Wednesday, January 19, 2005
oh what fun it is to ride in an eight-dog open sled!
went dog sledding on monday (martin luther kind junior day). as usual, i was obsessing over the cold and feeling so so inadequately dressed with only three layers of clothing and no thermal underwear. temp was comfortably below zero. we drove for an hour and a half into the woody areas of the wilderness through the snow until we came to a little blue house by the roadside and saw an entire open kennel of dogs!
stepping out of the car, i felt stuck in a permanent state of frosted rigidity. frigid digits. now i knew how himalayan rabbit genes (the ones inhibiting black pigment formation) can become inactivated by the cold. the body's extremeties show warning signs. granted, black patches of fur on rabbit ear tips and paw tips look cute, but frostbite on YOUR toes and fingers ain't cute, no sir!
i sympathise with all arctic wildlife. i feel your pain.
freakish cold aside, the ride was fun and surprisingly smooth! even when we went over rocks of ice and stone, we felt narry a bump. the dogs were phenomenal runners. i heard from the husband and wife dynamic duo who kept the sled dog business running, that they had gone on a 100 mile race the week before. phew! talk about sore paws!!
some of the dogs had to wear booties to help pad their feet from the rough ground. yet another case of absolute cuteness and (cruel irony!) unbearable pain!
the only regret i had from this trip was the lack of photo-taking for most part. when the wind blows, your face freezes over and numbs to a nail-biting OUCH. sorry lah. no sensation, no fingers, no camera. no photos.
planted @
5:33 AM
