Second Litter at SPK!!

This was a huge surprise as they kept it under wraps until just now but there has been a second litter born at SPK, just a week ago!! Wonderful Quito had seven pups, three boys and four girls! The sire is not an SPK dog but a very exceptional dog, Kosak, belonging to the young Norwegian Musher Joar Ulsom. Kosak's sire was a full brother of the SPK dog, Cha-Cha, also a very exceptional dog and almost a foundation mama for many of the current active dogs there. Actually Quito and Kosak have a very similar "look"  which is not that common among Alaskan Huskies due to the mixture of breeds and bloodlines among them.

While this late delivery will slow down Quito's fall training and cut into her racing this year, it was worth it to get these pups to carry on her fine traits. She is nine now and crowding the end of her racing career but she may be able to do the Iditarod one more time. I was just blown away with this great news and can't wait to learn more about this litter which is bound to contain some exceptional sled dogs. Quito has been one of my faves since I first heard about her and I'm a fan for the second year since of course she already has a sponsor. Maybe I can get a toe in that door for one of these puppies! Below is me with Quito August 2014. I am thrilled that I have touched her and we communed for a moment. She has beautiful eyes!

Sharing a moment with Quito, Aug 2014

Go SPK!!

Small share

I just wanted to share that I sent the small quilt to Deedee Jonrowe several weeks ago. Yesterday I got a very sweet thank you note from her. She had been down in the lower 48 for an extended visit and just got back to Alaska. She and her husband are still camping in a motor home and having trouble with temporary water lines freezing now. They are rushing to get the new house finished but winter may hit faster. Anyway I am so glad it got there safely and she was touched and thrilled with it.

She is my heroine and such a brave, strong and amazing lady. I am a little worried about her racing this year but she is still determined to do it and I have to admire her gumption soooo much! This lady is a real champion in every sense of the word. What a role model for our young women--a big reason why I am still determined to do my book!! A couple of pix from official Iditarod files:

Deedee's team at a checkpoint 2015 Iditarod.
Note the pink!!

Deedee at Nome, March 2015-- smiling through
frostbite and she still had all her dogs!!!

SPK Dog Fan Club

Because  SPK has a rule that each dog can have only one sponsor who is deeply invested in that dog and his or her career, they came up with a great way to allow more people to make their little contribution to the grand endeavor. The Dog Fan Club is open to anyone and for the small fee of $25 which will go to support and care of that dog, you can become a 'fan'. The new puppies won't be included for a bit but the Surfivers are right in there  So far I am a fan of three: Ginger, of course, Quito--who is my all time favorite for many reasons, and now Olivia the mom of the latest litter. I will go back and include Chica and some of the male dogs later when I can afford it.

The weather is becoming more wintery now in Alaska, especially up around Fairbanks. And even Anchorage has had a bit of snow. I wish I could be up there now as I had planned but that was just not to be this year. I still plan and hope to make it up for the Iditarod next March and will try some new pushes through my go fund me page to build a better base for teh expenses that will entail.  I'll try to keep everyone posted her on my progress as well as all our favorite mushers as the race season gets underway right after the holiday season.

It is still just past summer in southern New Mexico and that is okay by this desert rat. As I said today to my Yahoo group friends, I don't do cold unless there are sled dogs involved. But for them I would bundle up until I looked like the Michelin lady and feel blessed regardless of the weather! Meanwhile I am a fan and an avid follower of all the news I can find on line and I share what seems to be most pertinent....