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Hello, I’m Superwoman’s maternity replacement!
A description of Johanna It’s still early in the morning and I’m sitting at the kitchen table and looking out the window. Our 6-week-old son Mikko lies blissfully asleep in my lap. After a really sleepless night with several feedings, massaging the tummy and repeadlingly changing the diaper, it is a particularly nice feeling when the child has finally calmed down and fallen asleep. Kathi and I already had coffee together at 5 a.m. and discussed the day. Now I can watch her through the window preparing and harnessing a dog team for training. It makes me very happy to see how, after the pregnancy and the physical limitations after…
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Interview with a retired non-sled dog husky lady
Age is relative. This not only applies to humans but also to dogs. Of course, there are clearly defined phases in a dog’s life. Like how a dog grows from puppy to young dog. At the latest by the age of 2, the dog has reached his or her full physical growth, the so-called physical maturity. With sexual maturity, they turn into adult dogs. For females this can be as early as 6 months, males usually a little later, but at the latest when 12 months old. During this period one speaks of puberty or flailing time. After this time for larger dogs, such as our huskies at 18 months,…
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Three huskies moving south
It has now been a year since our company had to declare bankruptcy. At the beginning of June last year, the bankruptcy estate was auctioned off. I still remember exactly how Johanna, Mona, and I sat in the garden and had to watch the buyers as they gradually carried everything from the property. I can still remember the feeling of anger, worry, uncertainty, sadness, and sheer horror. Back then, many people said to us that there is something positive in everything negative. I admit I couldn’t quite believe it. But now, in retrospect, all I can say is that you were right. The last year has influenced us all a…
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I often wish to be heavier
The challenge with the winter trails and my struggles with the snowmobile My team of 12 sled dogs runs silently through the snowy winter landscape of northern Sweden. Only the sliding of the sled runners and the steady trot of the working dogs on the freshly fallen snow can be heard. The cold winter air cools my cheeks, the rest is wrapped in warm clothes from head to toe. I stand on the sled and enjoy being pulled through the white landscape by my beloved dogs. Together we are an unbeatable team. It’s just a wonderful feeling to be out and about with the dogs. To explore new areas and…
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Luna – The End Of A Sled Dog Era
It´s February now; the sun is back and casting long beams over our homestead in Swedish Lapland. Our huskies are howling, as Johanna and her small team of sled dogs have set off on a short tour across the snow-covered lake. Only one voice in the choir is missing. Luna´s voice. A few days ago, Johanna and Luna went together on the last trip. The destination was the local vet in Töre who put down Luna for her final sleep – calmly and respectfully. During the last few weeks, when it slowly became clear that Lunas time was coming to an end, one sentence kept coming up repeated times: “With…
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Hola Diego, brave, cute little puppy
We have a new family member! Of course, it’s a dog! A real sled dog. Who would have thought that?! ? He is a male, his name is Diego and is now 15 weeks old.We hadn’t planned to bring a new puppy into the kennel right now.But when does it go the way you plan it …? Ok, let’s start from the beginning. A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if we can take over a puppy. My first reaction was: “No, not now when everything is so uncertain. We do not even know how next year will look like.” But I could not help asking about his pedigree…
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Colourful autumn has arrived in the North
Like every year, it comes suddenly ?. Here at the Arctic Circle, the leaves change color from the end of August, the nights become cooler and the first frosty nights are not uncommon. Meteorologically, September 1st is the beginning of autumn. Here in the north it feels very appropriate. With autumn, winter approaches, my absolute favorite season! The wintertime in the life of a musher like me is the most intense and beautiful that I can imagine. Give me snow, give me dogs and you can keep the rest. (Knud Rasmussen / polar explorer) But before we go on the sled, we start on four wheels in autumn. At the…
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It is good to change your perspective occasionally
I was on vacation. Ok, it was “only” 3 days of hiking around Skaulo (3 hours by car from our home in Miekojärvi). But these 3 days felt like a break, a reset, a long vacation from my current everyday life. As most of you know, we have been working in tourism for the past few years. Many people experienced with us our Arctic Life in Northern Sweden. We loved to show and share our favorite landscapes and longing places with others. Our home was the starting point for many tours and a visit to our kennel with the huskies was often the highlight for our guests. But where and…
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The stillness that follows the storm
Summertime Time is a strange thing. Especially the time division in days of the week. I grew up on a farm and I know Saturdays and Sundays, but even on these days the daily routines with the animals were done. Even back then I thought it was beautiful and absolutely natural. Animals and weather provide the necessary work. Up here in northern Sweden the conditions are more extreme, the weather is harder, and the seasons determine many of my daily jobs. I love that. There is something deeply satisfying, be it sawing, stacking and splitting wood to have enough firewood, shoveling snow in winter, fishing in summer for us and…
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Leo – a difficult farewell
Leo, our house dog, said goodbye forever last week. Leo was the only non- husky in our kennel and truly Johanna’s dog. He respected me and after several month after his arrival at our place we even became friends. But he belonged to Johanna. They found each other. I will let Johanna write this post about Leo. How she feels about the loss and she is also sharing the beginning of her book with stories about Leo. REST IN PEASE, my stubborn, beloved roommate. Johanna´s thoughts It did not come as a surprise. It had been emerging for a while. And yet it does not make things easier. Farewell to…
