husky lovers

No, not large, big-boned people...husky as in the dog breed, those who love huskies.

If you love my Emerson or the general beauty and energy of these happy, strong dogs, you must see the movie Eight Below. (Fun fact: There were 2 dogs for each dog character, so look-alikes to make sure there was a back-up as needed.) See it for the dogs and the scenery, not the human actors. And Disney sure knows how to manipulate music, close-ups, and dog sounds to maximize the emotional impact and trigger audience response. Even my husband felt a tiny bit vaclempt. P.S. The dog known as "Shorty" in the film, looks just like Emerson--except for two same-colored eyes.

And this time of year is Iditarod time. The official web site, sponsored by the Iditarod Trail Committee, even has stuff for teachers to use in the classroom, updates. Some other good Race sites include: Dogsled.com, Cabela's site (Always one of my favorite to check with great daily updates and pictures...they are Jeff King's sponsor, and I met King in 2000 while visiting his husky kennel. Nice guy.), and the Anchorage Daily News.

We take Emerson on his own personalized mini-Iditarod races all the time. On Saturday, he got a 5-mile mountain bike adventure through Manito Park and the surrounding neighborhood--with steep grassy slopes and dirt singletracks. His tongue flapped out of his mouth and his ears bent back just like he was heading towards Nome.