Dogsled Race Education Programs

Putting the kayaks away is always a sad event. But the good news is - it signals the start of my favourite season...

DOGSLEDDING

Many dogsled race committees are joining the growing trend to include an educational component to their race.

If you are a teacher interested in following a race with your class, or even just a fan wanting to learn more, there are blogs and websites you can follow along with.

• Pick a favourite musher (I'm a loyal fan of Martin Buser, my musher-crush)
• Meet the dogs
• Follow the race via GPS
• Live Chats
• Read news reports from a Canine news team
• Contests, videos for classrooms, games and more!

Here are a few links to get you started

Yukon Quest Education Program

Beargrease site

Iditarod 2014 Teacher on the Trail, Jennifer Reiter

Iditarod Education Links 

Wyoming Stage Stop Race Follow the Lead Teacher

author photo shoot fail

Posing for an author photo is hard! Posing with a dog even harder. But try posing with two dogs and have everyone looking the right way at the same time! At one point, both dogs jumped in the lake! Here are some outtakes:

Can you translate what this dog is saying?



And finally we got this:

Puppies anyone?

Denali National Park Service has a new litter of cuteness.

They have a You Tube series called Puppy Paws that does a great job showing sled dog pups and describing the daily needs. Even at that age, their training begins.

Check it out!

New Things

Thing one - though more of a HE, is our latest addition with a cold nose and warm paws.

River the lucky lab

Someone had DUMPED this clever, sweet, funny boy, which was obvious by the ridge left where someone had removed his collar, and his behaviour like he was waiting for someone. He is also not a character that would run away.
He is FIVE MONTHS old! And all alone in a scary world. He was so covered in bug bites that he had an allergic reaction and swelled up like a monster puppy.
We've called him River (where we found him). He's quite a handful while he learns the house rules, but he makes me laugh every day.

Thing two - the new website design by xuni.com. She is brilliant and fabulous. Highly recommend her.  Under the contact page you can join my mother and be on my mailing list!

Thing three - new facebook author page for news and announcements about ICE DOGS, and other projects in the works. It's a bit skimpy right now, but will soon be filled with goodies.

The reason why being an author is awesome

I haven't talked about Dogsled Dreams for a while, but felt the need to mention I found this little gem thanks to Google Alerts.

Imagining my book being read out loud in a classroom,
and those kids actually liking it so much, they don't want the teacher to stop,
and then those kids reading it again ON THEIR OWN

and then having the totally awesome teacher,
who not only reads to her class, but also blogs about books,
take the time to post this about my little book ...

well, there are no words.

photo credit





just smiles.

Tongues and Teeth and stuff



Photo by Alaskaphotography.com

The Iditarod begins tomorrow - March 3. For all your doggie goodness news, check out some of these links

 the Official site here

Race Talk forum
Backstage Iditarod

New Web Cam sites

Iditarod Start
Nome (the finish line)


For more amazing pictures of tongues and teeth check out Alaska Photography

including this short video of a crash. omg. I've so been there.




Enjoy!

Why Do They Run?

It's eighteen days away.

Every year, I sign up for the Iditarod Insider to get the latest news and videos. I pick the free option, but if you are a teacher, or huge fan, you can choose to subscribe to the whole package. It's a fun way to be part of the race, without the travel.

Check out my favourite video so far this year here and click on THE DOGS OF THE IDITAROD for a one-minute clip that will make you smile.

Or, if you just want to know WHY THEY RUN, check out my book, DOGSLED DREAMS.

It's all about love.

ICE DOGS announcement

photo credit www.sleddogcentral.com

Today I finally get to spill the beans and tell you my exciting news.

I've been waiting impatiently to be able to share, but now that the day is here, I'm actually a bit lost for words.

Here's someone else's words.
Deals from Publisher's Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Terry Lynn Johnson's ICE DOGS, in which a 15-year old dogsled racer and sled dog owner loses her way on a routine daytime outing with her dogs; with food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her, to Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in Winter 2013, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world). caryn@andreabrownlit.com


My novel will be a real hardcover book in two years!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how good this feels. My dream of being published with a big publisher has come true!! And I owe much to my amazing agent Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Lit Agency.

also,

A GIGANTIC and GRATEFUL shout out to my long-suffering crit partner PAUL GRECI

who read the manuscript about 608 times without complaint.
He is beyond awesome. He is also a spectacular, uber talented writer.


Really, a writer's most important tool is her critique partners. I also have to thank

Sue Kay Quinn
Kendare Blake
Medeia Sharif
Cynthia Chapman Willis

also my good friend, and not even a writer Jackie White  who keeps me grounded with her honesty.

I also owe a debt to the good friends I have made this year at the ELEVENSIES

See the village of support I have? I am one lucky writer! And now, thanks to my support team, I am soon to be a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt author.

Dead things my dog brings home

Images from our hike today:

And here's our lake during the snowstorm and after

As you can see - the lake is half open!  Guesses for the ice-out contest are now closed. I'll be posting the exact date and time soon I think - and the winner!




Dead things


Today on our hike, my dog found a half a rabbit. The bottom half. This led me to ponder the events that would have taken place for a half a rabbit to be left in the bush. Tragic and dramatic stories tossed around in my head until I could write them down when I got back. Inspiration for writing is all around me.

A half a rabbit isn't the only thing my dog has found lately. This winter she was obsessed with a chickadee that had unfortunately broken its neck on our window. Tanzer sat with it in the snow - even brought it on our walks for three days.

I'm never surprised to see her trotting out of the bush, head held high, with a deer leg danging from her mouth. We live in the middle of a winter deer yard, and where there are deer, there are wolves.

Dead frogs, dead ruffed grouse, stinky dead things I didn't even recognize.

What has your dog brought home lately?

A few of my sled dogs

Today I woke to find Susan Fields had reviewed my book, DOGSLED DREAMS on her blog. WOW! I'm so happy that she enjoyed the book. And so did her kids! Susan mentioned how much she liked it when I posted a picture of one of my real dogs from the book. Here's a few more.

Doppler with some admirerers

Tarzan - unfortunately I don't have any pictures with him smiling

Doppler (bottom), Ulu, (left) and Orbit (smiling) as pups in the dog truck

On the stake out line at camp. Denali is the big white guy carefully not sitting on his straw

giving rides. Apollo and Soho in lead

Fall training. Blaze in lead. Doppler and Tarzan in point. Ulu and Apollo in Swing (or Team position). Orbit and Belle in Team. Elsie and Denali in Wheel

Elsie



dogs howling on the stake out line



Amazing dogs - amazing race

Must watch videos of Iditarod dogs in action from the official Iditarod Insider site.

Montage ONE

Montage TWO

Do these videos bring a lump to your throat? For some reason, I get very emotional watching how gorgeous and true the dogs are. And the dramatic music caps it.

Maxwell Medallion of Excellence

Big announcement!

I've been notified that I have won FIRST PLACE in the Dog Writers Association of America covetted awards

The MAXWELL MEDALLION OF EXCELLENCE

I am truly honoured. (okay, and freaking PUMPED that it's from the DOG writers association)

A fellow Dogs in Canada Magazine writer accepted the award on my behalf at the Annual Awards Banquet in New York at the Affina Manhattan hotel.

Dogs help you live longer

Last year, Dogs in Canada magazine published one of my articles, WALKING THE DOG. It's now up on the Dogs in Canada website.

The article is about my friend, Alana who has Cystic Fibrosis. Her goofy dogs are keeping her alive. See how by checking out my article here!

Excerpt:
Alana’s neighbours grew accustomed to the sight of her pulling a wagon with Magnus sitting proudly. They could set their clocks by the morning, noon and evening walks.

Celebrating Dog Books




A few of my DOG BOOK collection.

  Lately I've been reading some amazing books about dogs. Wanted to share some of my recommended reads with you.

LOST AND FOUND by Jacqueline Sheehan haunts me still. The characters are rich and vivid and the dialogue is amazing. The author wrote me back after I sent her a fan mail!

LISTEN by Stephanie Tolan. A quiet, thoughtful book about the power a relationship with a dog can have. Loved it. This author also wrote me back!

THE BOY WHO SPOKE DOG by Clay Morgan. Interesting that the dog's speak in this story. And they are fiercely loyal.

PUPPIES, DOGS, and BLUE NORTHERS by Gary Paulsen. It's by Paulsen, so what more can I say about this. Loved it.

IZZY AND LENORE by Jon Katz. Katz has a special way of writing about dogs that worms into your brain. I've enjoyed all of his books. And especially SOUL OF A DOG. Just wow.

DOG GONE by Cynthia Chapman Willis. Great story, amazing characters, emotional read. Loved it!

Have you read any good books about dogs lately? I'd love to hear about them.

Dog costume fun

What good is a strange, yearly tradition of dressing up to get candy if you don't use the chance to completely humiliate your poor canine companion whose greatest joy in life is to please you?

photos from sympatico.ca