Well, I got the nod. I’ve been given permission to write the first of the year dispatch, which of course will take the form of a blog. I call it a blog because it rhymes with dog. Dog Blog has a better ring to it than Dog Dispatch, although now I think of it, that’s not that bad.

Raudi, Tyra, and Hrimmi all wanted to collectively write this blog, but I did best what dogs do, that I begged to do it. Alys, much to my great joy and amazement, said yes.

Shadow jumping on trail

Today, Alys, Pete, Ryder, Alys’s friend Becky, and I went for a lengthy ski. We did what Pete and Alys call the loop – it’s about five miles altogether. Ryder and I had  gone out several times already with Pete, but not with Alys.

Alys got these new skis – they are wide and short and have universal ski type bindings. I know this because I heard her tell a friend about this. Also, Alys had said that, previously, she got around on long, thin skis and had a very hard time on them. She couldn’t get a grip on the snow, so she slipped around a lot.

Last winter, Alys went skiing with her friend Becky, who had what Alys calls “old lady skis.” Alys could see that Becky had more stability than she had. Alys seldom buys anything, so this was a major investment. This was her first lengthy ski. She was a little slower than Pete, who was on his slowest cross-country skis, on the groomed trail. But she went up hills easily and fast. And she did quite well, breaking trail when on the final section of ungroomed trail.

Us dogs, we like the groomed trail because we can jump off and on, and check things out. Ryder spent considerable time barking at a squirrel that was at the top of a tall spruce, chittering at her. Me, I stood by the trail and watched. Ryder is (I am told) a border collie, and they have a strong stalking instinct. Me, I’m an Aussie, and we don’t have that.

Ryder is, of course, very fond of Pete and Alys, but while out on trail, if something catches her interest, like a squirrel or grouse, she becomes focused on it. Yes, Ryder is a very focused dog.

It was a wonderful outing. Alys said she likes bushwacking, which is being off the groomed trails. This has me a bit worried because if she bushwacks (and it sounded like her friend Becky feels similarly), we won’t be able to come along because it will be too hard to keep up in the deep snow.

I suppose then that Pete will take us out on the trails.

Ryder was tired after our outing. She’s becoming an old lady dog. We met a man who also had an old lady dog. She told us that she was glad to be out with her owner, out on the trail. She agreed with Ryder, that she too was looking forward to getting home and taking a nap on her master’s bed.

I’m not at all tired. I hope that there is an outing of some kind tomorrow – it’s what I like to do best.

Next: 1. 1/2/23: Endurance