Writing and dogs... the perfect combination

It's going to be a busy last week of November around here. I've got a couple small PAID writing gigs due soon and one thing I'm taking on that I've never done before is this little writing challenge thingy. It's called the "National Novel Writing Month" where a bunch of crazy folks attempt to write a novel in a mere 30 days. Thanks to Jean (link at side) for making me aware of it. So Nov. is the month. You can see my little participant icon off on the sidebar there - click on it if you're interested. Hell, if you're feeling completely insane, sign up now to write your novel in less than ONE WEEK!!! For what its worth, the novels are very likely to be complete and utter crap, but that's ok. That's the beauty of it - little editing and proof reading, nothing but spewing out a lot of words. Something I excel at! The whole point is just to get out those words. Quality control can be dealt with later. I have a sneaking suspicion my novel might end up in the wood stove.

I've just hit 41,000 words and the goal is to get to 50k. Right now, Marie from Hay River and I are neck and neck! Will we finish? Hell yeah! A big hello goes out to my new northern Nano writing buddies! We range from Baffin Island to Inuvik and many points in between. Anyone else in the north that wants to join a northern writers group? Let me know!

Anyways, must share some photos, otherwise the universe might just collapse.

It's official. My dogs are just weird.

Gracie, not only laid right out after a run (we didn't go that far, she just rolls all over the place afterwards), but licking the oh-so-tasty-rocks/snow on the ground.

When licking won't do, she starts gnawing. But she's just lazy enough that she won't stand up to eat the ground like a *normal* dog...

Then there's the little "tart" - Ivy. She can't get ENOUGH of these boys, Jack and Harris. She was out of her mind with excitement licking and pawing at them, and the ever-so-popular-dog-pick-up-method of shoving one's butt in the other's nose.

The poor boys. They looked more confused than anything. They're mostly around the three sisters who tend to put them in their place, NEVER flirt with them or act submissive. They didn't know what to make of a friendly, flirty female. I think I'll have to let these guys play together more.

Jack looks posessed here. But he's one happy demonic dog! Ivy next to her new buddy.


Bit of ice on the trail. The dogs all went over it no problem. Sometimes they may slam on the brakes as if to say "Are you insane?!?! I'm not running on THAT!!!"


We won't let the spring-like conditions stop us.... noooo.


Regardless of conditions, it was a fun run. I was keeping the 13-yr old Kate out of the faster, longer distance team because, well, she's old! My god, she's 13.5 yrs old!!! But she was doing so well on those 8 mile runs looking like she wasn't even tired when we got back, so I thought I'd see how she did on this 15-miler. Well, not only did she finish as strong as when she started, she LED the whole way, dragging Rupert around corners and yanking him whenever he slowed, or leaned over to dip some snow. We all loped into the homestretch like a team on fire! It's great to have these runs once in a while. Anyways, she is amazing and I thought I'd brag about this freak of nature. Here she is on the left, with her boy, Rupert.