Ramey Smyth is currently in the lead in the 2006 Iditarod sled dog race. Lance Mackey, now in 33rd place, set a blazing pace to Finger Lake, with very little time to rest or camp, according to Cabela’s website. The 2006 Yukon Quest winner is said to have exceptionally fast, strong dogs. His lead dogs, Hobo Jim and Larry, won the Golden Harness award in the Quest this year.
Much to my surprise, one of my favorite authors, Gary Paulsen, tried running again this year. However, the 66 yr.-old scratched in Skwentna. He managed to complete the race in 1983 with a team led by a trap line dog, and went on to write the account in the children’s book, Woodsong. Woodsong is one of my great favorites especially the story about the "seven skunk run" I guess sled dogs are sometimes hard to steer and they LIKE skunks.
Here at Northview, Rumpleteaser, an aging Jersey/Holstein cross cow, kept Liz up literally all night nursing her through the birth of a large bull calf. He was quite a disappointment, as not only was he not a heifer, but he was black, instead of the lovely honey brown that her ¾ bred calves usually are. Oh, well, he is still cute as you can see in his picture. This is looking like a big year for bulls, payback for all those heifers we got last year.
Dog sled racing
farming
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- threecollie
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I have to laugh about the calf and it's sex. As a dariy producer you want more heifers, as a beef producer I want more bulls. I understand why you want more heifers it's just funny. Different perspective on things.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture. One of perks of living on a farm: here in the city there are no baby animals that size being born. Just wanted to mention what a great column the 3/3/06 issue in the Recorder was. Years back you had once started a column off describing a country scene, and said something like, (forget it, I'll never be able to write poetically, and reverted to your normal way of writing. I want you to know that I think your writing is excellent and a joy to read. The 3/3/06 column was beautifully written and I could just see that winter scene in my mind's eye with the little creatures traveling through the snow cover. You bring the country scenes to life. You've become a great descriptive writer. Seems like the more you write, the better you are.
ReplyDeleteKaren, you really made my day. I was sitting here trying to crank out a thousand words for Friday and feeling kind of discouraged about it, when I checked my email and there was your oh-so-kind comment. Thank you very, very much. That is one reason I enjoy blogging so much..I get feedback. I rarely know if anyone even reads the Farm Side, although I assume someone does, as they are still paying me. Thanks again
ReplyDeleteSam, I know just what you mean. We breed a couple of the milk cows to Angus or Belgian Blue bulls every year (AI of course) for our own freezer, and THOSE are always heifers. Then the milk cows have bull calves. Murphy's Law I guess