Maverick and Me

Today was my first day off!!!! However, I still woke up at the same time, went straight up to the dogs to say hi, and then stole one of them to go hiking. I guess I'm not very good at staying away from them.
Bill and I had a long talk last night about hiking dogs. All 37 of them have separate personalities and some work better than others. For instance, Lynx would be great, but he is the main lead dog in the kennel; I would be in deep trouble if I lost him or he got hurt. Also, Luma's a good hiking dog, but if you take any of her neighbors, she'll get insanely jealous and start fights. Therefore, Bill and I picked out about five dogs that I can choose from (it's just like Christmas!). Pinks is a sweet old girl that should really only be taken on short, easy hikes. Fury is small and hyper; great for the steep and rocky stuff. Joa is calm and will stick right by you. Sasha just wants exercise all the time. And then there is my boy Maverick.
Maverick is about 12 years old and is only beaten in age by Pinks. He was one of Bill's first sled dogs and his very first lead dog. He has run all 6 Iditarods, leading the team with authority. Even though he is an extreme sled dog, he also loves attention. I spend at least five minutes every night just loving Maverick. Today, when I first loaded him into my car, he preceded to climb up from the back and snuggle all 75 pounds of himself into my lap. Needless to say, I couldn't drive with a massive husky sitting on me, nor could I really breathe.
We went exploring on the Thompson Creek Trail. This is a canyon-filled, wildflower-covered haven. The trail is fairly easy, just following the slight dips of the canyon, but it has incredible side trails working up into the rocks. Maverick was so excited to be running again; it didn't take me long to realize he preferred a sled dog trot to a walk. This dog was made to run.

Love

One of the rock fins in the canyon

Afterwards, I headed to my first day of work at an ice cream parlor. I'm going to pick up a few shifts here and there; I'm trying to fill in my time as much as possible. I've also started as a private contractor delivering phone books. And, I have just received a call that is beginning by doggie daycare career. I'll be a private contractor working with a local company to care for animals as my schedule allows. More dog time! So, with some possible interviews in the works and lots of part-time positions, I think I'm doing pretty well out here. I'm getting puppy time, hiking time, ice cream time, and people time. What else could a girl want?