Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in accepting the reality of a postponed sleigh ride—not enough snow–that he and Phyllis were scheduled to enjoy, by comparing it to the experience of Alaskan Bridgett Watkins who was attacked by a moose that then stomped the dog sled team she was training for the upcoming Iditarod.
Once many years ago the keeper had an opportunity to experience Alaska dog sledding with Iditarod dogs that pulled him off his feet and then dragged him head-first though deep powder snow for several hundred yards until he was finally able to pull himself upright and get on the sled runners. Though no moose was involved, it was a breathtaking experience, and in keeping with his efforts to ameliorate Phyllis’s disappointment at not getting a sleigh ride, the keeper will regale her yet once again with what it feels like to be dragged head- first through deep snow by eager dogs headed for Nome.
Bridgett’s four injured dogs recovered and are back in training for the upcoming Iditarod; the keeper and Phyllis are using recliners to train for their sleigh ride.
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
