Apologies

I have to tell my readers here that I am sorry for being silent for much too long. It turned out to be a rather hard summer for me and a lot of plans had to go on the back burner.

A bit before my short trip in June I had some eye issues. Once I was back they hit with a vengeance and for the greater part of two months I was seriously impaired in the vision department. My eye doctor insists it is just my dry eyes but I felt there was a strong allergy component and perhaps other things as well. At this point I really do not know but finally I am back to near normal and can function again. I'm trying to catch up for two months of lost time. That is hard. I used some homeopathic treatments--bathed the eye area twice a day with colloidal silver, for example and used some OTC drops of various kinds and a petrolatum salve at night. I got back on the Restasis after the extreme irritation and inflammation eased and it seems to be working. XX fingers crossed tight.

There were days I did not dare try to drive and could only spend a few minutes on the computer, glasses off and nose about six inches from the screen. I managed to complete a couple of writing deadlines and proof some galleys--barely.It was not fun. But enough whining.

Suffice to say my planned fall trip is not going to happen. I am now shooting for being in Alaska for the Iditarod and perhaps the Yukon Quest. This will depend on a number of things but that is my earnest hope. I still follow Aliy Zirkle's SP Dog Log blog, check in on the Iditarod and YQ sites and FB pages and keep up with the news as best I can. I renewed my memberships for both boards through 2016. Even being a card carrying member is worth something. I also do sit down now and again and draft more short sections of Women Who Run With the Dogs. 

Ready to send off any day is a two-sided lap robe sized quilt for Deedee Jonrowe--at least one small new keepsake for her after she lost everything except her dogs and her and her husband's lives in the tragic June fire. They are rebuilding and she will be racing in the 2015-16 season. Bless her heart; she is such a tremendous inspiration! I cannot even begin to whine about my small problems when I know about hers.


Here are the two faces of the quilt: I especially like the Alaska Sled Dog one although the pink face is important too and I support the cause of curing breast cancer in our lifetime as well as many other types of the dread disease.


Up north the weather is cooling off--Fairbanks has had some light frosts and mushers in that area are now training, mostly running teams with ATVs but that gets them in shape. The five "Surfivers" at SP Kennel will be training and running some this year. Several older dogs have been retired. I'm excited about the new ones but of course a little sad that some familiar names and faces will not be out there anymore. Life goes on and we have to go with the flow. Change is inevitable, I guess. Both good and bad -- she said with a wry grin!

I will hope to keep up better now and let everyone know how things are shaping up for the next racing season and as plans develop, how my trips will go.