Spring in upon us in Two Rivers. The trails are mushy, the fields are muddy and the south facing slopes are dirt.
More than anything this means…
Spring clean up is here!
The first few days of snow melt always brings us grand surprises: finding treasures that were buried in the very first snow on October 4th. We try our best to deal with these surprises quickly or at least before the final spring melt. We find it is best to feed the 50 pounds of hidden turkey skins or 30 strips of beef snacks before they thaw completely. The dog dishes, feed buckets and coolers that had leftover frozen meals need to be cleaned before the thaw as well. Nothing like washing several hundred dishes at once. Anyone have a very large, commercial grade dishwasher in Two Rivers? No… that means we need to stretch the water hose out again. (‘Tis the season.)
Tidbits that seem to appear out of the thawing snow pack are dog booties, hidden dog toys and chew bones. The booties need to be dried and sorted along with the 2,000 used booties that came back from the Yukon Quest and Iditarod. (That will be an ongoing summer project!) But, the dog toys and bones are happily uncovered and thoroughly enjoyed by the pooches. We hope to resupply all the dogs with fresh bones later in the spring.
Each dog house was packed full of straw throughout the winter months. This straw has since been dragged around the yard and now adds to the muck and yuck. So a full day must be put aside to rake straw and clean out houses. Dog bowls need to be checked for any winter puncture holes. It will soon be the season when water can actually be left outside and not become an instant ice cube.
(L – R) Treasures in the melting snow; Wasn’t that straw supposed to be INSIDE Mac’s house?; a little late in the season to use a sled for clean up.
The winter dog gear needs washing and sorting. Our dog coats, wind jackets, leggings and blankets were used a lot during the two very cold 1,000 mile races this season. A long day at the laundromat is imperative. Why not wash the musher’s gear as well? Perhaps we’ll even be invited back to the races next if we don’t smell like an end of the season dog musher.
It is the time of the year when a dog musher wonders… is it the end of this season or the beginning of the next? Hummmmm.
The exit trail from the kennel and across the field looks different but gorgeous in the Spring.
It's about the same here in Colorado. Today we have silver dollar snowflakes falling here in the foothills. Your pictures are beautiful!
Yup…same here in the Adirondacks…..we call it Mud Season!! Grit and sand in the cabin from muddy paws in and out…random piles of snow still melting….lots of treasures to be found in the woods too! But you folks got it 50 times over with a good size dog yard!! Hang in there…summers right around the corner!
Hooray. Spring fever. Bring it on.
Woohoo, the beginning of the next!
I hope that "or the beginning of the next? Hummmmm," came with a smile. 🙂
Enjoy your free runs. Keep those hearts happy, woohoo!
Not only are the pictures beautiful, as another poster points out, but even in the muddy season, your Two Rivers hideaway, sans 4-legged pix, is gorgeous.
Woof, woof, woof!!!
Of course, online we can only vicariously enjoy the pleasures of your Herculean task!
Best,
Margaret
Spring clean up sorta goes along with break-up doesn't? What in the world was MAC thinking getting his straw out of his dog house? Wow, that is a "ton" of booties used. Maybe SPK should install a commercial grade washer at the kennel!!HaHa And for sure the mushers clothes should be washed. Great pictures. Thanks for posting.
Maybe one of these years, a group of sponsors and fans should show up in Two Rivers for a week Aliy and Allen designate and we have an enormous work party!
Yes! Work party sounds like fun many hands make work faster!
Except for the loss of the favorite season of the year, sounds like heaven. A good sort out and clean up adds to the variety of life and the appreciation of it. Ah, the comfort of the seasonal routine, all is well.