Merry Christmas from Husky Homestead!!

As I sit here munching grapes, recovering from an hour on the Elliptical trainer, my trusty side-kick Carrie tells me the world wants to hear from us. So if you read this and you want more ~ you must respond or the deal’s off.

Early season training run ~ pretty sure this is me…

Just got back from a weekend mushing my rookie run of the Sheep Mountain 150. Boy do Zack and Anjanette Steer know how to put on a dog race! Extremely well organized, great trail, awesome weather, full moon, shooting stars and hot babes table-dancing in the bar. What more could a musher want? Our second year star handler Dave DeCaro also ran a team of 2 year olds in their first ever race ~ and fun was had by all.

Many of our race dogs are featured in the November/December issue of Mushing Magazine. The article “The Super Dogs of Jeff King” begins on page 44 of the printed magazine. There are 18 dogs featured in the article by Greg Sellentin. It’s a great article that offers quite a bit of insight into some of the all-stars we have here at Husky Homestead.

More early season ~ a view from the Denali Highway.

It was also really fun to be involved in this year’s Discovery Channel Iditarod Special. I’ve heard lots about it, but believe it or not I haven’t even seen it. (But I hear the wrong guy wins in the end…hahaha) The Discovery folks have promised to send us a personal copy and I’m sure we’ll get to see it soon. Any readers who have seen it, please share opinions and observations so that we can share them with the Discovery folks in their pursuit of excellence.

We have quite a race schedule coming up! With the SM150 behind us ~ we’re looking forward to two teams in the Gin Gin (gingin200.com), then two teams in the Kusko (k300.org), followed by two teams in the T-200 (tustumena200.com). I’m tired just thinking about it. But it should be fun!

Our handler Dave DeCaro taking off with the team.

Any dog mushers out there looking for dogs, I think that we’ll have several trained up ready to rock-n-roll stars available for sale very soon. This year’s puppy crop was enormous and we have to make room. As I get ready to brag about my dogs for sale, you can’t tell me that I don’t sell the good ones, just ask Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore who have repeatedly passed and beat me in races with Cha Cha in the lead. (Damn, I really wished I hadn’t sold that one!)

Our handlers Jason & Dave spending some quality time with Salem.

This fall was quite a switch for Donna and me as we spent the month of November in sunny California. Our daughter Ellen is enrolled in Idyllwild Fine Arts Academy as a dance major, located at 5,000 feet in the mountains outside of Palm Springs. We travelled in a 1985 Toyota Motor Home which was an adventure all of its own. (I don’t see that happening again…) Ellen is doing great and we had the opportunity to visit with my mother and brother, as well as have Thanksgiving with my sister and her family.

Donna, myself and Tessa ~ getting ready for the big trip in the motor home!

Back here at the home-front we’re gearing up for our annual Solstice Party this coming Sunday 7pm – 11pm. Loose Gravel playing live and plenty of floor space for anybody who wants to not drive home until Monday morning (BYOB… that’s bring your own bag).

Catch up with you again soon ~ until then, Happy Trails!! Jeff