In addition to normal training in the trail, the dogs are spending lots of time running loose in the yard.  They seem really happy at the moment.  Monday was a long session - first loose running, then up onto the tops for a longer trail run than we've been doing so far.  I found a quiet spot to park the dogs, and let them rest until all had settled down.  A good hour later, it was time to switch a few around in the team, and head back.  This was Leila's first real run as leader, but she led like a natural.  By the time I got back, the sun was shining.  Time for the dogs to run loose again.  Talk about happy?  I sat myself down on the grassy bank, and the dogs took it in turns to sit and lay beside me.  Kippax had obviously really enjoyed herself, and kept coming to thank me, even bowling me over at one point.  Even Logan-boy wanted fussing.  Good stuff.  More of the same, please! 

Never thought I'd one day have to defend who I am.  This year's entry for the Finnmark race has, yet again, raised the question of what it is to be a) British, b) English, or c) a citizen of the UK.  To a Norwegian, anyone coming from Britain tends to be described as 'English', resulting, of course, in horrendous exchanges from the Scots and the Welsh. 

My entry for the 2011 race resulted in a Union flag together with 'ENG'.    I'm not English, I'm British (some Scottish roots, with a bit of Malta and Italy thrown in for good measure).  All international sports events use the Union flag, together with GBR for Great Britain & Northern Ireland.  That works, and so should it for Finnmarksløpet, but I just know that there's a Scottish or a Welsh flag around the corner, just waiting to be used...!

Anyway, I've paid my non-refundable deposit of a thousand kroner (£100), and Prospect Huskies are in full training, ahead of the big event in March 2011.  If you've not already realised, I'm racing for The Christie Charity (UK) and the Norwegian Cancer Society (N).  Please see my home page for details of how to donate. 

Phew!  I thought winter training used up several hours in the day, but yesterday's summer session was a mammoth one.  Six hours, from going out of the house to coming back in again.  Finally ate my dinner, shortly after midnight. 

Joint training, together with Roy's team from down the road.  I was out first, so gave my dogs lots of short stops to allow Roy to catch up.  Just the first two miles with the engine running, to get the dogs zooming up the hill, then the rest was pure dog power.  Found a decent spot at the halfway point to make a small fire, so it was fresh coffee for us, while the dogs were left to their own devices.

Roy's team are used to picnic stops, so there wasn't a sound from them.  In contrast, I'm not one for stopping for a long break, so my restlessness spreads to the dogs.  Most of my lot settled down quite quickly, but Pirjo and Susi just wanted to keep going, and Seppo was just waiting for the tiniest movement amongst Roy's dogs, to give him the excuse to get excited.  It took half an hour for silence to descend on my team, whereupon Susi remembered a bad habit and chewed through her harness.  Daft dog - it's been three years since she last did that.

All in all, we stopped for over two hours - enough time for the dogs to completely give up and go into rest mode.  Once that point had been reached, it was the cue to start back home again.  No signs of tiredness.  Once we got back home, it was time for a bit of checkpoint training.  Start as you mean to go on!  Prepared a bucket of food while the dogs were still hitched up, collected up their bowls, dished out the food, served it to the dogs, collected in the bowls, then ignored the dogs for a while.  Time to pluck muck, wash and rinse all the bowls, change the drinking water, and THEN, finally, I put the dogs back in their kennels.  Great training.  The next session will show what they have learned!

14 July 2010.  Four years and one day since I moved into the house in Høyvik.  Four years since Wilma and Yankee set about producing the six fine dogs I have from them.  And one month until Kippax's first birthday!  (Better get the cake ordered....)

It's manic with mozzies at the moment.  In fact, manic with anything that can fly and bite.  There aren't many days with nil precipitation, so the mozzies are really thriving.  The combination of sun and rain also leads to the super-fast growth of grass, so the lawn has to be cut twice a week.  This is no mean feat, as it's a big lawn.  The whole lot - grass and edging, takes about 4 hours to do.  Four hours for the news to spread like wild fire amongst the biting insect community that there's fresh blood to be had in Høyvik.  The lawn looks nice, though!  I got bored of either horizontal or vertical lawn-stripes, so I went for the diagonal look this time.  It will, at least, give people something to talk about. 

Love is in the air in the dogyard.  The females are either in heat, or coming into heat.  Logan is besotted with Ruusa, Seppo fancies Leila, and Riku (who also fancies Leila) is annoyed with his brother for standing a little closer to his intended.  Meanwhile, Billy is in love with every flower, tree, bird, etc....
 
RIP Ken Barnes, 1929-2010.  President of the MCFC OSC, Scandinavian Branch, and a real gentleman.  Link.

Hired a cherry-picker lift at the weekend, to get the barn painted.  The weather reports weren't great, but with help from a couple of willing bods, I got one coat done between the raindrops.  The wooden planks were so dry that the oil-based coating just soaked in and disappeared.  Anyway, I now have a barn that is no longer faded red, but more a sort of rust colour, having painted brown over the top.

Well, it was to be expected - England's football team got knocked out of the World Cup by a fast bunch of German youngsters.  Just a question of why they bothered to qualify in the first place.  People are finally starting to wonder why the national side isn't up to scratch.  Err, that's an easy question to answer, given the amount of overpaid (mostly foreign) players that grace the car parks of the Premier League with their expensive cars.  Quote of the weekend, from Mum, after having slaved her way through watching England-Germany:  I should have gone to Glastonbury! 

The weather is now decidedly unstable.  Cool enough for traning, so I just need to get back into the routine.  Took the dogs out for a few runs at the beginning of June, but there's still a few months to go before things have to get serious.

Hailing from the Manchester area, it was natural for me to select The Christie Charity as my chosen charity for 2010-11.  The Christie is one of the world's leading cancer centres, treating over 40 000 patients a year.

The dogs are in training all year round, so why not make a donation based on the number of miles we cover?  This could be weekly or monthly - you decide.  One-off donations to The Christie are, of course, also very welcome!

To read more and to make a donation, visit http://www.justgiving.com/prospectchristie

The telegram came through from Pasvik with one day's delay:  
JASKA HAS HAD SIX PUPS STOP RIKU HAS BECOME A DAD STOP

Congratulations to Riku on THAT piece of work.  The proceedings which led to the above birth happened 6 April, just before Pasvik Trail.  I'd arrived with the dogs at Venke's place in Pasvik.  All my dogs were safely installed in their kennels.  Venke's pup, Jaska, was wandering freely around outside as normal, and it wasn't until we were inside, drinking coffee, that Venke suddenly remembered that Jaska was on heat!  Venke sprang outside, to find Jaska and Riku in a most compromising position.  So that was that.  

Still no signs of development from Ruusa's escapades with Elmo, despite me dreaming that she actually told me, in fluent Norwegian, that yes, she was expecting, and yes, it was Elmo who was the father! 

I'll have to decide what to do.  I wasn't planning to have any pups this season, but one might not hurt....

Summer in East-Finnmark is something to be treasured.  Not because of how special it is, but because it seldom happens!  High pressure over the neighbouring Kola peninsula, and people cast their clothes and do silly things.  Especially if a summer's day arrives in May.  Especially if that summer's day coincides with the Norwegian national day, 17 May.   

Boy, it was hot!  Officially, the temperature was 16 degrees, but that's the average for the whole 24 hours, including a clear night.  My outdoor thermometer, albeit placed on a sunny wall, read 25.9 degrees at four o'clock in the afternoon.  Driving in to town at ten o'clock, folk were skinny-dipping in the fjord.  I was less adventurous, but managed to wade in up to my knees.  The main stopping point is the knowledge that there are hundreds of giant spider crabs lurking out there....  Funniest sight of the day - people in national dress, driving cars.  National romanticism would rather have them on horseback than driving round in motorized vehicles.

Other news.  The first sheep has arrived in Høyvik, ending a sheep-free period of around 30 years.  It's a bit daft to own just the one sheep, but I will build up gradually.  Anyway, it's a bit daft to have a flock of a hundred, when each one is no more than 12 cm high and made of ceramic!!

The first butterfly has been observed - real, this time - and there are lots of predator birds in the skies.  Glad I don't have any small pups at the moment!  The rowan trees have officially been declared dead, so they're being turned into firewood.  On the other hand, I've planted some wild flower seeds in the corner of the garden, and sweet peas in front of the house, so am now eagerly awaiting the results.     

Meanwhile, the weather is back to normal - overcast and 6 degrees!  Ah, well, we enjoyed summer while it lasted!

6 May - Received a text message from Venke (Pasvik) to say that Malbekkoia had burnt to the ground.  I'd been there in January with all the dogs and was intending to return in September, partly to train, but also to help Venke with any repairs, log-chopping, etc.  It's not that long, either (19 Apr), that Billy and Leila were there on a quick sled trip, while I was in the UK. 

I can't remember how old Malbekkoia was, but it was a big, two-storey cabin with room for many of the forest workers who would have used it.  All the forest cabins are state-owned, but many are maintained by local folk.  Venke and Bengt have put in many hours of work, keeping the cabin in good shape and even putting in triple-glazed windows to make the place more hospitable.  It's all very sad.  Just hope the police and fire service can manage to find out what has happened, but it seems like someone had been 'playing with matches'....

The weather in the past couple of days has been decidedly wintry.  Yesterday evening wasn't just sleet, it was real, big flakes of snow, and about 0.6 degrees above freezing.  Welcome to May weather in East Finnmark!  Strange to think that some days, however, are just perfect.  Last Friday, 30 Apr, was one of those.  Sunshine and no wind.  After spending some time collecting and packing rubbish from the shore, I took the fishing rod for its first outing of the year.  After several casts, and with my luck running out, along came a decent sized coalfish (sei).  Having been caught, though, it didnt easily give up.  Even without head and tail, it twitched and hopped while I scraped it free for scales.  Hmm.  Fishing is great on the rocks, but I don't really like having to grab the fish afterwards!  Best sight of that evening - a slow flypast by a sea eagle.

8-9 Apr  Seven of the dogs - Susi, Ruusa, Milla, Pirjo, Katie, Seppo and Riku - completed the 300km Pasvik Trail, with John Øyvind Selmer in charge of the sled.  With the team was also Elmo, more used to pulling tourists around a frozen lake, but who had been in intensive training to get him ready for the race.  It looks like Ruusa took a particular shine to Elmo, as she was found in his kennel after the race, having come loose from her chain.  Time will show just how friendly the two were (or not)....  Anyway, the dogs came in to 14th place of 31 finishers, so a top-half finish.  And talk about eager dogs?  They managed to break the rope holding the snow anchor, something which led to a few minutes of hectic excitement.  Twice.

12-28 Apr  Hols for everyone.  Me home to Blighty, while the dogs stayed with Venke in Pasvik.  The aim was to make the dogs fat and round, but after a couple of weeks of home food and cheap eating out, I think that ploy worked more for me than the dogs! 

Huff.  Two weeks since I returned from Alta, and most of that time has been spent nursing a dose of influenza.  The past week was blighted with a sinus infection, but with my usual reaction of sitting and waiting, I didn't get hold of any penicillin until the fifth day.  Most people would have given in to the pain long before.  It is within the realms of possibility that I possess some form of pain-relieving tablets, somewhere in the house, but I'm quite happy for my body to let me know that it's hurting!  Cover up the pain, and you start doing too much!

Despite being ill, there have, nevertheless, been the two approaching events of Easter and Pasvik Trail.  Our small group of singers had to be rehearsed, music for the trumpeter had to be arranged and written out, and then there's been services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (the latter out at Vardø).  If I hadn't already missed so many services because of the Finnmark race, I'd have gone on the sick!

As for Pasvik Trail, I'm glad I'm not racing.  This week has been mild.  I took the dogs for a long run this morning, and it was mushy.  Heavy going.  The forecast for the next week is also mild, so goodness knows what the trails will be like for the race.  At least it's over and done with in the space of just over a day.

Meanwhile, I'm heading back to Blighty for a spring break.  And since Mum also has a Mac (wise woman...), there will be no updates while I'm away.  I still promise a longer description of how it went during the Finnmark race.  TTFN! 

Two Finnmark races started, two Finnmark races completed, and both with all eight dogs to the finish!  Yes, folks, we're talking three days of little sleep and loads of concentrated effort. 

I'll come back with a longer version of how the race went.  For now, we broke last year's record by about 10 hours, arriving in Alta on Tuesday afternoon before the shops shut, and therefore in good time before the banquet.  This year was a race, not just a long tour, and the plan was to run faster and keep to the minimum of 20 hours' rest.  It all turned out to be a little too much for the gang, and just like last year, I ended up with an unplanned stop in the middle of nowhere.  

Many things were much better than last year - stronger dogs, faster uphill stretches (and there are lots of those), better checkpoint routine, better eating, etc.  I just need to get even more training miles in the dogs, and get them more used to shorter rests between training.  Simple, really! 

A visit from local photographer, Sonja Siltala, who is recording the lives of immigrants to Vadsø.  The result will be a book and exhibition, jointly by the library and the museum.  Watch this space for the date of publishing!

A great day for the dogs.  Lots of photos of them while I went about harnessing them up, then out we went with Sonja in the sled.  The weather could have been kinder on the trip - only about 9 degrees below, but a drizzly kind of snow from the north-east.  Despite the conditions, Sonja managed to take loads of photos, both from the sled and as we drove by.  All good training for the dogs - both to have the extra weight in the sled (no problems there!) and having to stop and start several times.

Back from the trip, it was time to take the dogs into the barn for the first time.  I've created three stalls full of straw where the dogs can rest after training, with several dogs in each stall.  If the dogs are covered in snow, it's better that they thaw out and lick themselves clean in the barn, rather than taking all the snow into their own kennels.  The dogs loved the experience, and knew exactly why they were there!

In the news again, for all the right reasons!  The Middleton Guardian were kind enough to run a piece on my efforts to raise money for RAFBF.  Read the article at MiddletonGuardian.

Local paper to Vadsø, Finnmarken, has also run a piece on me, but I've not yet made it to their online edition! 

Other sources for reading about my efforts - Thornham St John's Parish newsletter, the Association of RAF Fighter Control Officers:  RAFFCA, and Bluemoon MCFC chat forum!  The last named led to one member doubling the total donations to RAFBF, so publicity works!

30 Jan - The dogs' first outing this season to a favourite trail in Nesseby.  Training together with Bente and Stein Tage - always good to have company in the trail, both for me and the dogs.  The Tana-Varanger trail has been improved since last season - some difficult bends have been made less technically demanding (!) and the first section was beautifully prepared for cross-country skiers - a luxury for us.  Great weather - clear skies, no wind, and first the sight of the sun setting in the south(-west), then the spectacle of the full moon rising in the north, glowing like a ball of fire.  We'd happened to stop for a break, and it was perfect timing. 

All in all, a good work-out for my 10 dogs in cold conditions.  I'd added a couple of sacks of pellets to the sled, together with this and that, but it wasn't until we got back to base that I realised just what a weight the dogs had been pulling!

01 Feb - A free day from work, and time to test out the home trail, for the first time since returning from Pasvik.  The previous day had been spent shovelling a channel through a 5-foot-high snowdrift, right at the start of the trail, and then packing that snow on top of the windblown sections.  Never a moment's rest!

I took just 8 dogs on the training run, as I would be mushing in unknown parts.  I'd borrowed neighbour Roy's map-GPS, and it turned out to be a real asset.  In towards Vadsø, up behind the Torsvarden TV-mast, out past Vasavatnet and nearly to Skallelv, before cutting back towards Krampenes and then back in via Langsmedvatnet.  There was a long section where I didn't see any marker posts, so I just had to steer Seppo and Milla, the day's leaders, according to the line on the GPS.  They dogs were brilliant - it was just like fine-steering a car!  I probably wouldn't have managed it without the map-GPS, so it's time to invest in the same model.  It's been fine so far with a GPS without map, but the map function really does give added security. 

A delayed Christmas holiday for me, but nothing in terms of relaxation!  Nope - it was, instead, 10 days of non-stop training for the dogs in the Pasvik valley, on the other side of the fjord.  A real bootcamp!  Home base alternated between Venke Törmänen's handler cabin at Skogfoss, and Malbekkoia - a grand cabin in the woods, formally used by forestry workers.  There were more than enough kennels for the dogs, and the fantastic location allowed for great variation in training. 

The 500km Finnmarksløpet sled dog race will be this season's goal.  Even if I don't compete, for whatever reason, it's a good incentive to keep up with the routine of training.

If you can assist with financial support to this season's race, please click on Sponsors

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Målet for sesongen er Finnmarksløpet 50-mil.  Uansett om jeg ikke delta, av hvilken som helst grunn, er det godt å ha et mål for å holde treningen i gang. 

Dersom du kan hjelpe med penger til årets løp, følg linken Sponsorer