Whipper

I took my first whipper today.

There were two inches of fresh, slippery snow on the ground and the temperature was 32 degrees, but the wind was whipping around Sugarloaf which made it feel colder. Tony and I thought we'd give our new ice tools a run by dry tooling up a sport route. The route is easy enough in the summer, but winter conditions make it much tougher. We yo-yoed up and down, making it a little further each time. I had a run at the top section and made it past the last bolt when my tools lost their purchase. I fell about 15 feet and got caught with my head level to my waist, which bent me backwards a bit. "Falling," I whimpered, then I grunted as I came to a stop unharmed. The sensation was different than going down a roller coaster; none of that stomach in your throught queasiness while I waited for the rope to catch. Surprisingly I held on to both of my leasheless ice tools. Cool.

Thanks for the belay, Tony!

Meet Hans, errr Remy, errr Manny, errr...

...Perry! Yeah, we settled on Perry. But around our house a given name is only a jumping off point for all of the nicknames that come later. The real names hardly get used at all.

Perry is our beautiful new Flatcoated Retriever friend. We adopted him on Sunday from Shannara Kennels in St. Michael. He came from a litter of 12, and at age 15 weeks there were 2 or 3 puppies left who had not been adopted yet. We drove up and met the breeders and the dogs, and got to watch them all tumble around in the back yard (the dogs, not the breeders). Our little guy had a purple collar and was know simply as Purple Boy until we finally setted on a name Wednesday.

His breath was not so puppy fresh when we brought him home, and we quickly discovered that he as a penchant for the fine art of coprophagia. He paid for this love of his homemade "sushi" on Wednesday when the stress of a new home caused parasytic coccidiae to sprout like fleas in his intestines. This gave him a super bad day of vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration and finally a trip to Companion Care Animal Clinic still under construction. The wonderful Dr. Ken Chaffin and his excellent staff were unfazed by our visit to their new facility, and gladly worked around construction crews and dust to give us a diagnosis. After a couple of doses of antibiotic, which Perry thankfully adores, he is healthy again for Turkey Day. But instead of turkey our little guy is eating rice sprinkled with fairy dust. He still needs his bland diet so his poo doesn't come out like Jello Pudding.

My Review of Seirus Hyperlite Stormsocks

Originally submitted at REI

These moisture-wicking, breathable, weatherproof socks are specifically designed for low-bulk warmth.

Seirus Hyperlite Stormsocks

Great for winter running

By sleepytom from Winona, MN on 11/14/2008

 

5out of 5

Gift: No

Pros: Durable, Regulates Temperature Well, Good Design, Comfortable

Best Uses: Running

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

These socks are great for layering over another pair of midweight socks for winter running. They are thin enough to still fit into your normal size running shoe and have lasted me several seasons without signs of wear. They help my feet stay warm even when the temperature dips below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and keep my feet dry enough when sloshing through sloppy puddles. It's like a pair of softshell trail shoes at a fraction of the cost.

(legalese)

Maru the cat

Pictures From Our Week