The reason for it all

Bootie time: Me putting on booties on Franklin, a dog who is both soft spoken and fierce. (Photo: ELG)

I moved up here so I could spend more time mushing.

As it turned out, living in the sticks takes a lot of time in itself. It evened itself out. That was not a surprise, really.

Autumn training has now taken off, most runs are slightly longer than the last one. And with a near full moon we can sail over the logging roads without using lights even in the middle of the night. Every autumn I am in awe at how quickly the dogs build up perseverance and muscle, how quickly they remember old tricks of their trade.

Maybe they're not fantastic sled dogs. I am certainly no award winning musher. But this is what grace must feel like.