He was the pick of the litter. A strong, beautiful pup, Denali had all the features of a fine, pedigreed Labrador retriever. Better even than his physical qualities, was his personality – intelligent, loyal, and affectionate.  He was a surprise … Read the rest

“I followed a crazy man on a horse ride up Hatcher Pass.”

That’s how Susan Dent described our recent ride up the Carle Wagon Road. The purported crazy man was Dick Stoffel, a long-time horseman and backcountry traveler, whose hearty … Read the rest

Long before I had a horse of my own, I looked forward to the Parade of Stallions each year on Mother’s Day. I have pictures of my sons smiling in the backdrop of Pioneer Peak holding their little plastic lunch … Read the rest

I asked my 3-  and 5-year-old grandsons, Elias and River, recently what they most like about Christmas. They both chimed in “Presents!”

Fair enough. The first thoughts of two little boys waking up on Christmas morning – hearts thumping with … Read the rest

I owe Thelma an apology. As camp cook, sometimes-vet, and general hand at Jim & Lori Kedrowski’s camp in the Brooks Range, I learned that mules are different from horses. While that might be stating the obvious, it was also … Read the rest