Getting ready for Ski to Sea

We're gearing up for the annual Ski to Sea race. It will be the second time Tyler and I attempted the grueling 90 mile relay, and to give you a brief history I will now share an e-mail our team leader Eric sent us:

"The team is made up of 3 teammates of mine from last year: Frank(cross country skier), Dan(downhill skier), and John(kayak)...and 3 teammates from 3 years ago: Steve(runner), Sara(canoe), and Tyler(mountain bike). The 8th member is new- Mag(canoe) -and has been brought on board for his balance and buoyancy. For those of you who don't know the story, the team of 3 years ago (Piddle Down Our Legs) was steaming along at a respectable top-two-thirds-of-the-pack-pace when tragedy struck. Sara was canoeing with a renegade fisherman named Jon who tempted fate one too many times. While trying to "shoot the gap" Sara and John hooked their vessel on some LWD (large woody debris) and were tossed helplessly into the raging Nooksack. According to Jon's account, death was imminent...albeit according to Sara's account, "it was kinda scary and pretty cold." Although the canoe itself went on to finish the leg, Sara and Jon were not aboard. The team was disqualified, and Tyler's epic mountain bike ride (on a girl's bike) went unnoticed in the records. Tyler and Sara left Bellingham in shame and moved to Lake Tahoe to "get away from it all" for two years.

That brings us to today...Tippy Canoe and Tyler 2 was born out of redemption. We have Frank and Dan, the snow team from last year that helped get me away from the Shuksan DOT almost an hour before I had in any other race. We have Steve shredding his knees down the mountain. I will suck the wheels of faster riders all the way to Everson. Sara now has Mag (who grew up in a float tube) paddling with her and determined to arrive as a threesome, including canoe, in Ferndale. Tyler now has a boys bike. And John will bring it home and ring the bell in triumph. We will all hug and laugh and take pictures of each other...It's gonna be AWE-SOME!"

I'll let you know how our redemption pans out.

Congrats Zack

Congrats on finishing school in four years! And to top it off, you double majored in physics and math. Now you're off to Oregon State University to research and learn about stuff I barely can comprehend (thanks for all the mini physics lessons you taught me while you we here too).

I'm proud of you Bub.

Bix wins best dog award

On our last camping trip, Eric's dog Bix earned the best dog award. It wasn't hard considering how Aspen and Moses were misbehaving. The following infractions are listed below:

1) Within an hour of setting up our campsite, Moses had found some deer droppings and proceeded to roll in it because he liked the scent. Tyler, CJ and I had to tie him to a spigot and wash him off with CJ's shampoo.

2) We found out Moses likes to chase trailers, with Aspen nipping at his heels. Bix was good, and stayed right by the camp like he was instructed.

3) Aspen and Moses couldn't bear to part with Tyler when he went fishing in the float tube, which tangled fishing lines and scared the fish away.

5) Aspen ate one of the trout.

6) Moses wouldn't stop barking during the night, so Tyler had to tie him to his camp chair and make him settle. At one point, Tyler stood up to get another beer and Moses bolted away from the campsite, dragging the chair behind him. This made Moses freak out and bark even more. I didn't witness this first hand because I was off having my own adventure (Eric, CJ or Tyler can tell you about that).

So congrats Bix, you earned it.

The escape

Cat and Mo

For some time the cats have been pestering the dogs any chance they get. Whenever Moses and Aspen see, hear, smell, or think a cat is outside the house — they become crazed (the same thing happens with squirrels).

One day I came home after running some errands to find my neighbor Amy weeding her garden. She proceeded to tell me that she was keeping an eye on our front door. Apparently the wind had blown it open, which allowed for the dogs to escape and chase all the cats and squirrels they could find. Amy saw them romping around the neighborhood, so she ran inside our house and called for the dogs. Luckily they listened to her, and stormed back into the house. She said she didn't know how long they had escaped for, but when I got home they were pretty tired.

Now we make sure the door is latched properly.