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

Alaska

We're back from an epic adventure in Alaska where my mg novel ICE DOGS is set.

For nearly three weeks we backpacked up mountains and camped, hiked across glowing glaciers, and kayaked our way through spectacular scenery.

One of the best things about travelling is sharing pictures! Here's a few:

note: I missed getting a really cool shot of a humpback whale breaching as well as a sea otter eating an octopus. The octopus was larger than the sea otter! The otter floated on its back while tearing at a rubbery tentacle. It was so cool to watch it smacking its lips while peering over to make sure we weren't trying to steal the prize.

Can't wait to go back!

Grizzly on the Denali Park road

Killer Whales in Kenai Fjords National Park

Having fun on Mat-su Glacier

Hiking the back country of Denali

Sea Lions Kenai Fjords National Park

View of Mt McKinley

Kayaking out of Homer

Denali Park road

Up on the Kesugi Ridge, Denali State Park

great view

Kachemak State Park - the marmots were everywhere on this trail! Standing up and screaming their alarm. 

one of those moments

'Scuse me while I gush a bit...

You know those moments when you've worked at something for years, and dreamt of how it would be, and visualized what you would do and how you would feel if you achieved it, and then it finally COMES?

I had one of those yesterday when my ARCs of ICE DOGS came in the mail. It was even better than I imagined it. The cover is so shiny and gorgeous! It looks like a real book, feels just like a real book - but with my name on it.

I wrote a book. Yes - I've been writing books since I was eight. Yes, I always said I was going to grow up to be a writer.

But it actually happened.

Here's what my moment looked like.  Tell me about yours!

COVER REVEAL for ICE DOGS

I am truly blessed with a spectacular cover for my next middle grade novel,
ICE DOGS, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Feb. 2014

I couldn't be more excited about this amazing piece of art!

add ICE DOGS to Goodreads
like the author page on Facebook 

ARC's will be available in April. Note that the publisher gives out ARC's. If you are interested in receiving an ARC for review, please fill out the request form on the tab at the top of the blog. 

Paddle to the Mink Islands

We're back from our fall kayak trip, this time we explored islands in Georgian Bay. It was a chilly one this year - and the gale force winds made for some exciting moments! But the scenery made it all worth it.



loading my kayak



Is all that gear going to fit in your kayak, Den?
(It did!)







Love the rocks

Awesome!



Cooking supper



Soup goes down nice when it's four degrees Celcius out!

Anyone have kayak adventures they want to share?

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:

Amazing giveaway

The fantastic DearEditor is generously giving away a FREE CRITIQUE of your entire manuscript!!!!

Get thee to her blog immediately!

What an opportunity. She is FABULOUS.


and for your entertainment, here's a 25-year-old photo of my kid brother dressed as SUPERMAN.

Your very welcome, baby brother. heh heh heh.

Overused

I saw this cool game on Jemi's blog and thought I'd play along since I'm a huge offender of overusing the word LOOK

Do a search of your current wip to find the word look, then post a few paragraphs around that word.
Oy, I use that word too much!

here's my excerpt:

I peeled out of my sopping clothes, then wrapped myself in the blanket. It was silver. And crinkly.

            Dig offered his coat, but since he's sized like a twig, I couldn't even fit both arms in it and still drive. Which I had to do because Dig is a horror show of driving, putting everyone's life at risk. Trust me on that point.

            So I ended up wearing the jacket like a cape with it flapping out behind me as we sped down the trail back home. Did I mention I was draped in a silver blanket? Wearing my helmet with star stickers? And that's where we met Grandpa Morris coming toward us on his quad.

            Curses. I'm so busted. "Grandpa, this isn't how it looks ... " I trailed off when I saw his face.

Anyone want to play, leave me a comment if you are going to post so I can read yours!

Summer flying by

photo credit www.jokeroo.com

Where did this summer go?

Kayaking, reading, work, writing, fishing, laughing, writing conferences, hiking, new puppy, surfing, camping, dog walking, revisions, author questionnaire, boating, bar-b-q, author photo, swimming, movies, poison ivy. 

Two weeks left. How did that happen?

Slate Islands kayak adventure

A kayak trip is not complete without a major wipe out

Back from another epic kayak adventure - this one to the Slate Islands in Lake Superior and Neys Park.

Highlights include:

• man-eating waves and wipe-outs = bruises, lost sunglasses, and a gallon of water ingested. But wicked fun!
• trout-infested waters allowing for delicious fresh shore-lunch served on rock platters
• caribou sightings! Five in total, and one morning finding tracks less than a foot from our tent
• a rather bumpy paddle in confused 3' seas through the fog along massive cliffs along west side of Slates. Amazing! And scary as heck!
• EAGLES everywhere and a cool geological formation called shatter cone

first day Superior greeting us with style

Pic Island of Neys Park

I've just completed the 10 km open water crossing to the Slates

Caribou tracks

Caribou!

view from the tent

rod bent with 15 lb lake trout

shore lunch

unfortunately, no photos of the wild ride along the cliffs in the fog. both hands needed for the paddle!

Amazing trip! Now back to work and writing.

Anyone else have good summer vacation stories to share?