Training Log Archive: Bash

Peaceful pre-dinner snowshoe with 'Bent and the dogs, who weren't impressed when we veered off packed trails. It was a *lot* of work with four feet and no snowshoes. The evening light was beautiful.







Exciting news! While we were driving, I stumbled onto an available Covid vaccine appointment for 'Bent on Sunday afternoon. Peel Region has just started vaccinating high priority health care providers who work outside of hospitals and we hadn't been optimistic that he'd get an appointment this month.

Other exciting news: We received homemade hamantaschen (Purim cookies) in the mail from our sister-in-law in Yellowknife.

Presenting the winner of the Dance Your PhD contest!
"I'm the first author, you're just et al", lol.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens...

The Coast Mountain Trail Running Spring Scavenger Hunt started this week. I assume any interested Attackpointers have already signed up but it's not too late if you'd like a pandemic distraction in March and April.
http://www.trailseries.ca/spsh21/

I hiked on ice and waded through heavy snow in Palgrave Forest as I did the Alphabet challenge. I had to find something that started with each letter of the alphabet. To make sure I stayed out long enough, I decided to find the letters in order, which was optional. I discovered how many things in the forest start with the same few letters! (Birch, Beech, Branch, Bench, Bark...) I regretted leaving my Dogs behind because "D" was a surprisingly tough letter to find. They had tried very hard to tell me that before I left.

Glad I didn't meet anyone because I talked to myself the whole time, naming everything I saw!

Ash (infested by Emerald Ash Borer - sigh)







Branch, Conifer

Do Not Enter sign



Excrement, Fence, Gate, Hat, Ice, Jacket

Kahtoolas



Log, Maple

Needles



Oak Ridges Moraine Trail



Puddle



Questionnaire



Road, Snow, Tree, Underbrush

Viewpoint



Woodpile

XC Skis



Yard, Zipper

Gurdeep Pandher of Yukon got his Covid-19 vaccine this week and was pretty darned happy about it. Our reaction was similar last night when 'Bent got an email inviting him and his dental office staff to book vaccine appointments. It may take a while to get in but it will be such a relief to have his risk of getting Covid-19 at work greatly reduced.

This guy turned 10 today. Sort of. Richard and I rescued Brody (known on AP as BazingaDog) as a 4-5 month-old puppy. No one knows his real birthday but March 1 should be pretty close.

Black dogs have a harder time finding families, and it probably didn't help that his foster family nicknamed him Bazinga. In those early days, we told people Brody was a Lab/Demon mix. He grew up to become a big, handsome bundle of love, personality and occasional devious ideas. He is greying now - as am I - but today I'm remembering his first few months with us and hoping we have many more adventures to come.
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Taken this weekend - relaxing near his $200 dog bed to remind me that I spent too much on it.



Right after he joined our family. He eventually grew into his tongue. Look at that devilish face!



It was easy to crate train him - although he wouldn't go *inside* the crate for the first month or two.



We took Mocha to the rescue place to make sure she approved of this little puppy. They played happily but she was *not* pleased when we brought him home. After 10 days of icy relations, she carried over a tug-of-war rope and placed the other end in his mouth so they could play. I cried. They became very close for the rest of her life although Mocha preferred these early days before her little brother outweighed her by 50%.



One of many wonderful things about my Dad is that he was the kind of person who would photograph a puppy he found on his kitchen table before asking him to get down.



Poor Brody got 53 quills in his nose and mouth. And if Richard hadn't stopped him from lunging toward the porcupine a second time, there would have been more!



Even at 7 months old, Brody could take up an entire love seat.



Brody's first Christmas - 2011.

'Bent's first ski around Castle Glen on a bluebird morning. Spring skiing!



Before and after, we chatted with the Millers and the Fords who were playing in the snow near the trail entrance.

‘Bent and I drove around to the south end of Kolapore to do a loop with fewer treacherous hills than the area near our place. Turns out that was unnecessary, as the temperature had risen to +2C in the sunshine so Thursday’s ice had transformed into mashed potatoes. It was slow going in open fields and in deciduous forest. I had to double pole down most of the hills. The tracks in dense coniferous forests were slick and fast though. I got 8 Strava segment crowns including one overall “win” on a 20-minute segment. ?!? I think this new game is almost over for me now that adventure athletes are skiing at Kolapore though, lol!

Sunset snowshoe with ‘Bent, Darcie and 5 dogs. A mix of packed snow and deep, heavy snow that felt like knee-deep wet concrete.

Second skate ski of the season at Scenic Caves and it felt foreign. Although we have season passes at two ski centres that we bought before the pandemic, we’ve been staying away while we have other options that most people don’t have. Now that Kolapore isn’t in good shape, we met Denise and the Gallys for a skate ski.

I’d warned them that I haven’t been skate skiing this year so I’d send ‘Bent with them and stay back on my own after a short, sociable warm-up. When I say something like that, it’s based on objective facts - not false modesty or a veiled request to be accommodated. I rarely skate ski and much prefer to do it alone but sometimes people feel rude about leaving me if I ask them to ski ahead at their own pace - and then I feel like I’m ruining their ski, no matter how nice they are about it. Today was one of those days so I headed back to switch to classic.

I skied out to the Wild Goose area to meet with with Denise and Mrs. Gally for a few loops. I chose waxable classic skis but the tracks were glazed so I should have used a much warmer wax than I chose. Great double poling and herringbone exercise!

Family snowshoe through deep snow around the property.



‘Bent fell into a tree well and got stuck. The tree wasn’t even as tall as he is! :)



We discovered that on a sunny day in winter when the leaves are off the trees, there is a view of Georgian Bay from parts of our property - if you really squint. That has to be worth an extra 25% when we sell it some day. ;)