Alaskan SoundHoundz

Christmas Hounds

2011-01-02T21:11:00.011-09:00

We begin each holiday season with the annual "Lighting of the Christmas Hound." Gus looks slightly annoyed because we interrupted him while he was chewing up the extra lights.

Molly the Bluetick, age 14 1/2, is our oldest hound. Therefore, she had the distinction of being the only hound not to be kenneled while we opened presents on Christmas morning. She thanked us by peeing on the carpet right in front of the tree before we opened the first gift!

Amanda, Alyssa and I posed without the hounds in front of the tree. I can't imagine why we got the photo on the first try.

About 20 takes later, we ended up with this shot including the three hounds.

Molly relaxing on the new dog bed on Christmas Eve. She and Dimond Willow ate the old one the night before.

Three peaceful hounds. This lasted for approximately 3.5 minutes. Then it erupted into a Wrestle-Mania event.

And finally, a relative thinks he can hold back a bloodhound. It never works!

Christmas in Fairbanks, Alaska with the hounds. Always entertaining!

Fairbanks to Hawaii

2010-11-13T20:37:00.004-09:00

My lucky daughter, Amanda, is flying from Fairbanks to Hawaii. Wish I was heading that direction, too!

She gets to trade in her boots for flip-flops while the hounds and I wade through the new snow. Lucky girl!

Whose Bed Is It Anyway??

2010-10-24T15:35:00.004-08:00

Edie got up to get a cup of coffee and she seriously expected to have a spot on the bed? Really. Humans are so dumb.

By the way, that IS a queen size bed, you know.

Why my lawn chair smells like dog...

2010-06-15T21:03:00.002-08:00

How to Study for a Test

2010-02-28T19:39:00.005-09:00

The following are the ingredients for successfully studying for an upcoming test:

1. Start the fire in the stove

2. Add one spotted coonhound, snoring loudly while snoozing upon her back

3. Add one baying bloodhound in the background

4. Include one set of earplugs

5. Attempt to ignore hounds

6. Focus, focus, focus

7. Then move to your bedroom, close door tightly, continue to study

Moose Tracking 101

2010-02-24T19:35:00.003-09:00

Often when out for a walk, Gus the bloodhound happens upon fresh moose tracks. This is a splendid opportunity for him to display his tracking skills. Gus was tracking this moose at temperatures hovering around 10 degrees above zero. If I had let go of the leash, I have no doubt that he would have found that moose!

Old Molly hound was also tracking that moose, baying her progress to us. And where was Dimond Willow?? Well, she tracked herself right up to a big pile of moose poop, and was busily dining upon it. She had no interest in going any further.

Playing Catch-up

2010-02-03T21:07:00.014-09:00

Wow. It's been a long time. As usual, I've been up to my eyeballs in stuff to do. Teaching 2nd graders all day, teaching a reading class in the After School Program, assistant coaching the Lathrop Ballroom Dance Team AND hauling my 9th grade daughter to basketball practices and games, not to mention taking care of the hounds. Whew. But it is all fun, and I'm having a blast! So here is a little photo montage to start bringing you up to date...

Starting with my goofy children getting ready for the Halloween Carnival.

And a little hound snuggling.

Can't forget a cold, dark Alaskan afternoon photo.

And Molly helping us get ready for Black Friday Power Shopping!

"Who ARE you and what are you doing on MY couch?" the customary line from Gus...

I can't finish up without a little SoundHoundz entertainment, so here it is! Dimond snuffles her new dog bed and grumbles at Gus for getting into her business.

Next installment: Thanksgiving, Christmas, delightful Alaskan weather, crazy hound-dogs and more goofy children!

Thinking of Summer

2009-11-08T20:15:00.004-09:00

It's starting to get a little chilly. About 10 below zero at night. Been thinking about getting out the winter coat and maybe a hat, but I'd rather pretend it's still summer. Gloves are for sissies!

I was just looking through iphoto, and found this video from last summer. In this video, I was trying to comment on Marmalade's blog. This is pretty much a typical afternoon with the dogs. Right now, picture the same scenario, only the girls are trying to practice the cello with Dog WrestleMania happening under their feet. Never a dull moment in our house!

Gluten Free??!!

2009-10-18T16:49:00.018-08:00

I am finally back! It has been another crazy few weeks of waaaay toooo much to do, and I am finally getting to a post that I have needed to finish for several weeks.

Last summer, as my husband was recovering in the hospital from back surgery, I spent a great deal of time on my iphone (very possibly too much time!) to relieve the boredom of sitting all day. I found several blogs about gluten free living, which I found very interesting, as I have a condition called Celiac Disease. To make a long story short, I cannot eat anything with wheat, barley or rye. I can eat oats only if they are certified "gluten-free." As you can imagine, it makes eating a real challenge. I have to bake most of my own breads using rice flour as a base, and I haven't eaten a slice of real pizza in over 6 years! You can imagine how excited I was to find information on a website called MyBlogSpark. It allows you to place an application to review products on your personal blog. I decided to give it a try since I had heard that I would probably be able to review the new Betty Crocker Gluten Free dessert mixes, which I was eagerly awaiting. They sent me the four products to try and review, and then one of my readers will win a set of the dessert mixes as well. It's a great deal!

The new Betty Crocker Gluten Free mixes are as follows:

Yellow Cake Mix

Devil's Food Cake Mix

Brownie Mix

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Yellow Cake- This cake had a good flavor, but was quite grainy from the rice flours in the mix. I was not happy with the mix, so I experimented. I decided to use it in a Pineapple Upside Down cake. The results were amazing! It made an excellent cake which was moist, sweet and delicious! I used a couple of different recipes, and the results were great each time. I served the cakes at picnics and the guests loved them as well. This gave me an idea as autumn approached and the blueberries were ripening. What about a Blueberry Pineapple Coconut Upside Down cake? I replaced the marachino cherries with lots of blueberries, and added coconut milk as part of the liquid along with coconut flakes. The result was not very pretty, as blueberries turn very dark when cooked, but it tasted wonderful! The cake was gone in a flash from the countertop!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Layering the blueberries

Devil's Food Cake- This cake had a better texture, but could use a bit more chocolate flavor. This cake makes a great base for an ice cream cake. Simply bake and freeze. Top with your favorite flavor of ice cream and refreeze.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix- We experimented a great deal with this mix. It has a good flavor, but the cookies crumble too easily. Tried adding another egg. Didn't help. Tried using applesauce in place of liquid. Didn't work. Maybe it would work as a cookie bar?

Brownie Mix- Good results here. This makes a nice brownie. Also tried adding another egg, with great results. Makes an excellent dessert. Feel free to get creative with this one by topping with ice cream, syrup and nuts for a brownie sundae.

Brownies

Overall, I would say that Betty Crocker could have done a better job researching before launching these mixes. There are other gluten free dessert mixes in the Natural Food section of the grocery stores that are much better quality. However, the other mixes are approximately $7 each. The Betty Crocker Mixes, found in the regular baking aisle, are around $4 each. I would like to sincerely applaud them for diving into the gluten free market, however. There are MANY people who must live wheat free, and our food choices are so limited at this time that we welcome any new items on the shelves. I am thankful to see this new competition in the gluten free arena.

Now, for my blog readers. How would you like to try these mixes for free? I would bet that many of you know at least one person who cannot eat wheat, or limits it. Or maybe you are interested in trying something new yourself? If so, leave a comment, or drop an email (soundhoundz@gmail.com) if you would like to be entered in the drawing to win all four of these dessert mixes. No cost to you, no obligation. Can't wait to hear from you!

And lest I forget, these recipes are all Bloodhound/Coonhound Approved. How do I know? Place dessert on your plate and you have exactly 1.3 seconds to get to a safe area to enjoy it... just ask my kids!

Whoa, Dude!

2009-09-14T21:00:00.003-08:00

I do believe Gus the Bloodhound thinks he is really a Jack Russell Terrier. What do you think??

(The background sounds are Molly the Bluetick barking and the television)

Happy Birthday, Molly!

2009-09-06T15:10:00.015-08:00

Molly, our bluetick/ treeing walker coonhound recently celebrated her 13th birthday. We adopted Molly 5 years ago when she was 8 years old. She has been a wonderful addition to our family!

Here's how her regular vet check-up went a few weeks ago:

Vet: Awww! 13 years old! She must be slowing down a lot now.

Amanda: Well, no, not really. She runs around barking at everything, all the time.

Vet: Well, she certainly must not have as much energy as she used to.

Amanda: She's pretty active... she's still the first one up every morning and then she runs around and barks all the time.

Vet: But she's probably sleeping quite a lot, isn't she?

Amanda: Ummm. Well, no, we kinda wish she would sleep a lot more...instead of running around and barking ALL the time.

And so it went. Molly is still very active, barks the most out of the three hounds, and continues to grow various lumps at an amazing rate. She suffers from allergies that affect her airway, so she does cough and hack quite a lot at times, but meds control it for the most part. Our biggest problem with her lately is the fact that she is getting red, raw sores on her skin, probably allergy related. Other than that, she is always happy, full of energy and LOUD, like any good hound should be!

As energetic as Molly is, she can also relax with the best of them. We probably have hundreds of pictures of Molly in various states of "The Nap."

We are so happy to have you in our lives, Molly-pup. Happy, Happy Birthday!!

Drool, Part 2

2009-08-20T17:10:00.005-08:00

Gus came in the house with a third eyebrow, much to my surprise.

He is very creative with saliva.

Drool for You!

2009-08-05T17:09:00.005-08:00

Marmalade, Bentley and Wimsey have posted fabulous shots of the most spectacular of bloodhound traits...drool. As a bloodhound, I produce copious amounts of spit as well. Here is my first post regarding this most important matter.

More posts will follow.

Game on, Marmalade!!

---The Gusinator--

Alaska- Extreme Weather Only, Summer Version

2009-07-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful summer we have had this year! Temperatures consistently in the 70's to upper 80's, and almost no rain at all. Combine that with 24 hours of daylight and it sounds perfect, doesn't it? Well, not quite. With all the hot, dry weather comes a lot of lightning. Combine that with millions of acres of dry timber and you've got a bit of a problem. Right now that means over 1.3 million acres of forest fires surrounding us here in Fairbanks, Alaska. We have been beyond fortunate though, as the winds have not been blowing the smoke right into the Tanana Valley as they usually do all summer during an active wildfire season. We have had sporadic smokey days, and only a few orange and red air quality alerts. The last week has been the worst of it, but it isn't too bad so far. The forecast is for continued warm and dry weather through the next several days, with smoke. The fires closest to Fairbanks are the Minto Flats South Fire at 245,000 acres, about 40 miles away and the Wood River Fire, about 27 miles south of Fairbanks. Here are some photos taken along the Parks Highway near Denali National Park on July 4th. Even though it was very warm, we had to keep the windows closed because the smoke made it hard to breathe.

The camera lens definitely cuts through the smoke, but you can get an idea of what it looks like.

On Wednesday, we watched smoke roll in from the Minto Flats South Fire about 3 p.m. I stood on the sidewalk in front of Gulliver's Books and took a picture to the east, and then immediately turned and took a picture to the west. You can see a very dramatic wall of smoke rolling in over the hills!

Later that evening we went to Amanda's softball game after the smoke had descended upon the city. These were taken about 8:30 pm. That funny spot near the people in the center is a big chunk of falling ash.

We were all covered in ash by the end of the game! Here's a shot of the roof of the car:

By midnight some of the smoke was gone, but an orange haze has been hanging over us each day. When you open the door or a window it smells like you are right next to a campfire. Small amounts of ash continue to fall from the sky, reminding us of snowflakes. Not a happy image this time of year!

However, no one is complaining. This is nothing compared to the Boundary Fire of 2004 which began mid-June and lasted until the snow fell in September that year. We were covered in smoke from the end of June until August. It was in the 80's most days and because the air quality was so bad we were advised to keep the windows closed every day and to limit outdoor activity. Which wouldn't have been so bad, except homes do not have air conditioning up here in Fairbanks. It was hot and miserable 24 hours a day. The southern border of the Boundary Fire was just about 5 miles from our house, so we had to be ready to evacuate for several weeks. That fire alone ended up burning over 537,000 acres. The wildfire total for the entire state that same year was 6.2 million acres. That was a very scary time for us.

In Alaska the weather is ALWAYS extreme, it seems. From bone-chilling cold in the winter to hot and desert dry with smoke in the summer. It is a challenge to live here!

Despite snow, rain, sleet, hail...or smoke, dogs must be walked! Here is Gus the bloodhound basking in the orange smokey glow of the afternoon.

And we may not have cornfields like Bentley, beautiful flower gardens like Marmalade or the liveliness of Central Park like Wimsey, but we DO have the most beautiful fireweed! Most of our property has been left in it's wild state, and here's the beast on a walk next to our house.

That's about it from Alaska today. The land where humans and animals can become chain smokers without even lighting up...

SoundHoundz Arrive at Resort!

2009-07-14T15:45:00.016-08:00

Hello, all! Gus the bloodhound here to give you an amazing auditory experience. If you enjoy the sound of hounds barking, then this is the blog for you!

A couple of weeks ago, Edie and Amanda dropped the Alaskan SoundHoundz pack at Chelsea's Pet Resort for a week of non-stop barking excitement. I had my humans record the arrival as we bumped down the dirt road. Everyone within a five mile radius knew with certainty that the "houndz" had arrived!

Note my deep voice, which provides rich undertones to Dimond Willow's excited "seal bark." Molly chose to announce her arrival with her version of "chirping and talking." These barks are quite different from our baying serenades saved for different occasions.

Now here is a video of me and Dimond in the resort parking lot. I particularly enjoy this segment, as I was able to deposit a little saliva on the crate, which happened to survive the entire week hanging in magnificent dried form on the wire. To my chagrin, the crate in this shot is a bit crowded with two hounds, and you will notice that my normally destructive tail wagging is somewhat curtailed in these confines.

This resort is not nearly as well- appointed as Bentley and Beau's swimming resort, but it is an adequate place to engage in hound socializing and vocalizing for many days.

Edie picked us up on the 4th of July, and we were so very happy to see her. Upon arrival at home we promptly plopped down on the floor and slept soundly for many hours. Can't wait for the next vacation!

Until next time,
Gus
(Loud Hound of the North)

Waiting

2009-07-01T20:27:00.012-08:00

Waiting in a hospital is not fun. Especially when it happens day after day. Almost six days, to be exact. My husband went in for surgery early on June 29th. He had three vertebrae fused in an 8 1/2 hour operation. He mostly slept for the first 4 days, so I sat and waited. A lot. And I am not good at waiting, so it was a difficult task. I had thought I would work on a couple of new blog posts, but my iphone apparently decided that was not going to happen. Since we were in Anchorage, there wasn't much in the way friends or family to break the monotony. So there I sat, in a tiny corner with books and newspapers and my iphone. Fortunately, the procedure went well, and he was eventually up and walking with a walker, soon graduated to doing a few stairs, and then we were sent out the door, free to head to my brother's home for a little more recovery before heading back to Fairbanks.

View from the 6th floor of Alaska Regional Hospital, Anchorage, Alaska 11pm

To make a long story short, we went to my brother's house and my husband tried to get settled in, but just couldn't get comfortable. Not surprising, since he had 27 staples in his back. So I came up with a plan... give him his pain meds, stuff him in the back of the (small) car and drive all night to get home. Well, I am happy to report that it worked! We spent about 6 hours on the road, he slept most of the way, and children and hounds were very excited to see us the next day.

June 28th, Cantwell, Alaska, near entrance to Denali National Park

He continues to recover remarkably well, with the help of a few gentle (!) hounds.

Molly, best therapy dog ever!

A Miracle!

2009-06-27T17:47:00.004-08:00

Vacuuming a hound? Dimond Willow and Molly would never allow it. Vacuuming a bloodhound? Hmmmm. I don't know how or why Gus suddenly decided that this was okay, but who am I to question him? I will just enjoy it as long as he decides to humor me.

Travel Time!

2009-06-24T21:42:00.020-08:00

Busy, busy, busy. Closed out the school year May 18th. Flew to Palm Springs with a group of 14 kids (and my own 2) from Kodiak, Alaska for almost 2 weeks. Learned that I could indeed survive 100+ degrees. It is WAY more comfortable than east coast humidity! Studied the desert, learned about the oil business from a guy who has been in it for half a century. Viewed wind farms. Boat tour of San Diego Harbor. Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Laguna Beach. Went to the San Diego Zoo. Hollywood. Disneyland. Learned that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth until a bird poops on a kid's head! And had to stand in line behind a woman for 45 minutes at Disneyland with the most obscene tattoo I have ever seen. Wow. (Yes, I took a picture, no I'm not posting it!) Toured the Mission at San Juan Capistrano. Knott's Soak City water park. Learned that a 30 minute drive can take 3.5 hours when you use GPS. Met Evans Downer, an artist that spends summers in Alaska and the rest of the year in Joshua Tree National Park, where he works in his amazing desert studio. Learned that McDonald's closes at 10 pm in Palm Springs where the median age seems to be upwards of 75. And had a FABULOUS TIME with an unbelievably great group of 14 year olds!

Alyssa has this habit of hugging the first palm tree she sees after landing. You'd think she was from Alaska or something.

We noticed right away that the desert is, well, rather brown.

Entrance to our condo in Palm Desert. A bit of luxury!

Our fearless leader, my brother-in-law.

Desert sculptures in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

Taking photos of the monkeys. I mean kids.

Evans Downer. Fabulous artist!

Relaxing at the condo in Palm Desert. Only MY children would sit in this hot tub when it was 103 degrees outside! We had a little discussion about something called "heat stroke".

Craziest place to build a house. Directly on a fault line. With a pile of loose rock about 50 feet directly behind the house. Oh wait, in California they call that a mountain! Either way, some day it is going to fall on that house.

Got back to Fairbanks and enjoyed 70 and 80 degree temperatures while trying to catch up on yard work and do some planting, along with the million other things that need to be done.

Flew out of CA on the coolest plane ever!

One more thing and the car would have exploded on the drive back to Fairbanks from Anchorage.

Aaaaaah! Fresh air once again in Cantwell, Alaska.

A happy hound greeting.

Awwww. Gus can be so sweet! Sometimes.

Now I'm going to prove that I can learn a lesson from some of my favorite blog buddies, and post more often!

TTFN!

I hate packing.

2009-05-22T23:33:00.005-08:00

School is out for the summer. Just finished closing down my classroom, which means putting EVERYTHING away. Grading, recording, filing, sorting, boxing, organizing, cleaning. The classroom is done at last. Which means my house looks like a hurricane went through. Twice. Can't see the dining room table. Mountains of laundry. Dirty dishes. Piles and piles of mail and bills to pay. And of course, dog hair. Everywhere. And we are supposed to leave tomorrow. So what do I do? I quit. That's right. I'm done for the night. I am NOT packing anymore. Right now I don't care if I drive to Anchorage tomorrow or not.

We are traveling to California with a group of students from Kodiak Island. It is a trip based around career explorations for the 8th grade students, which is actually a lot of fun. Last year we traveled with them to New York City and Washington, D.C. Our flight leaves Anchorage Monday, but I was hoping to get there a couple of days early, since I have absolutely nothing to wear in the sweltering heat of Palm Springs. But at this point, I don't care anymore! Maybe in the morning I will care, but not now. I am tired, I have a cold and I just want a day of vacation. Sleep would be nice. Time to cuddle up with the dogs and relax.

Here is a current photo. This is what the front yard looks like. Yardwork. Woohoo. Something else to add to the list. At least the snow is finally gone!

Palm Springs, here we come... the yard can wait!

A Dog in School!!

2009-05-14T21:00:00.010-08:00

My apologies for my TERRIBLE neglect of this blog. Here are my sad excuses:

Lathrop Ballroom Dance Team Spring Show & Auction (I'm the team's assistant director)

and other Ballroom Dance Team performances

Easter

Prom (daughter #1)

17th Birthday party and overnighters(daughter #1)

14th Birthday party and overnighters(daughter #2)

Lathrop High School Musical, "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," 5 nights (daughter #1)

Track season (daughter #2)

Spring Choir Concert (daughter #1)

Spring Orchestra Concert (daughter #2)

UAF Graduation Party (2 relatives)

Physical Therapy Appointments (daughter #2)

Construction of a Box Kite (daughter # 2)

Solo & Ensemble Competition in Anchorage (daughter #1)

Retirement Parties

Various other school projects/reports/papers (2 daughters who needed "prodding")

...not to mention my own classroom family picnic, awards, field trips, field day, projects, papers to grade, report cards to finish, and yes, the ducklings that just hatched!! Did I mention the taxes?....... AUUUGGGHHHH!!!!

Well, at least I feel better now. I guess I accomplished a lot over the last 4 weeks!

Despite the busy schedule, it is ALL FUN! I just wish I had more hours in the day to enjoy it all.

Some of the greatest fun that I have had in a long time came through my connection with the famous Wimsey Bloodhound of Manhattan. Over the last couple of months, his humans have written and illustrated a book for my classroom, detailing the history and some of the sights of New York City and comparing it to where we live in Fairbanks, Alaska. My students have been enthralled with the project, and we read the book together several times. We also looked at many photos of Wimsey and studied New York City on the internet. In addition, we investigated hounds, learning the difference between sight and scent hounds. We covered dog anatomy and dog care as well. Of course special emphasis was placed on bloodhounds! Last week we wrote letters to Wimsey and sent them along with some gifts, both for the canine and the humans. My students were incredibly inspired by this wonderful hound, and wrote volumes for him, which was quite surprising in the case of several of the kids. My principal even took note of the inspiration that Wimsey had on several of my struggling students, and discussed the project's positive impact on the learning environment in my classroom during an educational forum this week.

How could I follow up on all this excitement in the classroom? Well, I brought my own bloodhound, Gus, in for a visit, of course! An ALL DAY visit! Actually, this is his third year of visiting my school.

What a grand day we had! Gus arrived with me at 7:45 a.m. and we made the rounds saying hello to staff. He is always greeted with a smile and a pat. At 8:30 a.m. my students arrived, and greeted Gus with squeals of delight. He took it all in stride. As the kids sat on the floor in a group to say hello, he rolled onto his side and wiggled around the group, touching each student with his nose. For such a large, awkward hound, he is incredibly gentle with children. When my students went off to Music, Gus and I made the first of our scheduled visits to other classrooms to teach a little about hounds and dog care. The kindergarten children sang the Dog Alphabet song to him. We visited a 3rd grade classroom where he ate two pencils and a folder. We also visited the 1st graders and a multi-age classroom during the course of the day.

Gus met the one week old ducklings that our 2nd graders incubated over the last month. It was hilarious. He was very hesitant at first, but then he and one of the khakis had a "conversation." Nose to nose! I think the khaki won, because Gus backed off first!

Back in my classroom, we talked a lot about responsible dog ownership, like what to feed/not feed your dog, walking your dog daily and how to pick up poop responsibly. We drew and colored pictures of bloodhounds and reviewed dog anatomy. (Do YOU know where the pastern is?) We walked Gus several times and saw first hand how a bloodhound follows his nose. At the end of the day, the kids were sad to say goodbye, and several wanted to keep the cardboard tubes that Gus had chewed for souvenirs! What a WONDERFUL DAY we had! I wish I could post pictures of my students with Gus, but for obvious reasons I cannot do that.

(Gus says goodbye to the kids at the end of the day)

I am so proud of my big bloodhound. He is a fabulous dog, gentle and nurturing with each child. I am very lucky to have him, and to have a principal that is happy to allow a giant dog to come to class for an entire school day!

Evening Visitor

2009-04-18T11:25:00.004-08:00

It has been a very busy and stressful few weeks with many activities and commitments, and I have had to completely put this blog aside for awhile. As busy as it's been, we have enjoyed seeing owls almost each evening on our drive home. We generally see them perched on the very top of the birch and aspens at the base of our hill, basking in the evening sun about 7:30 pm, but always far enough away to make them hard to identify. We often hear the calls of the Great Horned Owls around our house, but have never been lucky enough to see one up close. So imagine our surprise on Wednesday to see a Great Gray Owl perched in a birch tree very close to home! We stopped to admire him, but realized we didn't have our camera. We quickly drove home and returned to find him still there, lazily enjoying the sun. Photos are courtesy of Alyssa.

When we went home, we looked up facts about the Great Grays. They are the largest owl in North America, with a 60 inch wingspan! They are quite rare to see, although they are active in the evening hours. (Remember, there is no "night" in Fairbanks in the summertime!) Great Grays have amazing hearing. They can hear a vole under 2 feet of snow, and dive in head-first to capture their prey! We were surprised, and none too happy, to find that the Great Horned Owl is the main predator of the Great Gray.

We were happy that the hounds were NOT with us when we saw this magnificent raptor. Gus is a very visual hound, and would have most definitely tried to climb the tree to sniff the owl, and the coonhounds, well, it's hard to say what they would have done had it moved from the birch tree...

Pass the Halibut, Please!

2009-04-02T21:27:00.009-08:00

What can I say? Gus loves his halibut!

Yummm! Later we had deep fried Valdez halibut with a crispy salad. As for Gus and the other hounds, welllllll..... they didn't!

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-03-25T00:01:00.002-08:00

Dog Walking 101

2009-03-15T21:07:00.025-08:00

Humans have a lot to learn about dog walking. Especially walking three hounds named Molly, Dimond Willow and Gus.

Dog Walking 101 tips for humans
compiled by The Three SoundHoundz:

1. let the dogs lead

2. let the dogs wrestle

3. do not get in the dog's way

4. leashes are for tug-o-war, not leading

5. let us bay as loud as we wish

6. run

7. run faster

8. hurry up

9. if you fall, roll out of our way

10. provide adequate couch space once we're back home

And good luck getting out of the driveway.

Our best wishes to all you dogs for a good walk with your humans!

Molly, Dimond Willow and Gus

The SoundHoundz of Alaska

"SPRING" Break? I think not.

2009-03-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

BEEEEEEEEEP (classroom intercom). Please excuse the interruption. We will be having outside recess today. There is a slight breeze and it is above zero. Be sure to wear all of your gear.

My students stared in disbelief out the window as the announcement came over the intercom. The trees outside the window were bent in half, and the snow blew in great waves horizontally past them. The kids trudged quietly to the closet area and began gearing up for a long 30 minutes outdoors. Only an hour to go until Spring Break would finally begin.

Later, upon returning to the classroom, a student described the recess as "brutal!"

Yes, it is officially Spring Break for the public schools here in Fairbanks, Alaska. But where is the Spring? Definitely not here. Maybe in Minnesota where Bentley lives. Maybe in the DC area where Marmalade resides. Possibly in Central Park where Wimsey frolics. But most definitely NOT here.

Surprisingly, no one hung around to play on the playground after school.

A new weather system deposited about a foot of fresh snow, then promptly left the area with clear skies and temperatures back on the negative side. And a season total of 60+ inches of the fluffy stuff. Where else do teachers send their students out the door for Spring Break with stern reminders to take their boots, snowpants, gloves, hats and scarves because YOU WILL need them?

And as the parent of two teenage daughters, notorious for their ability to shun warm winter gear, I came up with a brilliant plan for celebrating the first night of Spring Break! We would stop at Coldstone for ice cream! Hooray! It was all happiness and love until I mentioned that it would be a photo opportunity for the blog as well.

Are you kidding? Have you lost your mind? It's something like 90 below zero in that wind!!? Mom, this is TOTALLY not funny!

Unfortunately, all I had was my iphone camera, otherwise the disgusted expression on one particular face might have been a little more clear.

I dropped over $20 on ice cream! Where was the love?

It was a long treacherous drive home through blasting wind, and I thankfully pulled the car in the garage.

As usual, I was greeted by the raucous baying of our three hounds, Molly, Dimond and Gus. All thoughts of bad weather flew from my mind, as we turned towards feeding and taking them out for a romp in the snow. By this time, the wind was dying down and the temperature was on the upswing. Time for a delightful frolic as dad plowed the drive for the 3rd time in two days! Even the surly teenager was happy in her sugar rush and was ready to play with the hounds in the snow. A Spring Break miracle, indeed!

(Thanks for your patience with the buffering, it's a rather long video)

Well, it may not be spring yet, but it is a break from the daily grind. And with our hounds, we WILL enjoy it, snow and all!!

Wordless Wednesday!

2009-03-04T00:01:00.002-09:00

Photography is not my thing.

2009-02-25T16:28:00.014-09:00

I will not allow a decent photograph to be taken.

Signed,

Your Evil Valentine Hound

Still Frozen in Fairbanks, Alaska

2009-02-08T22:07:00.005-09:00

Humans are idiots. Really. Last week it was 43 degrees below zero. Again. No wind chill. And what are humans doing?? Going for a run. Like that's a good idea. Humans have the power of reasoning? Really??

Here is how one of our friends looked upon returning from his run at -43 degrees:

Now THAT'S one smart guy!

I much prefer the warmth of the indoors. Indoor exercise, indoor feedings, indoor destruction of property, indoor naps in front of the fire. In fact, I much prefer melting in front of the fire...

Now really, which would YOU prefer?

Gus, Alaskan (puddle lips) Bloodhound

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-28T08:24:00.000-09:00

Inspired by Nigel, Sola & Co.

and by Wimsey, Bentley and Marmalade Bloodhounds,

supreme eviscerators of evil stuffed objects.

Alaska- Extreme Weather Only, Please!

2009-01-16T19:35:00.015-09:00

A chinook sunrise in Fairbanks, Alaska, January 16, 2009, around 10:00 a.m. Taken from Lathrop High School.

What a crazy few days it has been. 40-60 degrees BELOW zero here in the Tanana Valley a few days ago, and now 50 degrees ABOVE zero! 100 degrees difference in 3 days. Does that happen anywhere else? We are all dancing on the ice and slush as the second chinook blows in, bringing more extreme weather!

Up in the hills, our driveway is the most fun, as it is long and steep. It is pretty much a luge run in this weather. We turn off the road, point the car down the drive and hope for the best as we slide all the way down and around the corner to the garage. Why not sand it, you ask? Because it is our sledding run, of course! And it's kind of fun, I have to admit.

The three hounds, Molly, Dimond, and of course Gus, are all full of energy. They are begging to go outside constantly. We do not have a fenced yard on our acreage, so humans must go out to make sure the 2 coonhounds do not get on a scent and take off. Gus the bloodhound is always leashed. We can call the two coonhounds off a moose if one is encountered, but Gus is a different story. As a young male, he is unpredictable. We can't take a chance on any accidents happening, as moose are constantly around the house.

Speaking of moose, below is a photo of a cow moose and calf on our driveway. This is where the girls have to walk daily to get to the bus stop in the dark. Earlier this week, Amanda was walking up to the bus, heard a grunt and rustling off to the side, and was charged by a cow moose. Yikes! Fortunately, the bus was pulling up, so she ran for it and made it safely inside. Whew. Glad she's in such good shape and can run fast!!

Gus has been enjoying spending time on the deck now that it's warm again. He has raided every flower pot since they have thawed out, and devoured as much dirt as possible. Snout and ears covered in mud, he looks rather like a pig. I was too mad at him to take a picture! Here he is, cleaned up, but still rather piggish.

We have been trying to get some chores done now that it's warm for a few days, like cleaning the "nose cement" off the glass doors. Problem is, Gus thinks he needs to chase the paper towel, re-cementing the inside of the glass as the outside is washed. We should realize by now that cleaning anything is futile with 3 hounds living in the house.

At least the hounds are getting more exercise in the warmth. Last night was a joy as they settled down to sleep quite early instead of driving us crazy with wrestling and barking all evening.

Now the delightful chinook is coming to an end as are our record breaking temperatures. Snow is expected tomorrow, and temperatures will be dropping down to the negative side once more. Sigh. Here we go again! Never a dull moment around here as we settle in for a few more months of winter...

U.H.O. (unidentified hairy object) Yet another reason nothing is ever clean..

Wishing all of you pleasant weather and decent dogs until next time!!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!

2009-01-10T20:53:00.021-09:00

Why do we live in Fairbanks, Alaska? I'm not really sure, especially when I've been looking at weather forecasts like this day after day after day...

(from wunderground.com on January 9, 2009)

Fairbanks, Alaska (Airport)

Updated: 2 hr 55 min 16 sec ago

-44 °F

Freezing Fog

Dense fog advisory in effect until 9 am akst Saturday in valleys...

Forecast for Middle Tanana Valley

Mostly clear. Areas of dense ice fog near Fairbanks. Lows 40 below to 60 below...except around 30 below in the hills. Light winds.

State Lows for today:

Northway -61 F

Arctic Village -52 F

McGrath -50

So, why are we here? Those of us who choose to stay here are tough. We love a challenge. We love remoteness. We love being 5 minutes from the middle of nowhere. At -45 F yesterday I saw a guy riding his bike to work. Really!!

High noon in Fairbanks, Alaska.

This photo was taken on December 28, 2009 at Ryan Middle School,

12 p.m. Temperature -41 F.

Our house, 3:15 p.m. December 30, 2008. Temperature ?? The thermometer in my car quit working.

Over 2 weeks of intensely cold weather is coming to an end. A warm chinook is blowing in, and our temperatures should be almost 90 degrees WARMER by the end of the week! But it is still only January, and we have MONTHS of winter left. After this chinook we will have plenty of cold, brutal weather to come. Alaska is always extreme!

The 3 hounds are beside themselves with happiness at their ability to run and play outside again for a few minutes at a time. Their humans are relieved that there is a slight reprieve from putting 12 booties on giant feet every time the hounds go outside!

Putting booties on a bloodhound 4 times a day takes some finesse and outright willpower!

The following are photos on our driveway and from our back deck:

The following was taken on the Chena River, Fairbanks, Alaska.

All in all, it takes fortitude to survive in Alaska. We endure it and love it at the same time. The beauty is simply breathtaking no matter the season. I guess that is why we are here...it is beautiful.

Christmas Day in Fairbanks, Alaska

2009-01-01T13:58:00.021-09:00

Hello, everyone! Gus here, to tell you about Christmas Day. It was an eventful morning in our household. Actually, it was a major event, because it was the first year that I was allowed to participate in Christmas morning with the family. My first two years I was crated during the opening of the gifts. Granted, I always had a new yummy bone to keep me occupied, but it wasn't the same as being with the whole family. So this year, Edie and the girls insisted that I join the fun, and oh boy, was it fantastic! All those scents. Wow! I thought you might enjoy the following holiday photos and videos.

Here is a video clip of me helping Amanda open a bottle of cologne, using typical bloodhound technique.

Dimond Willow has been helping open gifts for about 7 years, so she has perfected her technique. She is delicate yet persistent in her efforts. This is a clip of Dimond helping Alyssa.

Every year we take a photo of the girls and dogs in front of the tree. Last year it would not work because Dimond was the only dog to cooperate. After many tries, Edie managed to get this shot. Note the leash. This is the first year a leash has been employed to keep a dog in position!

This next photo is proof that Amanda can tame the wild bloodhound beast with a cello:

This is what my humans see when beginning to open a present... I try to be as intimidating as possible!

Here are Dimond and I relaxing on the couch. Edie refers to it as "hairing up and smelling up the furniture."

We had a wonderful Christmas season, and hope you did as well.

Wishing you peace, happiness and good dogs in the New Year!

Gus, Bloodhound of the Alaskan Frontier

Introducing the SoundHoundz of Alaska!

2008-12-29T14:04:00.001-09:00

Greetings from Alaska, where humans struggle to survive the harsh winter, and hounds stand by and watch their pitiable efforts.

Our household consists of 4 humans, two of which are adults and two of which are teenagers. More importantly, our house contains a total of three, yes three, hounds. Not calm, lay by the fire and snooze hounds, but three in your face, full of noise, looking for trouble, bundles of energy hounds!

The first hound of the household was Dimond Willow. (spelled the Alaskan way) She is a beautiful Treeing Walker Coonhound who joined our family as a pup, and is now 7 years old.

The second hound to join our house was Molly, a Bluetick Coonhound/Treeing Walker mix. Molly was adopted at the age of 8 from a man who was retiring from his job in Alaska and would be traveling extensively in the future. Molly is now 12 years old, and still going strong!

Gus, a liver and tan Bloodhound, was the third hound to join our household. He was the hound that turned the dogs into a pack, with all the trials and tribulations that go along with having a pack of boisterous hounds. Gus came to us as a 10 week old puppy, and is now 2 1/2 years old.

We love our hounds, and it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep them safe and sound while living in Alaska. Our winters are long, dark and harsh, and exercising dogs meant for living in warmer climates always presents a challenge. Warm dog coats and extra-large booties are a must during the coldest weather.

In this blog, I hope to chronicle not only the amusement of living with 3 hounds, but to give a little insight into living in the far north city of Fairbanks, Alaska.