Thistlebloom is the birthday girl today!

[thistlebloom]

Thistle, what is that thing? Do you do skijooring with the dogs at all? I think that would be the neatest thing! Love the pic of the mountains...makes me homesick.

That's a kicksled. You hold on the handles and ride on the runners. You can hitch a dog to it or power it yourself by kicking.
I was starting to train Larka to pull, but have gotten a little distracted this year and haven't followed through. We had such a warm start to the winter and the snow wasn't consistent enough with a good pack on the dirt roads to ride it. We have just had decent snows lately to make a good surface. Hitting even a little patch of gravel
really puts the brakes on.

 

[AMKuska]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

 

[flowerbug]

That's a kicksled. You hold on the handles and ride on the runners. You can hitch a dog to it or power it yourself by kicking.
I was starting to train Larka to pull, but have gotten a little distracted this year and haven't followed through. We had such a warm start to the winter and the snow wasn't consistent enough with a good pack on the dirt roads to ride it. We have just had decent snows lately to make a good surface. Hitting even a little patch of gravel
really puts the brakes on.

is there an overtaking/passing bell on there?

i had to look closer because i thought that was Syringa running, but no...

 

[Beekissed]

That's a kicksled. You hold on the handles and ride on the runners. You can hitch a dog to it or power it yourself by kicking.
I was starting to train Larka to pull, but have gotten a little distracted this year and haven't followed through. We had such a warm start to the winter and the snow wasn't consistent enough with a good pack on the dirt roads to ride it. We have just had decent snows lately to make a good surface. Hitting even a little patch of gravel
really puts the brakes on.

OH!! I think I remember you mentioning it before but had never seen one. How cool! Have to live somewhere pretty flat for those, huh? I bet that's GREAT exercise!

I was going to harness train Ben this winter too but never got around to ordering his harness. I still intend to do so, though, as he's a powerfully strong~and very bored~dog. I'd like to train him to a cart, sled, pulling in general so that he could work alongside me out in the yard and woods. He loves being with me but rarely gets to participate in what I'm doing, so I think he'd live a more fulfilled life if he had additional work to do and we do it as partners.

 

[thistlebloom]

The terrain doesn't have to be flat by any means, but if you're powering it without a dog it's a lot more work. I end up walking and pushing uphill, but the glide down the other side is very worth it!

They are Scandinavian inventions, and used by people in town to drop a kid off at school or make a trip to the market. They call them Sparks.
I haven't seen any others around here other than my husbands and mine, but they are apparently getting more popular in North America.

I was going to harness train Ben this winter too but never got around to ordering his harness. I still intend to do so, though, as he's a powerfully strong~and very bored~dog. I'd like to train him to a cart, sled, pulling in general

I think dogs are happiest when they have a job to do. Even if it's not a real job, haha.
Like my tiny cattle dog Wren. She is the CEO of keeping the squirrels out of the bird feeders, and to bring back balls that I lob into the woods. She gets praised for it so it makes her happy.

 

[Collector]

Happy late birthday wishes to you thistle. Sorry I am late.

 

[canesisters]

little bit late, but

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks Cane and Collector!
Late is fine, I'll be celebrating for a while yet
.
Dh wished me happy day after the day after your birthday this morning, haha.

 

[Beekissed]

Late is fine, I'll be celebrating for a while yet

Does that mean you'll be celebrating this same age for awhile...like...for years?

 

[ducks4you]

Happy Birthday!!