. He just lives to build.
We are receiving their house pics tomorrow and looking forward to going as a family this trip to Ireland!

This leaves my summer wide open in Alaska! Leaving for a week is doable this summer but a month.. makes me fret! I love working for myself because of the flexibility and financial freedoms it bring but darn it if it doesn't tie us down a little or keep me up at night sometimes.

I'm thinking of different day to three day trips I can take with Jona while John is fishing that month. The ferry, day cruises, Valdez is a favorite, hiking trips, the train..

Stay tuned.
Zoya

Ok, we will go in October now and bring Dad with us! YAY!!!

Where did the last few weeks ago?

Building
Running
Running dogs
Placing dogs
Rescuing dogs
Driving
Training new help
Oh yeah, the big move
Shoveling snow
Moving snow
Cooking
Repotting all my flowers
Making plans for Aug, friends coming to visit...
Chores
Baking
Cleaning
Building
Playing with Jona
Waiting for the Sparkle puppies to be born
Running between Maclaren River abd Fairbanks for ...more lumber, more supplies, more lumber...
Taking reservations
Building
Running

.... June will be here before we know it and we'll be heading to Ireland! Yeahaaa!

Tickets!

We got 'em! Jona & I leave on our trip the 10th June through the 6th of July.

I decided against staying longer and traveling further..we have company coming a week after I return home and more friends visiting at the end of the month. I don't like leaving my dogs either. 

Alaska air to Seattle..

3 hr layover- perfect. Just enough time for bathroom break and a little breakfast on the go before finding our terminal and switching airlines.

Seattle to Chicago.
Once we're there, another three hour stop. Again,  a nice layover, not too short & too long. And then the longish flight to Ireland!

I normally would read and sleep. But since having Jona, I am Miss entertainer, chef, game player, etc. Jona travels well as she has grown up out here in Paxson. Every time we leave to go somewhere, it's an 80 miles at the least. She's a trooper! We always have good stuff on hand--books, music, treats, hand size pocket toys and pictures of our dogs. I'm sure by the time we reach Dublin, we'll be ready to zonk out and sleep for a day. We have a few days in Dublin to play before venturing off to the small village for our stay.

More on that to come soon..

off to drive about a hundred miles tonight -to Maclaren place & back.

zoya

Cultural Etiquette

Ireland
The People The Irish are interested in people and place great value on the individual. They are naturally courteous, quick-witted and will go out of their way to welcome visitors to their country. Don't rush the Irish. Although they work very hard, the Irish are dedicated to a less stressful lifestyle that allows time for friends and family, a visit to the pub, a cup of tea, or just a bit of a chat on the corner. Families are closely-knit and very important to the Irish. Meeting and Greeting Shake hands with everyone present -- men, women and children -- at a business or social gathering. Shake hands again when leaving. A firm handshake with eye contact is expected. Body Language The Irish are not very physically demonstrative and are not comfortable with public displays of affection. The Irish are uncomfortable with loud, aggressive, and arrogant behavior. A "Reverse V for victory" gesture is considered obscene. Corporate Culture Business is best initiated through a well-connected third party. Who you know may be vital to your business success. The Irish are not very time conscious and may not be punctual for business and social meetings. They have a relaxed sense of time and may be a little late for meetings. However, a foreigner should be on time for business meetings. Business cards are exchanged, but not necessarily immediately upon meeting. Irish people tend to be creative and calm in a crisis. They prefer to improvise rather than follow a rigid plan. Outwardly the Irish accept authority but inwardly have strong displeasure in accepting it. They also dislike bureaucracy. Planning and strategy are short term. Irish tend to be poor in long-range planning. Don't be misled by the easy going and amiable attitudes of the Irish. In negotiations, the Irish are astute and tenacious. The golf course is a major venue for conducting business in Ireland. Dining and Entertainment Business entertainment is commonly conducted in restaurants. Business dinners are usually considered more of a social occasion and a good way to develop relationships. Spouses may or may not be invited to a business dinner. The small plate next to a dinner plate is for peelings removed from boiled potatoes. It is polite to eat everything served to you in a private home. Table manners are the same as in England, only a bit more relaxed. Refusing a drink can be perceived as insult in Ireland. Always buy your round of drinks. Dress Dress modestly and conservatively. Flashy colors and styles, white pants, nylon running jackets, etc. do not blend into Irish style. Tweeds, wools and subdued colors are recommended. A raincoat is needed year around. For business meetings, men should wear suits or sportcoats and ties; women should wear suits or dresses and blazers (women wear pants less often than in America). Gifts Gift giving and receiving is unusual in a business setting. Small gifts may be exchanged, but are not expected, at the successful conclusion of negotiations. When invited to someone's home, always bring a small gift for the hostess. Give flowers (lilies are for religious occasions only; red and white flowers symbolize death), chocolates, a bottle of wine or continental cheeses. Do not give expensive or ostentatious gifts. Helpful Hints The Irish respect reserved behavior. Initial meetings should be low key. Assume that children will be included in family entertaining. Send a thank-you note after receiving a gift or being a dinner guest. Always be sincere. The Irish dislike pretentious behavior. Remember the Irish want to do things their way. You will not succeed if you insist on doing it "your way." Especially for Women A foreign woman will be accepted easily in the Irish business community. The 'Old Boys Club' still exists. Whom you know is vital to getting the job done. It is considered more proper for a woman to order a glass of beer or stout rather than a pint. It is acceptable, but may be misconstrued for a foreign woman to invite an Irishman to dinner. It is best to stick with lunch. If a woman would like to pay for a meal, she should state so at the outset.

A World away

In Ireland right now, our host family is working on their garden...

Here, we're still running dogs over the frozen lake, shoveling and plowing. Another month of melt down and we can finally bring out the flower baskets and call it spring.

Enjoying a cup of coffee as I look at our mountain view, lots to do today and a ton to accomplish this week. Focus, focus, focus!

Funny how different our lives are yet how we're all connected by these common day things.
zoya

view from the Denali Highway, milepost 7.

Home

Still searching...

...for a better deal on flights. A week ago, the fares were up by $200.00 more than they are today. They seem to change almost daily. So, do we buy that cheaper flight today or wait a few more days? I'm going to wait and see what things look like by late this week.

A friend in Hungary sent me a link to a great place to buy tickets;
ryanair.com/en/cheapflights-destinations
And Yes, this is a great site for Euro travel. Thank you Regina:)
You can find super cheap flights! Really cheap!!

I wish I had two months to travel! And I wish money grew on trees. Darn it.
There is so much to see and do..and once you are in Europe, everything is so close and travel is made so easily .....all though I know I would get very home sick if I dare leave for two months..so that is not possible at present.

 A month is enough right now. I love travel and adventure but since meeting John, having dogs and Jona...I've grown accustomed to loving home very much. Who knew! And I know my daughter and after about a week, she's going to be talking about home, her dogs and daddy, too. We're going to go equipped with pics' and video of home and kennel to share with our host family and for those homesick moments.

more later!

Traditional Foods

Doing some research on food, here's a few things we found interesting...

Traditional Foods of Ireland

Almost everyone when asked about Irish food mentions two things – Irish Stew and Corned Beef with Cabbage. And almost every visitor to Ireland is surprised to find that neither features all that commonly on restaurant menus!
In fact corned beef is not traditionally Irish at all – but Bacon and Cabbage is.

Irish Stew

That isn’t to say that such dishes are no longer eaten, they are, but they are homely dishes, served to family, rather than ones which would be chosen on an evening out. And so their appearance on a restaurant menu is a rarity.
Most traditional Irish foods use simple, basic and cheap ingredients, a reminder of the fact that they originated in a less affluent past. Many have been given a modern twist by a new generation of chefs or incorporated into dishes that better suit the tastes of a more widely traveled population.

Is it really traditional?

Traditional Irish recipes tend to be very simple, with just a few ingredients in most cases. This should be no surprise – it was the food of the poor and they did not have a huge range of exotic ingredients available to them.
So when you come across, as I did recently, a recipe for Irish Brack that included peaches, apricots, prunes and pumpkin pie spices, you can be sure that there is nothing Irish about it – the previous generation of cooks in Ireland would never have heard of some of those ingredients, much less have been able to obtain them!

Whiskey & Guinness in Irish Cooking

There is a tendency to take any recipe at random, add a dollop of whiskey and then append the word Irish in front of its name! I have even seen it mentioned – horror! – in recipes for bread. Truth is that Whiskey is not much used in traditional Irish recipes – the Irish always preferred to drink it rather than cook with it!
Guinness is a little different – for many years the Irish considered it to be not so much a drink or even a food, but a whole food group all of its own! While it may not be traditional in cooking in the sense of going back centuries, it has been used for quite a long time in stews and as a marinade. But again, taking any old recipe and adding Guinness to the mix does not magically turn it into an Irish recipe.

Everything but the Grunt!

Irish tradional cuisine is a peasant cuisine and food in a poor household is never wasted. There is nothing that illustrates this so well as the pig. Few ordinary Irish households in the past would have eaten beef – this was a food for the rich – but many kept a pig and it is said that they ate every part of it except for the grunt.

Tripe and Drisheen by Peter Jan Haas

Crubeens (pictured above) or pigs trotters, tripe (pigs stomach) and drisheen (a blood sausage) were all popular dishes and are still eaten in parts of the country, notably Cork.
Irish people are still extremely fond of their fried breakfast, which always includes pork sausages, bacon rashers and black pudding (another type of blood sausage).
The killing of the pig was a ritual in which neighbours came together to complete the work, with everyone getting a parcel of meat to take home. In that way each time a pig was killed, several families had food. Since there was no refrigeration, what was not eaten fresh was cured or salted, and hence bacon became a very important part of the Irish diet.

Foraged Food

When times are hard free food is a real bonus and there is and was plenty of it available in the woodlands and around the shores of Ireland.
Summer is berry time and wild blackberries are abundant throughout Ireland as are rose hips and wild strawberries. The wet warm weather of late summer and early autumn is mushroom time and wild mushroom can be found in large amounts in both woodland and on pasture, especially following a good rain shower. A little later there are nuts aplenty, in particular hazel and beech nuts and crab apples ripen.

Mussels growing in Connemara by Hachimaki

All year round nettles, dandelions and thistles are readily available and very nutritious while elderflowers were (and are) used to make excellent wine or cordial. By the coast there is samphire and various types of edible seaweed.
Rocks along the shoreline are often dense with mussels.  Crabs and shrimp can simply be picked from rock pools when the tide goes out and limpets, clams and periwinkles are also there for the taking
Not surprisingly all of these ingredients feature in traditional dishes.

The Potato

It’s impossible to talk about Irish food without mentioning the potato. They first  served us then almost destroyed us in history, but there are few households where the potato is not still a staple and anyone who makes even a basic stab at growing vegetables will plant a few spuds in their garden.

Beef with roast and mashed potatoes by hosullivan

They are eaten boiled, mashed, fried, chipped and baked, mixed with cabbage or scallions to make colcannon or champ, made into potato cakes and used to top pies and thicken soups or stews. It’s common to find potatoes cooked two ways on the same dinner plate.
It’s not all about dinner either. The food that Irish people miss most when they are overseas is Tayto, an Irish brand of potato crisps and a night out on the town is rarely complete without a feed of chips on the way home to soak up the alcohol!
Irish people are very fussy about their potatoes. Typically a supermarket will stock at least 5 or 6 different varieties, often many more, with the varieties changing depending on the season and each suited to a particular method of cooking.
Of all foods, the humble spud is certainly the most traditional. We may not be dependent on them in the way we were in the past but there are a lot of Irish people for whom a dinner without potatoes is not a dinner at all.

...sounds good to us, potatoes are a stable in our household.
zoya

volunteering

So many choices of places and things to do for volunteering...

I choose to register with www.workaway.info

A very good, reliable site.

passport pic's

We had these done in Palmer at Fred Meyer's Grocery Store. I had no idea they did passport pics! Jona had a previous passport, it was misplaced in Canada. She was just a baby in that last photo--so we really needed to update it anyway. I wanted to share this photo (looks more like a toddler mug shot)  because I think it's the only photo we have of her -not smiling. She's still such a cutie pie. 

zoya

Planning our trip

Ireland

We're in the early planning stages of going to Ireland. 

I forgot how much fun it is to plan. John and I discussed a long time ago that once Jona was old enough to walk, talk and help carry her own luggage--then we would start traveling abroad once a year either as a family and or I would take Jona during the off season with dogs when we can get away for a month---- and as long as I have good managing help at our summer business on the Denali. Now seems like the perfect time because not only can Jona do all of the above--plus she is a good, well behaved, smart, curious and happy little girl. She loves meeting new people, seeing new things and is quite helpful. She has a big heart, too. She's still telling people about our visit to Busch Gardens last December.

 So...

At first, it was like.."OK, where do we want to go? When can we get away? What is in our budget for this trip? What do we want to do?" A lot of looking around on the internet at different volunteer opportunities and a little bit of dreaming. 

Looking around.... 

Italy? 

Ah, I love Italy and dream of having a little cottage there one day. I've lived there once as a fashion model, visited twice as a regular Joe and really need to go back when John can join us. Italy is simply...beautiful. Roma, Milano, Venizia and Naples! Italy has so much to offer with stunning beauty around every cornet & it's rich culture & history..I felt as though I was literally walking (or let's say running) through the history books when I was jogging from Trolley to Trolley in sneakers with high heels and my portfolio in a carry bag on my way to modeling casting calls. 

And let's not forget to mention the Real Italian food...Oh Momma Mia, I love Italia!!!  My Uncle Tony is from Sicily and he and my Aunt lived there for a few years--I visited them back in 05 and felt right at home in the country setting surrounded by acres of olive trees, those wonderfully animated and a little crazy Sicilians and little old men herding their sheep through the village of Motta. And all the fat and happy stray dog friends I made. They were well fed and friendly, they would follow me around while I jogged. I had a posse by the end of my stay.

I seriously need to have a little place there one day. 

Africa?

 We looked pretty hard at going back to Africa, I was there in 03 visiting a Dutch family, 100 miles south of Cape Town. I stayed on a 100 acre farm with Lime trees and sheep. I was awe inspired by the culture and the people. I have always yearned to go back on my own and volunteer or teach. The people have so little yet seem so ..hopeful and hard working.  I admire that. The African women and children really touched me in a way that stays with you forever...they are beautiful, simple and yet they carry a heavy burden.

I had spending money to spare that trip and lost all interest whatsoever in spending a dime on me-I gave it away. I gave my money away and felt like it just wasn't enough.

The mountains south of Cape Town were striking as were the Eucalyptus trees. When you visit Africa, you don't come back the same person. At least I didn't. I thought about the African people who worked on the farm, I thought about the women I saw walking barefoot with large pots of water balanced on their heads...I thought about the people for a very long time. I will never forget the children. I was humbled in many of ways. 

London?

I've been thee, too. Great place but again, would be nice to show John around when we return and take him on the London Eye! Australia, another nice place to visit but have I been there before as well and next time we visit the Opera house, I want John to see it....France, been there, too and then a little voice pipes in....hmm, hmm, ZOYA... you need to go somewhere new.... 

Looked at France, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany and Norway, too. It really boiled down to two things. 

1- I'm going alone with my daughter and need to go to an English speaking country since she's so young and communication is so important, 2- a place I haven't been so I can learn something new. 

Ireland! 

I have never been to Ireland and have heard time and time again from others just how wonderful the people are & how beautiful the country is. Well, let's go and see for ourselves. 

 Now comes the leg work! Mapping out our itinerary, comparing flight costs, making calls, booking our tickets, looking up bus lines in Dublin, finding the things we want to do for our first week there, replacing Jona's passport, trying to squeeze in another stop, another country, a few other visits, etc. It's just all starting to happen now! One thing is for certain, I can hardly believe how the airlines can get away with charging a full price ticket for a 3 year old. Jona could still sit on my lap...Ok, I'm not sure I would want her to sit on my lap for the entire duration of the flight as much as she likes to wiggle, wave her arms around when she's explaining things (see, this comes from my crazy Sicilian uncle's side of the family) talks, talks, talks...and sing....(this comes from our french background on my mothers side)  but really, why can't it be more like one hundred dollars for each year? 

  3 years old =$300.00? Oh well. It's all worth the cost but it just seems like a lot of money for such a small person taking up very little space on an airplane. I know, I know..a seat is a seat after all, right? Then I was looking up first class vs coach seats, for fun mostly... Forget it. They can have their warm hand towels and specialty chocolate for this one, I'll bring my own. The price difference? $1,600 or $4,300!

 Last fall, John and I had thought about taking time to visit Europe in the spring, transporting dogs if their was a need and spend a few weeks traveling and visiting friends. Since last fall, most of our close European friends have made plans to come back and see us this August, the demand for dog transport isn't there like it was last fall and we've decided to grow our summer business a little more by building more cabins and structures for our Denali Highway Cabins business (we have just a month and a half to do this) and get licenses to offer boat trips for our paying 

guests. Plus the fact that I've had some opportunities come up that demand my time and attention right here.

 So, April is out. May is spent moving from our winter kennel to our place on the Denali/building and gearing up to open for our summer season and training yearlings on the atv. Our fishing season begins mid June through end of July. This will take John to the western coat of Alaska for a month and a half of commercial fishing for Salmon (this will be his 40 something year fishing)..he loves it, he's very good at it and each year our operation there grows a little more.

 Jona and I will be volunteering during this time. I'll talk more about our stay, work and so on in the next post...

Normally, I would be home on the Denali most of the summer working our business full time. But since Jona is three and the itch to travel is back, we're going to start traveling each summer to volunteer and grow! We're growing lots of things:)) 

As our daughter grows, I feel like it's important to give her the opportunity to see other lifestyles and cultures, immersing ourselves in another culture an lending a hand where needed. It's important to us that she learns the gift of giving..

So, a vacation for me and my hubby together? Who knows..isn't everyday a little vacation when you really have the one you love?? We have a lot we want to do, build and finish. We're two of the most ambitious, hard working and productive people I know..maybe once everything we want is built and in place, we'll feel like we can get away. We're pretty good at sneaking away for little day trips; boating, fishing, biking and hiking. As long as we can visit Valdez in May for our wedding anniversary, I'm good. 

Time flies...hard to believe we'll be married now for 7 years come May 13th!

We're building a summer home on the Denali, the two of us, one log and one board at a time...this will take some of our time in the fall. The structure is up, roof is on and she's enclosed. Our goal is to have the house ready to move into by next summer of 2013. Each summer on the Denali, we move from our two story home and back into a cozy little cabin with two large log rooms separated by a door...

We haul water, split wood for the wood stove and we have a little outhouse.

John built the cabin many years ago--it's cozy and simple and has served us well but a house with a well, many rooms, large bathtub, large kitchen and outdoor patios....will be luxury--once it's done.

The house going up on the hill is special to us--for the first four years together, we would walk up the hill and have coffee, enjoying the amazing views of the Alaska Range and abundant big game & wild life. We would talk about someday having a little seasonal business out there, a family and maybe even building a cabin on the hill...well, it's all happening and feels really good. We've built it all with our heads and hands over the years; the 50 some dog houses, puppy pens, cabins, gift shop, etc.

John came home from a good fishing season the summer before last and said " Honey, you still want to build a cabin on the hill? We're going to build a house!"

We have sacrificed the time to travel together because of all the things we do and want to do to "grow" our life. Dogs take most of our time and money, we'll never trade that for anything. We'll always have dogs and I'll be working on my racing for a long time to come. Hopefully not just working on it...lol.

Looking back, I think when we met we were both like "Wow, we've been waiting to meet one another for a long time and now here YOU are, lets' do all the things we can ever dream of doing and let's do it and don't set any limits, what should we do first?" We always have so much going on in our lives both winter and summer months here in Alaska; managing a busy home and kennel life with 45 dogs, raising Jona, racing & a team of volunteers, a thriving commercial fishing operation and our quickly growing Denali Highway Tours & Cabins business. We're always saying we could use another day in the week but I know us all too well--we would find something to do to fill it up.

Seems like a long time before we fly out but really its just a few months away. We have so much to do before we go and many miles of driving ahead of us. 

Tomorrow, we drive over 600 miles round trip..to look at property in Willow for our kennel expansion--Canine Wellness Center. When you drive anywhere from Paxson, AK--it's a haul.

In between chores, training pups, spring cleaning, writing and land hunting--

I'm looking into things Jona and I can do and see once we land in Dublin. I have set aside a week before we begin our volunteering. I haven't decided yet if Jona and I will take the RailSail and visit London or not...but I'm leaning towards it. It looks affordable and we both will enjoy the ferry & train ride.

Jona is really looking forward to meeting our host family (me, too) and her new friend, two year old, Leela!  

now I must go feed the dogs and pack for our trip to Willow tomorrow. 

zoya

more to come later...

..

IRELAND

The Map.