Fresh snow

Lyng's puppies

Walk in the countryside

When I was a child, I yearned for a dog of my own. Friends had dogs, there were dogs in every park in Bristol, we went on great family walks out of the city every weekend (or so it seemed!). In short, I wanted a dog and it was on every Christmas list - every year!

People who know me from that period know that on walks in the countryside I would 'find' dogs to walk (better than my sister, who actually 'found' a tame duck and brought it home - I kid you not!).  I was never happier than with some dog we had picked up at a pub where the landlord had said I could walk their dog and bring it back afterwards! It was always difficult for Mum and Dad at the end of those days, I feel sure. 

Anyhow, here I am now, in my element - 240 of the darn things to exercise!  

We have snow again now, but yesterday was picture perfect. Here are Rocky and Rambo (two 4-month old pups) and Grey (a bit older, but still one big puppy).  We were on a walk before my shift started at 13h.  

Nice.

(... and, although I hate to admit it, perhaps Mum and Dad were right: the city is no place for a dog).

Time out

Snowshoeing with reindeer

Well, I had a fine day out in the hills, snowshoeing the other day.  It's a great way to travel in deep powder.  Means that you hike up a lovely snowy hill such as nearby 900m Litle Blaefjell, and then slip slide on the way down (looking enviously at peoples off-piste ski descents!).  Yes, I will MASTER ski touring I hope.  

A big highlight of this trip was meeting my first Norwegian reindeer herd - these are very non-flighty beasts.  Semi-domesticated up here, they did little more than to just raise their heads and then move a few metres and start grazing again.  But it meant I could take a good look at this group of 10 invididuals.  Nice backdrop of Tromso behind, in this photo.

It really was a Top Day Out as in the evening we had a no-show of a hotpot (hot tub) at the centre.  Guests had failed to show up for a dip in the hot tub we had been stoking with wood all day.... meant the staff here could profit from a bit of Aurora Borealis gazing in relative comfort! ;)

Skiing with moose

Two days ago we also saw moose wander near the Vilmarkssenter and yesterday I went XC (Cross Country) skiing before work and picked up their tracks.  There they were: moose tracks in the snow.  (Ironically there were also MOUSE tracks nearby.)  Unfortunately, one of these mighty moose ended up roadkill, and someone brought the carcass into the centre yesterday - food for the dogs.

It is not the first ever time I have been XC skiing, but I am not much good yet!  I took a colleagues dog with me the other time - I need say no more. When he saw his 'mates' in the dog yard and took off at full pelt... Well, yes, ahem. Face-planting in yellow snow!  

But on this trip yesterday, whilst I floundered in the snow and avoided the steep or wooded descents... I saw a very fit local Norwegian just 'flow' up to a checkpoint/logbook point labelled 'Skil' (misleading for me).  This sprightly local skier could easily have been in his 60's, and whilst recovering beautifully from what must have been a strenuous ascent he cheerily chattered to me in Norwegian.  I managed to stammer out to him that I was not very good, whilst he was great!

Anyhow, after this brief encounter I had an inkling of what had given Amundsen that 'edge' over Scott on the race to the South Pole.  Dogs, Skis, Englishness.....