Something very auspicious happened this week that got lost in the hustle and bustle of adapting to a new routine with a new puppy. Maisy has been using her leg normally for several weeks and was cleared for mushing at the end of December. So I finally got tired of waiting for the weather to cooperate, accepted that I may not get on my skis at all this year, and loaded the scooter and my MPs into the car to go out for a run.

So there we are, the first time all three of us have been together since September. Just like that, no trumpets blaring or hearty applause; just the three of us working and playing together like old times. It seems like so long ago we were last out together, and at the same time it seems like time went really fast. Maisy was so happy to be there, her usual driven to run self, and I was super happy with how she was using the leg. My secret fear was that she would do great while she was running, but then come up lame later that day or the next day; I’m happy to report, though, that the only after effect was that she was really tired from being out of condition (despite going for a really short and slow run).

We took the next day off, then went out yesterday again. There were deer EVERYWHERE, and along with a patch of ice they generously provided us with our first blooper of 2015 (although I’d like to point out that I managed to bail off the scooter without falling and so now I feel invincible).

Here’s a better representation of our run yesterday, and some successful ON BYs. This trail is not pavement, it’s a woodland/dirt trail with a tiny bit of snow cover. The conditions aren’t ideal for the scooter but it is plenty capable and it’s this or nothing right now – I know it looks like a lot of snow, but there really is at most an inch or two even in the deepest places. Not nearly enough to ski.

And on the Toast front, I’ve started introducing him to the scooter. Obviously he’s comfortable with it, which is nice. After he’s come to see it as a normal feature of the backyard, the next step will be to walk it around back there a bit while he’s outside.

The big dogs are definitely out of condition despite my efforts to keep them walking and hiking. I just can’t replicate the work involved in actually pulling. Over the next several days we are supposed to get a bit of a warm up, so hopefully the trails will clear off a bit more so I don’t have to worry about too much ice and snow. I have a feeling we won’t get much skijoring this winter at all, but that’s ok. Slowly working up our conditioning on the scooter won’t be the worst thing in the world for Maisy.