June 2008 | The Thundering Herd

Monthly Archives: June 2008

Wolf Rock

Written on June 27, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Kiska, Kodiak, Natasha

As promised on Monday (ok, so I am a little slow sometimes), I want to tell you about Wolf Rock. On the trail to the top of Craggy Pinnacle, there is a switchback in the trail that circles a large rock outcropping. But as you are approaching it on the uphill stretch, you are surrounded by the Catawba Rhododendron. At this point, the Rhododendron are about 8 feet tall and trimmed so you are walking through a tunnel of Rhododendron – in full bloom in June.

So you round a bend in the trail and, suddenly, the Rhododendron open up to reveal Wolf Rock. Why do I call it that? Because one day, we were sitting on the Rock and a young girl came around the corner, looked up, and shouted, “Daddy, Daddy, there are wolves on the rock.” Her father called out to stop teasing him and he stepped into the opening, looked up, and the color drained from his face. I had to assure him they were not wolves.

Ever since that day, when we sit on the rock, at least one person is surprised as they come around the corner and see wolves sitting on the rock. Thus, Wolf Rock.

So here is a picture of half of the Herd posing nicely on Wolf Rock.

I really wanted to show you a picture without zooming in so that you got the full effect. Clearly, the Herd has been studying the SZK School of Siberian Studies Cooperating for Photos Class. See:

Natasha had apparently found a really cool bug. And just as I got everyone looking forward, Kiska and Natasha decided to look in opposite directions. And, Qannik, who was looking forward, was blocked by Kiska’s nose.

Oh well, take the first well posed picture with the second and third view of the rock and you get the idea. Hardly frightening in these pictures, huh?

Craggy Pinnacle

Written on June 23, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Kiska, Mountains

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So after seeing the big dog with horns, we continued north on the parkway to the Craggy Gardens area. Normally, we never venture to this area in June because the Catawba Rhododendron are in full bloom and the area is packed with tourists. But, as luck would have it, the road bed underneath the Parkway weakened and part of the road is closed. Since there is no easy detour, many people are not venturing to this section. A loss for tourism, but great for us.

We made it to the crowded Craggy Picnic area, but hiked up toward the Craggy Flats (picture a large meadow on top of a mountain). Here is the view over the blooming Rhododendron from Craggy Flats with Craggy Pinnacle in the background.

And a close up of the Rhododendron blooms:

After Craggy Flats, we hiked over to the Craggy Visitors Center, which is closed for the season because of the road closure. From there, we realized that the tunnel was open up to Craggy Pinnacle. It was originally closed last winter for repairs and fixed just as the Park Service realized the road bed problem in a different area. So we hiked up to Craggy Pinnacle. From the top of Craggy Pinnacle, here is a view back toward Craggy Flats. You can see a roof from a shelter and to the left of that is the Flats. You can also see the closed Visitors Center and Parkway. The picnic area where we started is off to the right of the picture.

So, did we have fun? Ask Kiska.

All in all, the hike from the Craggy Picnic area, through the Flats, to the top of Craggy Pinnacle, and back – around 6 miles. That on top of 2 miles earlier in the day at Frying Pan, and we put on our miles. Not a peep from the pups driving home and they were ravenous for dinner!

Tomorrow, I will tell you all about Wolf Rock. Stay tuned.

Little Dogs, Big Dogs, Big Dogs with Horns

Written on June 22, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Natasha

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Natasha rides really well in the Jeep. Her seat belt position is immediately behind the passenger seat so she can move from looking out the passenger side of the jeep to the center where she can rest her head on my shoulder. I am fairly convinced that she thinks she is driving.

(In fact, I am always thankful that I drive a manual transmission because I have this vision of her taking the Jeep out for a joy ride. Of course, she could put Rusty on the clutch & gas pedal, Kodiak on the gear shift, and Kiska in charge of steering, and she might just pull it off.)

Anyway, she rides well in the Jeep except for a few distractions.

First, little dogs. I am fairly sure that considers little dogs being walked near the car as a Siberian version of a drive through window. Certainly not for play. However, dogs her own size – even bigger dogs – are met with a happy grin and, sometimes, a woo hoping they will play.

Her second fascination are horses. Not sure if she thinks they are really big dogs, but she is fascinated with horses. Her eyes get big, her grin gets wide, and she strains against her seat belt. Driving down a country road this morning, she saw some horses grazing near a fence line and she wanted so bad to go run with them. I always get tickled at her because none of the other dogs care, but she loves them.

Which brings us to this afternoon. We were headed up to Craggy Gardens (more on that tomorrow with pictures), which means North on the Blue Ridge Parkway beyond Asheville. We come around a corner and standing in the road is a young buck deer, his antlers – small but very defined – growing from his head. As I stop the car, Natasha is alert over my shoulder and staring with giant eyes at this really, really big dog with horns. I am laughing at her, but assume no one else is paying attention.

After a few seconds, the buck ambles off the side of the road and down the slope. I start to drive past. All of a sudden, all of the dogs race to the right to stare at the deer. The ones on the left can’t get all the way there, but the ones on the right – three heads are suddenly straining out of the side of the Jeep.

If we had been in a boat, I think we would have capsized.

Mystery Solved

Written on June 21, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Qannik

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One of the great mysteries was solved last night, but first a little background.

Siberians don’t exactly shed, but blow coat twice a year. For those of you without Siberians, blowing coat is an amazing period. In a period of a week or two, the dog loses its undercoat – the thick coating that keeps the dog warm. In a Siberian, this is an absolutely amazing amount of fur. While there are many great examples on the internet, the post “The fur was flying” on the blog at Karen Ramstead’s great site gives you a feel for the amount of hair.

But even when a Sibe is not blowing coat, you can usually “pluck” some undercoat. When I am asked if a Siberian sheds, I usually will just reach down and pluck out a thick blob of undercoat. The look of horror on the interrogator’s face usually tells me that person has just lost all interest in owning a Siberian.

And the birds around my house all have the warmest, fur lined nests you have ever seen.

Like most multiple Sibe families, my Sibes conspire to alternate coat blowing times so that someone is always blowing coat. That way they can stretch the fun into a much longer period. I get even by belting them into the back of the jeep with all the windows out and let the wind help me through the period (though I do pity the poor drivers behind me). This year, Rusty started it, followed by Natasha, Kiska (nothing like a wooly coat in blowing season – oh my!) and now Kodiak. But Qannik has never really blown coat this spring.

So to the mystery of Qannik’s lack of coat blowing. Last night, I was sitting on the couch surrounded by Sibes. Qannik had claimed the prime spot to my left so that he could get great ear scratches. After a while, I realized he was not asleep, but was – plucking himself! Yes, the rascal was reaching around and pulling out the big tufts of hair and swallowing them. Over and over and over.

Summer Solstice

Written on June 20, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Natasha, Nikita

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During the Summer and Winter Solstice, we pause to remember the Siberian Huskies who have been in our lives and our now waiting North of the Rainbow Bridge. You can see many of the images and connect to some great stories at The Sibernet Memorial Site. This is not meant to be a sad time, but a time to reflect back with happy memories.

It always gives me some time to think back on the great animals that have been a part of my own life:

Kaiser – A german shepherd we had when I was a toddler. My sole memory is of him carrying me around by my diaper, but I really don’t know if I remember that or just think I do because I have been told that so many times. Regardless, that is bound to leave you with a safe and warm feeling to have such a majestic dog care for you like that.

Poco – Ok, this politically incorrect, but her real name was Pocahontas. We had gotten her at my grandfathers in Nashville, TN, and were driving home to Charlotte, NC, with her still unnamed. We passed the Cherokee reservation and my brother and I thought of Pocahontas. I well recognize that Pocahontas was not Cherokee, but that is how it happened. At least the name means Little Playful One and that would be accurate.

Harry T. Cat (as in Hairy the Cat) and Pepper – Funny thing about cats, they don’t really need names (they don’t respond to them anyway). Pepper got her name because on her first vet visit, they asked us what her name was and we looked at this all black cat and realized we could not say “Cat” which is what we called her (or That Cat or That Damn Cat). Being all black, she was instantly named Pepper, but only at the vets.

Coke and Gin – Hard not to think of these two together. While Ginger came into our lives two years after Cocoa, she left us only two months before Cocoa. I am convinced they became so inseparable that Coke just decided that she couldn’t be without her pal. Coke was very strong willed and paved the way for Siberian Huskies with that attitude. Gin was a gentle and compliant as could be. I always joked she was made from left over dog parts. Unfortunately, they were short of dog brains that day, but they gave her extra heart in return.

Coke and Ginger

Nikita – The first Siberian and the one that is the reason I have the Herd today. Growing up, I had a friend who had a Siberian and I always wanted one. I loved Cocoa and Ginger dearly, but kept saying I wanted a Siberian and my S.O. found a litter of Siberian pups and brought Nikita home. I have never met a dog so stubborn, so animated, so absolutely incredible as that mischievious, fun-loving dog. I was the classic unprepared Siberian owner and fought through all of the escapes and other mischief (please, please, please read all about the breed before you get one – Most of the Herd is made up of Siberians that were originally bought by someone else who determined they could not keep a Siberian because of its ways). Despite all of the trouble she was – or, more likely, because of all the trouble – Siberian Huskies are my breed of choice and I can not imagine life without them.

Part of Nikita’s legacy is that she was the Mama Bear to Queen Natasha the Evil who leads the Herd (from a four-footed perspective). This picture is a great mother / daughter picture as they both sit looking out at the snow one day.

So to all of you waiting at the Bridge, just wanted you to know you are still in our thoughts. We will be lighting a candle today for you.

Tartok and the Herd

Written on June 15, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Tartok

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We went over to my parent’s house last night to have Father’s Day dinner – Happy Father’s Day Dad ! ! !

While there, we were doing a little landscaping and everyone was gathered outside, including my mother’s Siberian, Tartok. He was our guest at Chez Herd a few weeks ago during the Slumber Party. He got bored hanging around with us since we were not allowing him to dig some of the holes, so he acted like he wanted to go inside. Since this is outside the fence area, he was on a leash.

As we were walking back toward the house, he kept pulling over to my jeep and sniffing. Finally, it dawned on us that he wanted inside the jeep, so I opened up the back door and let him jump in.

Ah ha! He did not want to go inside, he wanted to hang out in the Jeep. From memories of our road trip that Slumber Party day? Just to check out the scents of the Herd? Or, most likely in the Siberian mind, to spread his own scent just to drive the Herd crazy today as we go out for our own adventures. Could a boy with these blue eyes do something that mischievous?

I tried to explain to him that the carpet was out (since we hauled over plants, etc.), so it could not be nearly as comfortable as he expected. But after a couple of minutes, he was quite clear that it was as comfortable as he needed.

Dreaming of a White . . . Any Day – Part II

Written on June 9, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Mountains, Natasha, Nikita, Snow

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It is still hot so we are still dreaming of a little snow. To tempt everyone, is a picture of Natasha in her very first winter.

$Natasha\'s first winter$

Now as all good Siberians know, the phrase “come here” is a meaningless noise uttered by our humans which we are meant to ignore. Natasha demonstrates exactly how little it means when there is snow to be played in.

For those who may not have known the Herd for a long time, Natasha used to be “Baby Bear” long before she earned the nickname “Queen Natasha the Evil.” She came to us at all of 8 weeks old and was essentially raised in the Siberian ways by her “Mama Bear,” Nikita. Miss Nikita has been playing North of the Rainbow Bridge for almost two years now, but before she left us, she was responsible for the discipline of the Baby Bear. Here is a great example of how much she had to put up with.

And, sometimes, Nikita had simply had enough and decided she wanted inside and away from the insolent puppy. Here is one of those moments.

Finally, as we have mentioned before, there is no air conditioning in Chez Herd. While we want to have everyone’s great sympathy at times like this, the reality is that it never really gets that hot here (except for the last couple of days at the 80 F (27 C) mark). But here is how we really prefer the driveway and house – with snow on the ground. First shot is down the driveway and the second is of the house. Older picture since the old Siberian Utility Vehicles are still in the shot.

Happy snowy thoughts!

Dreaming of a White . . . Any Day

Written on June 8, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Mountains, Snow, The Thundering Herd

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One of the best parts of living in the North Carolina mountains is that it is relatively cool. While Charlotte, or Nashville, or Atlanta might be baking, we are usually quite comfortable in the summer. Not this weekend. Absolutely miserable.

Ok, ok, maybe not as hot as some of you. Yesterday at the house, we got to 81 F (27 C). While you may not think that is hot, I have had summers where we never got to 80. And, in the valley, they were north of 90 F (32 C) yesterday.

So we are hiking in the mornings and the dogs are sleeping in the afternoons (while we were running a chain saw and a brush cutter, but that would question our sanity, not theirs). I figured the dogs were dreaming of something like this:

Now the back story. The idea for the header of this web page came to me from a picture taken when we were visiting Damascus, VA (Winterfest hosted each year by Siberian Husky Assist) this winter. A photographer took this picture and it was on the Damascus Visitors Page.

So, how hard could it possibly be to get such a great picture, right? The picture of the dogs walking up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the snow was one of a hundred plus pictures I made before I finally got one that would work for the header. Clearly taking the Stormy Zoluschka Kryschtal School of Siberian Studies classes on how to cooperate for pictures (The Army of Four).

Personally, this next picture is one of my favorites I have taken while walking on the Parkway in the winter. I will leave you with this thought (and wondering why I couldn’t get the dogs to pose in the middle of this picture).

Invasion

Written on June 2, 2008 by D.K. Wall in Natasha

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Fortunately, we live at a high enough altitude to not have to deal with it, but the city of Asheville is under attack! That’s right, it is the return of the cicadas! Every 17 years, they emerge and go into a very noisy mating routine. And, frankly, they are everywhere.

So how is this Herd related? Queen Natasha has issued her verdict. They are . . . tasty! Yes, she considers them the perfect hiking snack and quite crunchy at that. Trying to walk her as she swoops side to side to scoop them up is irritating to say the least.

Dog Wash

Written on June 1, 2008 by D.K. Wall in The Thundering Herd

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One of the great parts about Siberian Huskies is that they are almost cat-like in keeping themselves clean. They do not have that dog smell and do a good job of cleaning themselves up when they get dirty (and they do love getting dirty). But every now and then, they need a little help.

While at a pet adoption fair a few weeks ago, a company was demonstrating a product called RapidBath. Essentially, it is an attachment to your hose, shower, whatever, that also has shampoo in it. So, like a car wash, you can switch from rinse to wash and back to rinse from the gadget itself. We found one and decided to try it out.

Other than Kiska, who is decidedly anti-bath, the whole process went fairly quickly. Five dogs in and out of baths in about 30 minutes yesterday afternoon. And they all looked much better.

Of course, we woke up this morning to thunderstorms which means mud in the dog lot. Oh well. Clean for a few hours.