Baxter’s Trial Day

Saturday in Chugiak dawned with brilliant blue skies and not a cloud in sight. It was also a whopping 21°F when I took the dachshunds out for their morning potty break at 7:00 am.

The forecast on my phone app is threatening a 40% chance of snow today, so we’ll see. I’ll take the sunshine while it’s in the offing.

9:00 am on Saturday

Baxter started off his search day in fine style, zipping through a large, complicated-looking Interior room search with complete confidence. Three hides found in 1 minute, 24 seconds.

11:30 am: Oh my goodness; Baxter and I have only walked (hiked?!) to our first two searches and back and I’ve already logged over 4,000 steps.

Throughout the day Baxter and I had our ups and downs, passing one Container search, but flubbing a second one. We passed both Interior rooms, took 1st place in Vehicles, but sadly left a hide behind (didn’t find it) in the Exterior search, which put us out of the running for our long hoped for NW3 Elite title. By one point. Again. Sigh.

I think the Vehicle search was my favorite, but only because I think Baxter and Ronni hashed it out between themselves the night before.

I could just hear Ronni bragging, “I won a 1st place ribbon in the Vehicle search! I’ll bet you can’t beat that, old man!” Such sass!

And Baxter giving her a little side-eye action, replying, “We’ll just have to see about that, you little squirt.”

Competition accepted. Let the faster dachshund be the victor!

I have to say, in reality, each vehicle search is different, with unique challenges and different vehicles used, so I can’t really compare Ronni’s search yesterday with Baxter’s search today other than to say both searches consisted of three vehicles.

Personally, I tend to think single-hide searches (like Baxter had today) can be more challenging, with the ever-present specter of “zero to three hides possible” and wondering if you left one or more behind.

But … I hate to say it, Buddy. Rhonda aced her 2-hide Vehicle search yesterday in a blistering time of 1:11.50. First place out of 19 dogs.

Baxter had an equally awesome, but ever so slightly slower time of 1:34.82 for his 1-hide Vehicle search. First place out of 25 dogs.

Of course, we want to keep in mind, these times also include checking and clearing ALL the vehicles, since no one tells the handler how many hides are out there, and she’s the one who has to call “Finish”.

Disclaimer: these photos are from a previous trial. Photos from this weekend won’t be available for a while yet.

All joking aside; Baxter and I had a fun Mom & Me day together today. As he gets older, I treasure more than ever days like this where we can work and play together at this team sport he has loved for so many years.

The forecast of snow never materialized, although with a whopping high of 34F, we did spend the entire day dressed in weather-appropriate coats.

I think Baxter had some tired little paw pads by the end of the day, and he didn’t so much as look back longingly when his Dad came by to pick our tired boy up around 6:00 pm. It’ll be just me and Ronni for the next two days.

10,588 steps today. I can’t say that Baxter walked every one of those steps by my side, as I’ll admit to giving in any carrying him several times throughout the day. Mud puddles, don’t you know. Besides, our little frosty-face senior dude was getting pretty tired by the end of the day. I didn’t mind giving my sweet boy a lift. 😉

Day One in Chugiak Alaska

The 30 minute drive from downtown Wasilla (where we gassed up last night) to Chugiak was quite an eye-opener. As soon as I turned off the Glenn Hwy at Mirror Lake, I entered the shadow of the nearby Chugach mountain range.

With a lot less sunshine falling on the deep snow, Spring has been slow to come to Chugiak. I was immediately surrounded by receding but still substantial roadside snow banks. This was the gravel road I followed up the mountain to Camp Gorsuch.

Being one of the first to arrive yesterday in the competitor parking area for today’s trial, I had my choice of parking spots. Sure, they are all in a basically hard-pack dirt/gravel parking lot, but I was able to choose a fairly level spot with relatively dry ground outside my door.

And check out the view! Even with all this snow and temps barely breaking 30° at 3:00 pm, I was amazed and appalled to be greeted within minutes by my first of the year mosquitoes, too! 🦟

By this morning, with check-in at 8:15, we had a lot more company.

I’m also happy to announce that I tried out my new battery-operated heated socks this morning. Heavenly!

Rhonda started out he search day with a Vehicle search, where she promptly proved to me that, in spite of our lack of regular practice over the winter, she has not forgotten the game. She took first place in Vehicles, with a time of 1 minute, 1.50 seconds, earning her very first NW3 Element Title while she was at it.

There were three vehicles in play, as well as nearby stacked wood and a tempting wooden deck, both of which she ignored. Go, Ronni!

To earn an Element title, the team must Q (qualified score) in that element at three separate trials. The four Elements are Vehicles, Containers, Interiors and Exteriors. Rhonda needs one more Exterior Q to earn her Exterior Element title, and one more for Interiors. Containers have proven elusive thus far. 🤷🏼‍♀️

All in all, we had a super nice day. Chilly in the morning, but Ronni and I were both down to light jackets by afternoon. Then the sun hid behind clouds and the heavier jackets promptly came back out.

After a lot of walking, avoiding mud puddles, snacking on conveniently placed snow banks and a total of six searches (some more successful than others), Ronni was out like the proverbial light shortly after dinner. I’m pretty sure she is snoring.

I checked my Apple Watch this evening. It informed me I had taken 11,051 steps today. 😳 That may have been why my dinner tonight consisted of a big mug of hot Pacific Chai with a scoop of protein powder, served up with a couple of biscotti.

Baxter spent much of the day snoozing in various sunny spots inside the warm RV, with regular social and potty breaks.

It’ll be Baxter’s turn to play the K9 Nose Work game tomorrow!

Packing for Cold Weather

As is my norm, I am loath to leave home for the maiden RV voyage of the season without spending at least a couple nights aboard, settling in.

This offers the opportunity to discover what I’ve forgotten to pack as well as whether anything has stopped working over the long, cold winter.

I have an advantage in that my RV dealer goes over everything during the de-winterizing process; from topping off fluids and checking for leaks, to running furnace, generator and air-conditioner (as IF I was going to need that this trip). Roof and over-cab seals were checked, and a couple of iffy spots resealed.

Still, because I completely empty and scrub Roada each Fall, I NEED time to pack and load a tiny-house worth of belongings. This year, unlike most, I only had two short days.

Roada returned from de-winterizing on Monday, late in the afternoon. I planned to leave for the trial Thursday early afternoon. That left a whopping two and a half days to not only haul and load a myriad of belongings and clothes, go grocery shopping to fill the frig and pantry, make up the queen bed (always fun in an RV), and load extra blankets (the dachshunds want at least two each, sofa throw size, placed at strategic locations throughout).

It seems to get more exhausting each year. Worth it, mind you, but this initial load-up whups my behind, my knees, my back …, with a multitude of trips upstairs to the bedroom and bathroom, downstairs to where I over-winter RV-only boxes, and then across the yard to Roada … and repeat. The rest of the summer is a breeze compared to the big Spring move.

This year in particular, due to the colder than usual temps, it was essential to check to be sure I have sufficiently warm coats, boots, socks, wool hats, scarves and gloves.

Departure day shot out my RV window. And this is at home, where it’s 10 degrees warmer than my destination.

It was also essential, for my peace of mind, to be absolutely certain the furnace is functioning flawlessly. The entire four and a half days of this trip are expected to have daytime highs that should hopefully hit near freezing (32°F), with nights in the mid-20s. 🥶

So, again for my peace of mind, I have already spent the past two nights, with Ronni for company, in the RV.

IT WAS COLD to the point (at dawn, both days) of being pretty darn near DANG COLD. Yes, this was partly due to trying to conserve propane. Also partially due to switching cold-turkey from sleeping in a thermostat-controlled warm house to an RV. The RV, while also controlled by a thermostat, is not nearly as well insulated and the heater runs on a simpler system.

Tuesday night, I also over-compensated on blankets, which meant I slept warm – but woke up every time I tried to roll over, feeling like I had thirty pounds of weight on top of me.

I had the thermostat set (for nighttime) just below 60°F. When it determines the temperature has dropped sufficiently BELOW the set temp, the furnace pops on at full volume to bring the temp back up to the number specified. I’d forgotten that little detail. Then it turns off again. Brr!

The first morning on board, I woke feeling like I’d run a marathon, my whole body tired from the struggles of fighting the blankets pinning me to the bed like a heavy-weight wrestler throughout the night. Bad plan.

I also awoke somewhat overheated, thus causing near heart failure when I pushed the mountain of blankets off and rolled out of bed – to be hit by approximately 50° air. The space by my bed is a mere two feet from the outside wall of the RV, and a large window. A lovely set-up all summer. On a 28° morning, not so much.

Note to self; lay large, plushy, over-sized pullover within reach before going to bed.

I spent Wednesday continuing to pack, sort, run to the store for forgotten items, and basically settling in. It takes me a while to remember the routine of RV living, and even more so after this past hectic winter.

Last night (Wednesday), I attempted a different plan. I left the furnace just a little above 60° and, at Jer’s suggestion, placed a soft, fleecy blanket under me. I wasn’t sure what that was supposed to accomplish, since Im already using flannel sheets, but what the heck. I also replaced the heavy comforter with a lighter weight but still substantial blanket.

Epic fail number two. I ended up wrapped like a mummy in the blasted blanket between the sheets and ended up getting up in the middle of the night to rip the darn thing from my bed.

Rhonda, who had been just fine with being rolled up like a burrito, was not pleased with me.

The rest of the night went fairly well though, so I’m thinking flannel sheets and just two medium blankets, with the furnace set at 60°, is probably the best sleep I’m going to get.

At least the thermostat is only about 8’ from the bed, so I can turn it up as soon as I’m out of bed in the morning.

Here’s a final shot from the gas station where I gassed up and topped off my propane. Finally! Time to go camping. Ronni & Baxter agree!

Gassed up and ready to hit the road! Those mountains (in a general way) are my destination.

Hurry up, Mom! What’s the hold-up?

RV Season – Ready Or Not!

Someone STOP me! I’m obsessing over the rather chilly 🥶🥶 forecast for the NACSW K9 Nose Work trial that starts in 4 days.

My RV, Roada, is finally de-winterized … and I’m sort of wondering if that was a mistake. This (below) is the forecast for the trial location as of this afternoon. I’ll be arriving on Thursday and staying until the following Monday afternoon.

TODAY, the forecast shows less actual snow falling than it did a few day ago (yay?), but overnight temps will still be in the low 20s. Filling my rig’s water tanks might not be the best idea.

Honestly, as long as the temps pop up above freezing every day (at least a little), and I keep my propane heater running, my pipes shouldn’t freeze. Or, I could just not risk it, leave the tanks dry and use my handy little Home Depot potty bucket for this trip. It’s not a big deal and I’d probably stress less. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Now, on to my next concern. Although it’s important to be fully prepared for cold weather, the huge pile of blankets, quilts, coats (yes, including multiple doggy coats), snow boots, etc. are growing at an alarming rate. Do I need all this stuff?

I have a good propane furnace. As long as it works efficiently (and in six years, it’s yet to let me down), do I really need a heavy down bed comforter as well as regular blankets and bedspread?

Is the added coziness worth the risk that Rhonda will decide to intentionally hide a toy beneath the covers and then joyfully dig and chew her way through this new-to-her fabric obstacle to find it? Keep in mind, she and Baxter will be left unsupervised in the RV quite a bit between runs.

I envision returning to the RV, opening the door and having a flood of soft, downy feathers ploof out the door towards me. I think I’ll leave it home.

So, on to doggy coats. Obviously, I’ll need their heavy, felted polar fleece coats. Maybe two winter coats each, in case they get wet? I’ve also packed lighter wool coats, rain gear and light, pullover sweaters. Yes, for the dogs. Too much? The dogs draw the line at fleece-lined booties.

Rhonda says, “Can we just GO already?”.

Hmm. Maybe I need a bigger motor home.

OK, OK … all joking AND serious concerns aside, it’s time to hit the road. The 2023 RV season, along with its counterpart, the 2023 Dog Sports season – is here! Let the weather do what it will. I’m outa here!