Skijoring Fun!

A great picture of Gonzo and Mama getting ready to fly over the hills and over the dales on a snow driven winter's day.

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 Hello
FRIEND'S OF DHARMA!!

Sorry we have been missing lately,
but my Mama has been sick.
Much better now.

Skijoring is the Norwegian sport of
using cross country skis while being pulled
BY A HORSE OR A DOG!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
I mean that is truly
a dog's spirit in action
when they get to run.
And in the snow no less.

Anyway here is a Mama and Papa story that you might like.

Skjoring with a dog (Picture from internet).

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Skjoring with a horse (picture from internet).

When Mama's old Papa Grumpy was  was in a hospital he made a new friend.
Anyone who knew Grumpy
knew that he made friends

EVERYWHERE HE WENT.

AND I MEAN EVERYWHERE.

FOR GRUMPY
A FRIEND WAS JUST SOMEONE
WHO HE HAD NOT MET YET.

And Grumpy
LOVED TO SOCIALIZE.

So of course he started chatting with his room mate
who was Budd Zahn.

Now Budd lived in Mama and Papa's town.
And guess what?

Old Budd had a Christmas Tree Farm
where you could cut your tree,
and your kiddie could get a free dog sled ride
from any of his three huskies,
FROSTY, LOKI AND GONZO.

In the summer you could also go and pick blueberries.
Mrs. Zahn did some pretty cool crafts that she sold in her shop
along with her blueberry jam.

One day while visiting her old Papa,
Mama met Mr. Zahn.

Mama had lived in Germany once
and she and Papa had traveled many times to Germany. They loved going there.

To the left here is the sign for Zahn's Alpine Guesthouse that greeted everyone who came north or south to Mont Vernon on route thirteen for years. After Budd died Mrs. Zahn remained at the farm for many years until finally sold the property.

Above is the inside of the guesthouse which had this beautiful ceramic heater in the kitchen area. It was a lovely building Mama said.

So my Mama and Papa began going to Zahn's farm.
For many years they cut down Christmas tree and hauled it home to give it a make over.
They even got to watch the HUSKY BOYS give free
SLED DOG RIDES
to the children in families who came to
CUT THEIR OWN.
Mama would return to the farm in the summer and pick blueberries and can them for the winter.
She would always stop to visit the three HUSKY BOYS who were in the kennel in the barn.
It was such a treat to visit with the Zahns
EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Loki the woolly bear
at his winter home in Maine.

So one sad day Mama came by  and found that Old Budd Zahn had died.
What was also sad was that the oldest sled dog Frosty had died shortly after.
He was 15 and clearly knew
HIS BEST BUD
was gone and it was time to
GET OUTTA DODGE!!

Mrs. Zahn told Mama that Loki and Gonzo,
the remaining two sled dogs were with her daughter Melody
and that she was not sure but that they might need a home.

So Mama called Melody who shared that indeed they did
need new homes.
Both dogs needed more care than what was realized initially.
That is how
my Mama and my Papa adopted two sled dogs.

So Mama the dog lover that she was,
and Papa her MAIN MAN,
brought these two guys home.

Loki was young and only around six. He was a big woolly bear of a husky.
It took about two weeks before Mama realized he needed a real, ONE ON ONE HOME.
So after a lot of searching, Loki went to his FOREVER HOME. You can see him in the snow peeking out.
DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT,
CHICKA BOOM, CHICKA BOOM?
He clearly is happy in the pictures above. 

Gonzo, named after a MUPPET,
was nine when he came to live with us and spent those remaining three years
with us we think,
VERY HAPPY INDEED!!

Gonzo is in sled dog heaven here.

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And so for our story.
Mama saw something on television on skjoring.
She saw the
BIG WIG SKIERS
WITH ALL THE FANCY EQUIPMENT AND THOUGHT

"HOW HARD CAN IT BE?"

INDEED.

So first she wrapped a dog leash around her waist,
with her on cross country skis,
then she put on a harness lead attached to the dog leash
at one end and the harness on Gonzo on the other end.

Now it seems kinda crazy but
Mama thought Gonzo might make it all work.

WHAT THE HEY!!

Now Melody had shown Mama how the minute you put the harness on a sled dog,
the head went down, and that dog was ready to go.
Both Loki and Gonzo came with sled dog harnesses.
Melody showed how it was much easier to catch them
by the harness should they

EVER GET LOOSE.

BECAUSE, IF THEY DID, THEIR HEADS WOULD GO DOWN
AND THEY WOULD JUST RUN.

So Mama first got set up on the town farm with a little  down hill slope
which took Gonzo
all of 12 seconds to take her through a

CRASH AND BURN SCENARIO.

YIKES.

He might have been old,
but Gonzo was a rocket.

Then they found a rambling country road with a slight incline,
up under snow frosted trees,
two inch powder on the dirt road,
no traffic
that ended at Mama's house.

Papa got Mama set up with Gonzo in front
and Mama on her skis and dog leash get up.

The second,

and I mean the second Papa let go of Gonzo's harness

the head went down and off they went.

They were freaking flying.

Mama never knew she could ski so fast.

GONZO WAS IN PUPPY DOG HEAVEN.

Gonzo knew exactly what to do and how to do it.
Wow.
ALL THE WAY UP THAT
RAMBLING COUNTRY ROAD,
TO MAMA AND PAPA'S HOUSE.

It was so much fun. Both Mama and Gonzo
went cross country skiing together many times
before he died.

Gonzo lived with us for three years until he
was over twelve.

Thank you for listening to me tell the story!

Dharma Hugs
Dharma Dharma