WBW: Tatfish

It’s been a while since we’ve had a Windback Wednesday / Throwback Thursday so this one is for everyone who enjoys a laugh! I don’t know how many times I have watched this video and it makes me laugh out loud every time! Macgellen was testing a new camera back in December 2008 and caught some video of the teams leaving the yard. He also caught something else on tape…

While I’ve been pleasantly surprised, frankly, at how well my photo gear has held up under the demanding conditions here in the Interior Alaskan winter, I have to admit that it has been a bit of a struggle from time to time.

So, while I was in Fairbanks the other day I shopped for a camera that is more “purpose built” for the cold, snow, etc., than my existing gear. I found one by Olympus called the “Stylus 1030 SW” — the “SW” stands for “Shock and Water Proof” — and it is supposed to operate in temperatures down to -10 degrees. Hoping for the best, I bought it and determined to put it to the test right away.

As Aliy and Allen were getting ready to head out on a training run yesterday, I noticed a small rock in the Kennel’s exit chute. With the claim of “shock and water proof” in mind, I propped my new camera down on the snow in front of it, hoping to get some footage from an unusual perspective. Actually, I was still just hoping for the best.

By now you know that the dogs are pretty excited to get going just before a run, some of them to the extent that we have to hook them up at the very last second or they will make a tangled mess out of the team. This is particularly true for Tatfish. For reasons that you will see, this little video is dedicated to Tatfish and my new camera, both of whom deserve better than they get!

Special thanks to Jonathan Coulton — who somehow always has just the song I need! — for the use of “Why Don’t You Take Care Of Me?”

Enjoy!

~ Macgellan