Summer Time and the living is easy.

Hey All,

The summer is in full bloom here in Eastern Norway. The weather has been warm and have used the time to get good tans and fish a lot of fish. The lake we live on has Pike and Perch in it, so we have had all of the whitefish we can eat since I started fishing in early June. In the last week I have pulled in two 3-4 pound Pike that were both over two feet long, (Herlig fiske!). Kaia, in her first three minutes fishing with me, caught a two pound perch. So the fishing is good.
The dogs are loving the fish also. They are doing very well. The little puppies are not so little anymore. Still very sweet, but full of energy and getting into trouble. If you are a shoe lace, the puppy kennel is not the place for you. Fenris and Freya have been hiking with us this summer, Fenris is proving to be much more adept at hiking with a doggy backpack than he has been as a sled dog.
Our doggy family has grown a bit again. Two dogs from this kennel have been given to us. Grim and Epo both ran with me last year in my distance team, and rather than see them leave the kennel, I asked to have them. They are very good boys and have established themselves in our team. Epo is named after the doping drug, and Grim means "ugly" in Norwegian. (We didn't name them).
My Norwegian is beginning to be pretty good. I can not yet talk of advances in medicine or rocket science, but I can have basic conversations and talk about dogsledding with no problems!
I will be back in the states on the 1st of August. Kaia is staying here to start her new job. I'm working again for Outward Bound for a few weeks when I come back, but I will make time to see everyone!
Cheers og Ha Det Bra fra Norge.
Barry

Summer is here finally. We have had some days in the high 80's and the dogs can go hours without moving a muscle. The sun us rising at 3:45 AM and setting at 10:42 PM these days. The new puppies are doing great. they have started to eat puppy kibble soaked in water, and have taken to toddling around their pens. We had a big work weekend at the kennel, and got some dog houses built and the new gate that Kaia and I built hung up, so things are starting to come together! Arne and Asbjorn are getting serious about preparing the kennel for competition in the 2011 world championship in open class sprint. The WC is taking place in Hamar which is where this kennel does most of its racing, so they seem confidant that the new puppies and possibly one more litter will set them up with two competitive teams.
Kaia and I are busy planting trees and amusing puppies. We took this past weekend off and went to Kaia's family's cabin to spend the weekend with Ingema, Bob, and Marie. Great fun was had by all, and George got some practice being a cabin dog.

We will be coming back to the States in the beginning of July. We will be there for a few weeks, so those of you back home can expect us to pop up!
Starting in early August, Kaia will start work at the Kindergarten and I will keep planting trees and begin the training training season with the dogs. We will start again in the mornings on the Four Wheeler. Kaia and I have big plans for doing a lot of fun stuff, with the dogs this year so hopefully it will snow early. Until then we are going to enjoy the sun and soak up as much vitamin D as we can before the sun sets for the winter.
Also! as soon as he is done sailing across the Atlantic our friend Mike will be coming to stay with us for a while. He has been a tropical guy for some years, so now he wants some quality winter time, and there is no place like Norway for finding quality winters.
Updates as events warrent.
Happy Summer,
Barry, Kaia, and the dogs.

puppies

We are happy to announce the arrival of 16 new puppies at Lillehammer Husky Farm. All puppies are doing great, and both Moms are healthy and settled into puppy life. The first litter was born on the 1st of May with 9 puppies. Barry won the how-big-the-litter-is raffle and earned breakfast in bed. The second litter was born on the 4th of May and Kaia won dinner and dessert for guessing 7 as the number for that litter. The ice on Sørmesna lake is gone, and the yard is finally completely snow and ice free. The dogs are fat and out of shape, but enjoying their much deserved time off.
Barry started work planting trees and has found it to be as boring as he feared. He has stolen Kaia´s I-pod and plans to use that to break the monotony.
Kaia will start working at the kindergarten next week. She will only work a few days between now and when she starts her full time position there in August.
The dogs are doing very well. Sub-chief has completely healed from his run-in with a Malamute. Fenris has completely healed from his run-in with his food bowl, and Orions wounded pride has healed following an unfortunate falling asleep and then falling off his dog house roof incident.
Updates as events warrent.
So long and thanks for all the fish.