Maybe I'll stick around...
POSTED BY: Niki2
UPDATED: Saturday, March 16, 2013 22:45
VIEWED: 6565
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I've been on FFF several years now, almost exclusively in RWED..."Hot Country". I got sick of it recently and backed out, as it turns out for the same reason as a number of others who used to hang out there. Basically, it's become a Pirate News sinkhole, which only added to the consistent unpleasantness that pervades there where politics is concerned.
When my absence was noticed, I said my goodbyes and was amazed at how many of what I consider the "good voices" responded, both on the forum and privately, to say they'd dropped out just as I had and for much the same reason(s), I discovered many of those I so missed weren't really gone, just gone from RWED, and having them reach out to touch me made me realize how much I had missed them and how much I WOULD miss them forever from here on.
So I thought about it. I'm thinking maybe I'll stay on FFF, my love for Firefly itself will never die, and my enjoyment of "talking" to those I've come to admire and respect might have a chance of continuing, away from the political assininity of RWED. Plus, I picked up a videocam and am having fund filming my daily outtings with my two huskies and sulky. So, on the usual basis of "nobody has to read it if they don't want to", for now at least I'm going to make my home Talk Story, where, as it says, you can talk about anything you like.
And I am going to do my absolute damndest to keep ANYTHING political out of anything I write. My feelings on the matter were made abundantly clear in my last post over in RWED, so there's no need to go into why I will try to avoid politics here.
This morning we ran Starkweather. It's one of our many multi-use pathways here in Marin (California, just above the Golden Gate), and one of which is designated part of the "S.F. Bay Trail". Eventually all the sections are intended to connect to create one trail which rings the entire San Francisco Bay--I may not live long enough to see it, but it's a lovely idea and I already utilize several of the sections of it.
Starkweather runs along the Bay at the very edge of San Rafael, just above San Quentin and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. My "guys" find it boring, which isn't surprising given that some of the other trails we run often have local wildlife around to excite them (yesterday at dawn we caught a glimpse of one of the local coyote "packs"--coyotes don't realy "pack", but can hang together as a group). Places like that get the huskies' blood up and I get a real "run" out of them...places like Starkweather, it's just for exercise and they truck along like it was a long-distance trudge to Nome or something. I'd rather they ran, but as long as they get exercise, it's what I'm out for, and gives me the opportunity to film the run.
Our runs go from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on how fast they go, how often I let them stop and sniff, and where we run. Starkweather, at their usual pace, is about an hour, but I try to hit the highlights so my videos are rarely over ten minutes.
So I offer, for your enjoyment if you're interested, The John and Jean Starkweather portion of the San Francisco Bay Trail, in the morning fog:
These are my Sibes:
There is the male, Tashi:
who I just discovered to my shock is already FIVE (eep!), who came from a working kennel in Canada. The kennel hauls film and equipment out into the wilds for documentary crews, so their dogs are BIG and strong (but not necessarily too bright!).
And my little female is Kochyok:
The Spoiled Baby of the family at
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Puppies!
Since you do a lot of sulky training, you think you'll ever go up north and do any dog sledding?
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Yeah, stick around, but avoiding RWED is the smartest thing anyone could do. There are plenty of other things to discuss; Firefly, Serenity, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible, Firefly, Serenity, Other Science Fiction Series (and movies), Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., Firefly, Serenity, etc. 
wo men ren ran zai fei xing.
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I've never watched a video on here before, I'm surprised it worked, since I have bad luck with such things. Those dogs are so content, its great that they have a home with someone who is able to give them the attention and oppertunities they need. they're so happy pulling you along! They're cute too. the video is fun because I can sort of go with you without getting scared of the dogs, since they're just on a video and not actually near me. thanks for sharing.
I think that with the change to your situation it makes sense to avoid stressful things (RWED can be stressful) so you can feel your best. good luck with your paddling club too, that will be fun and its great excercise.
"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya
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Quote:
Originally posted by ecgordon:
Yeah, stick around, but avoiding RWED is the smartest thing anyone could do.
There is much wisdom in this post.
Beautiful pups!
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Glad I gave some smiles. Nah, Byte, actual "mushing" requires buying all the equipment (especially the sled!!!), driving hours into the mountains and staying overnight...all expensive. I kinda wish I could, it would be SUCH fun, and of course the guys would MUCH prefer the colder venue, but this is it for us, which is fine. About 50% or more of the people we meet on the trails ask if I'm training (usually "for the Iditerod?"), but I laugh and tell them no, we gots no snow so this is what we do.
The folks in BAM, one of the groups I run with, ARE real mushers and should all be up playing in the snow right now, but the snow has been so bad this yeaer they've had a lot of their races cancelled. I'm not into racing, either, and it's a whole different thing, training huskies to RACE as opposed to just training them to pull something (which they did almost without training). My physical condition would make that difficult if not impossible.
Gordon, I'm not much into yakking about movies/TV/etc., nor am I into fanfic at all, so those don't hold a lot of interest for me. I may venture into Castle, since it's the only one I keep up with, but I got hooked on another Firefly site originally, then that went bad and I ended up here. It was the first time in my life I'd gone to a fan website, and I quickly got grabbed by their version of RWED. I loved debate back in school, and love the English language, so it quickly hooked me. I've rarely ventured out of RWED since coming here, and most the other forums have no pull to me, unfortunately.
Glad you enjoyed it Riona. I actually wouldn't use the words "content" or "happy", hee, hee, hee. They'd MUCH rather run off leash than pull my fat ass around, and Kochyok especially HATES any kind of harness/collar, so she runs out back and stays there until I'm ready to go, then races in to be taken to the car--essentially giving up, knowing she either goes and wears the harness or gets left behind! Problem is, with huskies, unless you're a VERY dedicated trainer (and lucky to boot), they won't stay with you...they go off and do their own thing, which is why so many people lose huskies. Ours are pretty bonded so always come back, but we have to wait for them to do it on THEIR schedule, and be sure we're nowhere near "civilization". Longest I've had to wait was an hour and a half, but that was enough to kill it for my husband and I, so now, aside from occasionally at the beach and only ONE place we'll run them with the bikes ('cuz usually with the bikes they keep up, unless they see a deer, which happens rarely enough that we're willing to wait), it's the sulky.
People who love and own huskies work hard to DISCOURAGE people from getting them as pets. They are a major challenge, unless you're Cesar Millan (!), and 99% of the people who get them for pets aren't willing to take responsibility. They are BRED to run, so need to, and yes, once on the sulky they'll go all day (at THEIR pace, which we are currently "discussing"), so in that respect they do love it and are happy to just keep trotting along, but given their d'ruthers, they'd be off doing their own thing.
I knew what I was getting into because my oldest friend in the world (like since junior high and whose birthday is three days before mine, and whose life and mine have had freaky parallels) has always had them--I've mentioned her before, she was a state park ranger up in the Sierras. My last dog was husky/shephard, so I kinda "eased my way" into Sibes, but even then they managed to surprise me, and I turned out not to be as consistent or good a trainer as I'd always thought...sigh. They've trained me as much as I've trained them, but Jim and I are content, and if one is willing to make the commitment, huskies are like no other breed, have many wolf aspects
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Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Tho' sometimes not QUITE so "adorable":
But Mooooom... We like the mud LOL!
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Since we're going down this road: here's my guy. I've got two cats, but one likes to be left alone most of the time. This one just loves to cuddle, maybe because he was a starving orphan kitten.
His little fangs always hang out, like a vampire bat!
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Awww, what a CUTIE! I had a black cat once, sometimes he could get downright SEDUCTIVE--and only with me! I kid you not...it was almost embarrassing (and no, I don't mean humping or anything overtly sexual, but right on the border...).
Cats are COOL. I miss having them...just one would be lovely, not the mob we rescued before, just one. But my moto has always been "Cats are a luxury; a dog is a NECESSITY!" and huskies and cats...well, they CAN get along, but the cat has to be dominant from the start.
What's his name, your little vampire lover?
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That's Cosmo. I wouldn't call him seductive as much as needing reassurance. It's totally an orphan thing. At least once a day he wants to be all wrapped up, in a hug and if possible a blanket, and he does the Face Press: he presses some part of his face against my cheek and purrs and purrs and purrrrrrs.
Which is exactly what he did the first day I rescued him, the moment he figured out that I was his new mom. It's like he needs a daily reminder that he has a safe warm spot with a safe warm human. It's quite sweet and endearing, actually.
About dogs, I really enjoy other people's dogs, and visit friends with downright awesome dogs I totally love. But in my home, it's 100% cats. They're cleaner than dogs and don't need as much attention. Certainly, all that walking and poop-picking up - ew! Not for me! But mostly, they don't cuddle the same as cats do. I love cuddling with kitties! It's the best way to nap.
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