The Many Faces They Make...

Well since the photo capability of this blog is SO much easier, I thought I'd share some of the hilarious faces and actions my dogs do sometimes.. Oh how they never cease to make me laugh on the darkest of days!

And finally, one of my personal favorites...........

Brand Spankin' New!

Ok, so I thought It was time to leave my old blog and open a new one here. I originally had a 'Sleddoggin' Blog, but for some reason my newest posts were deleting themselves and I was tired of backing up and reposting, so here I am!
Since I can't edit the posting dates, all my other posts (which I moved from my old blog to here) have the original date in the headline. Hope to catch up and learn more here, and hopefully post more than I currently commit to!

Anyways, Not much has been going on.. (well, der, I can't walk yet so I guess not) but the occasional outing and the weekend trips to see my dogs. This weekend my grandmother did me a huge favor, though, and which I am immensely grateful for. We took a trip to Lowe's and bought cinderblock and wood to move my equipment building - which was falling downhill and in. We also bought marble rock to put next to the fence where the two gray pups (Shooter and Breeze) down in the back kennels had been digging out and we had been just slapping bricks into the holes. We moved the building on the backside of the dogyard this time, and hopefully it won't be sliding downhill anymore. I do plan to move the dogyard again (yeah, I know, when am I going to be done) sometime before next summer if I can... but there's nothing wrong with where it's at right now, just other things need to be done.

New Building set-up

Since my camera seems to suck the daylights out of every battery I use, I take my cell phone down to the kennels when I visit and try and snap a few while I'm down there.
Here are the latest -

Breeze

Kajunn

Shooter, learning about the stakeout.

Papa Waylon

I know most of you are ready for fall, and I hear ya! I'm hoping that I will be back on the runners in time for my Birthday, so I can get away for the weekend and go camping with the crew. I don't know yet.. I just have Cabin Fever and am ready to get back to work and taking care of my dogs again....

Kennel Duties

Ok, so I actually meant to post this prior to the accident but never got around to it. Before then, It was that time of year.. yep, annual dog duties. Mostly just fixing some old chewed and dug holes along with scrubbing and cleaning every one of the doghouses. You would be amazed how much nastness can cling on a house in just a year! the good thing about this is that was ALL I had to do, the dogyard was (and still is) in remarkable shape, and I believe it has to do alot since I switched mostly over to stakeouts last summer. Most people don't believe me untill they visit and notice how tidy the dogs keep their circles. The buckets on a dusty spell will get a little dirty, but they keep the bedding inside the doghouses and if shavings or straw is put down in a muddy section it actually lasts and stays longer. I actually would like to keep all of the areas filled with pine shavings, but I don't reckon a little bit of dirt ever hurt anybody and it usually stays mild enough that I only spread flooring if we've really had a gully washer. Scooping up after the dogs is sooo much easier as they all chose a certian spot to do their business instead of just anywhere, making it faster and easier on me. It's more open, so the dogs get to interact and play with each other with just enough reach to not get tangled, as well as allowing adequate drainage when storms pass through. I had a major problem with that last year before switching over, when I had kennel runs instead of stakeouts and it was horrible! The kennels flooded and all the dogs were ankle (or more) in sloshy, irritating mud. I moved them and can see from a whole course of seasons how much of an improvement it has made, and could'nt be happier with the change :)

Anyways, I just use a plain ole scrub brush to clean the houses with a little bit of lysol and a whole lotta water (atleast whats left after I chase the dogs around the yard with the hose ;p) and its remarkable to me to see them so clean and white again! Some people may wonder, why paint them white? Some people use light charcoal, or whatever but I use it to reflect the sun off the houses. Which come to think of it, really doesn't apply to my dogyard because the entire thing is in shade all day long except in winter, when sun is welcomed and embraced. I do like the little 'spark' of color it adds to the kennel though, kinda gives it an extra spiffy touch ;) I guess when the time comes around to repaint them, I might coat them in my team colors - teal and burgundy. I actually bought some materials to build more of the "single board sled dog houses" so I wouldn't have to use so many of the plastic 'ruff-haus' ones I seem to have so many of. The plastic houses are good, don't get me wrong.. I just really like the design and ease to clean of the wood houses. Plus, on another note the dogs really seem to enjoy the flat roofs so they can sunbathe and relax on top. The problem is, those 'materials' like so many of my other projects, never really went anywhere because everything else kinda got in the way.. but we all know how that is. Maybe soon (after I heal and can walk again) I can get in gear and get some new houses and new stakeouts up for the Skynyrd kids, mostly.





The gang relaxin' watching me scrub and work on the puppy kennel (Kajunn and Tuesday's current home)

It's halfway there...

In kennel attire, with the doo-rag that Breeze was obsessed with trying to nab, haha

Satin on her clean house..

Well I'm glad I got that stuff done before the accident, because it could be several more months before I can walk again, moreless get back into the swing of repairing things everyday. Luckily, my mother and grandmother who have been feeding & scooping for me have been doing a pretty good job and the only problems they have seen so far is constant fence repair with Tuesday and Kajunn gangin' up and having a fence tie eating contest (lol) and Hatter & Breeze's digging. But I am thankful, and do get to see the dogs every saturday as I find my way down there and let them woller all over me :)
Hope everyone is having a good summer and I know yall are lookin' forward to training season! ~

Train, Roll On. (08/01/2010)

Well, summer's in peak now. It's been fairly dry, although there is nothing more refreshing than a late evening rain, which actually happens quite often. I love to wake up and hear the drops on the tin trailer roof, but much too often I also realise two minutes later that I had clothes on the line (which my friend Sherry pointed out also). Wearin' weathered clothes around aint too bad of a thang I reckon ;)

<img src="" alt="" />
Hatter

<img src="" alt="Tuesday & Satin" />

<img src="" alt="Breeze the theif" />

On a more important (and not really dog related) note, I am currently on bed rest (or house rest?) for an unannounced amount of time (maybe up to a year) because of an injury from an accident that happened two weeks ago. I will not go into details, for privacy reasons, but I will say I was shot accidently with a .45 and my Tibia (larger bone in the calf) was crushed so I had to have a rod the length of my calf put in and screws to hold it in place. I was in the hospital for 5 days, but now the main part is done. I still require atleast two more surgeries, both skin and bone graphs. I am doing well now, I have alot of great people to help me - including my ever faithful boyfriend (and his family) and the few left in my family. As expected, I am very greatful to be alive, as well as all the help I have been getting. I know, you're probably wondering.. who's feeding your dogs? Well they are NOT on my property (I don't own any property) and they are at my grandmothers land, so her and my mother have been switching off taking turns feeding and scooping.

I did get to see them for the FIRST time since the accident today with Robert (boyfriend) and my mom. They helped me down to the kennels on my walker and I sat down in my wheelchair as they fed and set them loose to run around. As the owner of my dogs, I did see ALOT of things that have went downhill since I got hurt, and it was disturbing to me since I am VERY picky (I mean like OCD picky) about my dogyard, the way they are fed and the way things are repaired, etc. All the dogs are shedding, and they aren't fed the way I would feed them.. but I'm really trying my best to be thankful someone is doing it, because atleast they are getting (mostly) poop scooped and fed... the main neccesities. It's just a little tough to swallow seeing how different everything is and how it is not done MY way since *I* am the only one who did everything for my dogs before the accident. But like I said, I am thankful for the help and hoping for a fast, good recovery. On a more happier note, Every one of my dogs wollered all over me before it was time to go. This is the longest I have ever went without seeing my dogs, and it was a beautiful happy reunion, especially with the people and dogs I love the most in my life.

Did I also mention I had to quit my tobbacco (because of the injury)?  : /   They told me it would prolong the healing process and could slow down the recovery and could take twice as long to repair and heal again. So like an innocent-looking woman I have only had one dip of Skoal long cut cherry and one Menthol Swisher-Sweet cigar. Oh, nicotine friend of mine, how I miss thee.

I also wanted to take a moment in this post to tell a little bit about Robert. Well, hell... where to start? Everything about him is amazing. He is one of the most caring, loving and handsome men I have ever came to know, and the only I have ever really loved with all of my heart and soul. We've been through some tough times, but storms never last for the true love that we have came to discover for each other. I have dragged him into 10 degree frosty mornings camping out in the woods to run dogs before, started playing pool and darts again since we met and even sang karaoke for the first time EVER because he introduced me to it. I am the person I wanted to always be when I am with him. The best part, he LOVES dogs and you would NOT believe how much we have in common. We both have the EXACT same taste in music, and I don't mean like we both like country and rock... I mean as in right down to the artist and song, old stuff no one our age has ever even heard of. Like "Hold On Loosely", "The Legend", and "Phantom 309" type of deal. We both are nitty gritty country folk, both crave the old lifestyle (the kind my older family still lives) as mountain folk, with cattle and horses, grow ya own and burn it for heat kind of thing. We both have dreams of one day packing it all up and moving out west where it's all high, open and free. Once we're together, were unstoppable. Hitting every dirt road in the surrounding three counties, chasing storms, haulin dogs, parkin down in some fishin' hole, or just jammin round our hicktown to some kick ass tunes. There is nothing.. and I really mean that... NOTHING like being with Robert. He is everything I want in a partner and even more as a friend. I would be lost without him.

Well anyways, that's my post for now. I did mean to say I updated my Flickr photo account to "Pro" so I've uploaded an insane amount to it. If you want to see my stream, you can see it here - RedneckSledDogs Flickr
Hope all is well with everyone and enjoy summer while ya can!
Over and out,
-J, R and Team SSpirit

"Train roll on, on down the line... why don't you please take me far, far away?" ~ Tuesday's Gone [Lynyrd Skynyrd]

Almost 6 months...(06/13/2010)

Ok, as promised I have taken new pictures of the puppies. They are nearing 6 months old now... It still amazes me how time flew by with this litter. I wish I could have done more with them when they were just little fuzzballs instead of now little shit gremlins with needle teeth. LOL, I'm just kidding. They are my pride and joy, Aint a moment I would have that I couldn't share with them.

I also just wanted to say how important this litter is to my kennel. Calamity (dam) is one of the BEST leaders I have ever had the pleasure to run. Although, YES she is not primarily from racing lines, Calamity has many qualities that I want to see passed down in further generations of SouthernSpirit dogs. I love her shorter coat - a thick dense undercoat which delivers the same amount of warmth and protection in the winter like the other dogs, but not as much top coat. This makes a huge difference in our terribly hot southern summers and it would narrow down dogs that would need much cooler temperatures that 50 degrees (f) to run enthusiastically in. She has the most firey, jumpy and unpredictably great personality and temperament I could ask for. She can read a sharp thought and won't think twice about making a decision.

Waylon, Oh Waylon (sire). What can't I say about him? He, overall, is the most powerfull and driven dog of my entire team, even over Calamity. He comes from some of the best of lines, with a knockout build. Although sometimes a little slow to think, he never forgets after that one time and keeps things in line. He usually runs wheel (because of his power and pace) but often can be found up front, right beside his gal. Sharp witted, It's like he knows what to expect at each corner like he has been there a hundred times before, even on a newly discovered trail. On top of everything else, he's just down right damn good lookin'!

Anyways, this litter is a mix of both of them. A little from what I have created in the past, and something I have tried to earned and have achieved. The "new generation" is here and will soon be flowing with mine and other southern teams towards the future. A new start, weather it be distance dryland, like our goals, or mushing snow dunes somewhere much cooler. It just makes me really proud that I can be part of something bigger, and that I am one step closer to having my perfect team.

Not to say they ain't already perfect.. haha.

Kajunn (SSpirits Swamp Music)

SmokeStack

Breeze

Tuesday

Hatter

Hope all yall's stayin' cool! catch ya on the flipside....

Searchin' For A Rainbow (05/22/2010)

Well, it's that time again. Things have warmed up quite a bit here in lovely Carolina. The garden is flourishing, house projects are abundant, my job is doing very well and I got a kennel full of awesome, hardy healthy huskies :) So I reckon I can't really complain there.

Recently (outside of dogs) though, I have resurrected my obsession with storms and severe weather as the summer clouds roll in and I hear the great sound of southern thunder and rain on our tin roof. I constantly check the radar for cells and get childlike with excitement when I hear NWS alerts on the radio. I can't help but LOVE it when I get stuck driving out on some back dirt road and the lightning strikes all around me, to look down the gorge and see the river splashing around, feel the rain splash over the door handle and hear the water skid beneath the tires... my love of summer. A beautiful friend once told me "I never liked the rain untill I walked through it with you..."

Other than that though, It's been here and there with the dogs. The pups are HUGE and already 20 weeks old! Still all legs and ears, I still call them radar babies :) Kajunn has developed into a split image of both her mama and papa. She certainly has the attitude and head of her mama, but the long legs and build of her papa. I still have 5 out of 6 original pups though - Tuesday, Hatter, Smoke Stack, Kajunn, and Breeze. Breeze will be leaving soon though, as well as another puppy, both going to the same mushing home in TN. Bullet is now with Mountain Forest Siberians in KY and will be a team member as well. I really hope I can finish up homing the pups soon though.. I really don't want to see them leave at ALL, but unfortunately I do not have unlimited space and soon they will be big enough for stakeouts of their own. Smokestack is really gotten to me lately as he grows, man he is HANDSOME! Wish I could keep two, but alas...  He has some great features about him and is one of the sweetest pups there is. He is also a brickhouse and knows how to use his strength... I think he will be an awesome wheeler on someones team. Heck, I think he personally has the most show potential out of the whole litter!

I keep meaning to get new pictures, but all the ones I get aren't really good profile shots and then my camera dies, but soon! I will update them and you probably won't be able to recognize them.

I have been having alot of difficulty lately though, coping with the thought of how much I really despise my kennel setup. I don't mean how the dog yard is layed out (that, I DO like!) I mean WHERE it is. For those of you who do not know the whole story, I will post that in another blog some other time. To make it short, I cannot have my dogs where I live now so I only get to see them for a few hours after work then usually I bring one or two over to where I am living now for a night or so on the weekends then it's back to the same old thing...For this reason, I have began the life of a mobile musher camping out in our training grounds almost every weekend for most of the year, hot or cold. At least there I can spend all the time I want with them and be away from everything that I cannot change for now. I just tell myself that one day soon, things will be OK and we can have a place again where we can all be together and I can just go out the back door and spend all evening with them if I wanted to. I just miss it, and it disgusts me.

currently as well, I have been lost in music. There is one song that sums up the way I feel, if there could ever be me turned into a song.

"And I'm searchin for a rainbow, and if the wind ever shows me where to go, you'd be waiting at the end and I know, I'll say to hell with that pot of gold.
I'll say to hell with that pot of gold" ~ Marshall Tucker Band 'Searchin' For A Rainbow'

So In turn, I guess I really am searching for that pot of gold, but I think I'd say to hell with it in the end cause I might just have to move on again with my dawgs like the wind through the hollar.....

Yes, I'm still here! (03/19/2010)

Yikes! I kept saying I'd update but looks like I havent gotten around to that since, Christmas? Sorry!  Anyways guess I'd better get to sayin' what all has happened in our neck of the woods since then.

First off, PUPPIES. They just turned 12 weeks old and are probably, the most active and wild litter I have ever raised. I decided to name them after Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, because I keep the southern theme (especially songs) in my kennel. The pups are -

• Bullet (named after "Give Me Back My Bullets") male, wolf gray and white, the only blue eyed pup in the litter :) VERY mouthy, loves to speak and hoard tennis balls.

• Smokestack (named after "Smoke Stack Lightning") male, light gray and white with big brown eyes. He has a beautiful mask, which always holds a mischevious exspression. Stocky and can be bossy.

• Hatter (named after "Mad Hatter") male, light gray and white with amber/blue bi-eyes. Looks like his uncle Hark, and is VERY laid back. One of the taller puppies.

• Kajun (named after "Swamp Music") Female, Agouti and white with brown/blue bi-eyes. My pick of the litter, she will be staying here :) Probably one of the smartest puppies, loves to talk and chew on pants legs.

• Tuesday (named after "Tuesday's Gone") female, Agouti and white with brown eyes. The tallest gal, she is a spitting image of her papa. She really enjoys being held and giving kisses.

• Breeze (named after "Call Me The Breeze") female, gray and white with blue/brown bi-eyes. Very rowdy, mouthy little girl. Reminds me the most of her mother.

I'm really trying to get all of them into working homes, and have several already in line for theirs. Kajun is staying here with me but I really wish I had more time and space for another one. If you are interested in one, or a copy of their pedigree or my contracts, please feel free to email me. Currently, Tuesday, and Hatter are still available and either Smokestack or Bullet will be available in a few weeks.

Other than that, I actually have just been busy with kennel stuff or work. Sadly, I must say this has not been the best mushing season for us. I have been pouring money into the dog van, so maybe it'll be A-1 next season so we can 'roll' some more. We did, however get up to a nice distance in the time we have gotten to run and we did get to play in the snow :)

Alright yall... good to be back in the blogging world again :) Speak soon and hope everyone is enjoying the start of spring!