HALIBUT

4:04 pm

So much to catch you up on, and so little time at the moment. John and I are rushing around today trying to get going but with all this stuff to do and only 3 people working on it, it's not unusual for us to get a later start than planned.

"We working on it"

Updates to the website www.dogsleddenali.com
in the next month to come:
1. Adoptions, pictures and detailed info.
(dogs ready to go) and
2. Crazy Dog Kennels Non-profit status and Mission statement
3. Kennel Sponsors - personal listing


I hope one day soon after fishing this next week with John, I can find the time to take a few quiet moments to sit down and write...write about this summer and all the "couldn't -have -done- it -without -you" help we've had this year, the tours and some of our special guests, our dogs..what's new? Lots! and...the new dogs of Crazy Dog Kennels. The dogs adopted out, and updates for you from the dogs in Germany...and the moments that make us smile ear to ear about life with dogs here at Maclaren River.. ...we love to share and I promise to do more sharing soon.

Thank You to all our kennel friends and supporters, we've met some very kind folks this summer of 06 ...WE appreciate your kindness and generousity. The dogs say woof! woof!

We're getting the boat ready, last minute details, lines, tubs, and rain gear. We leave tonight for Valdez, and fish like mad for Halibut in the days to follow till we catch our quota...


Zoya & John

CABELASIDITAROD.COM

New article posted today on Cabela's Iditarod homepage. Meet my kennel partner, fellow musher, friend and wife; Zoya DeNure..
www.cabelasiditarod.com


John

Crazy About Dawgs at Crazy Dog Kennel

"Mine, Mine, Mine."

Shannon and PJ.

Marlin, Zoya and Kayak.

Cover Girl

Zoya & her 2005 race team on the cover of Mushing Magazine 2005...
Wilbur & Chuckie in lead position..Pitch and Henry in swing, Trapper, Landslide, JayJ, Cookie, Tokyo, Zither, in team and Probe in single wheel... Sebe in the basket...taking a little break. Go to Mushing.com for your copy of this magazine today...there's a great article inside on my husband, John Schandelmeier and our rescue team running in France. Enjoy!

take a hike

Ethan--taking a hike in the mountains... denali hwy

love story

We're getting closer, and then my honey comes home in just a few more days...yeah! We all miss you my love but I believe it is me,

who misses you the most.

"I walk the Line" (johnny cash)

Today was a rainy - stormy day with rolling thunder through the valley. The kind of day you put your rain gear on and head down the trail with your dog team... the kind of day you drink more than your usual share of hot chocolate or favorite blend of java....the kind of day you spend with friends just catching up cause..the kind of day where you curl

up under the covers with your favorite book.....

Our day, everyday starts at 7:30 am with chores.

We are open for business at 8am, rain or shine.

" Catch" (the cure)

man....we have been so busy here these past 3 weeks..between the buses and private tours booked and dog cart rides....and our friends next door (Maclaren Lodge) has been Huge busy! They're always booked and we're all doing our best to keep up and catch up....just the other day I had to put on my best waitress wear on and pitch in on high tide...it's a joy to help our friends when they are in need--we all help one another with our businesses and there's a true sense of community here... Very very exciting to see the great changes over the past 3 seasons, and help develop this area into an exciting destination for our guests....we're growing and it's wonderful to be so busy...

NO DOUBT.....this is the hottest destination in the coming!

waiting for rain by enya

I took some time at our house today in Paxson -after a nice long run with the dogs...today was a good day for me to catch up on house cleaning and phone calls. It's a rare opportunity for me to get away for more than a few hours at a time...but today i did it and when I have full time help here..like right now, I can "let go" of business things, dog things, and all kennel related things.. for awhile at least and work on other things that need my attention. Only a few days until John comes home ...so I wanted to get everything real nice. I cleaned the house from top to bottom, cut and arranged fresh cut flowers for the table, wrapped some small 'welcome home" items..and then went up and down my phone call list and made a rainy day a whole lot of fun in the house. We are hardly at the house, and when we are, we like to relax and enjoy some quiet time. Our summer place is 53 miles from the house.

Italian Love songs..Compilation cd.

John had phoned me right as i was walking through the door around 4ish.....we talked like two kids for about an hour, laughed like we were 12...catching each other up on the day to day stuff. The stuff we love and want to remember to tell. It's been like 4 days since we talked--he's been on the boat fishing straight. He'll be home Monday and we have already a busy 2 weeks planned together! Dog stuff, and fishing together stuff in Valdez. very exciting. Almost 3 years together now..you would think some of this crazy -in -love-with-each-other- stuff would start to wear out? Nuts, is what we are:) I've never known such love and friendship in another..our love story is beautiful and one day, I will write all about it. It's the kind of story that is more like the movies... the "go -ahead and- pinch -yourself" kind of love-- I feel lucky. I hope you have a love like that, everyone deserves to be loved, unconditionally-- LOVE----the greatest gift of all.

zoya denure

"Jackson" (johnny cash)

IN LOVE.

Nosing around...

Canoe Crazy Dog Kennel, Maclaren River Alaska...

Why are we always smiling??

Shannon and Kayak

Crazy Dog Kennel,
Maclaren River, Alaska

Just dance

can't sleep? DANCE!

it must have close to 3 before i fell asleep. I switched gears over for 35 minutes and turned up the tunes and just danced.

Can't sleep..

restless..it's 11:34pm and sleep is far from me tonight, i can't slow my mind as I try.....but i try. My IPOD and me, sitting near the river tonight counting the ways i strive to be better, and counting the days till my baby is back home again. I've got races on my mind, training on my mind, our Maclaren winter on my head, and I've got some incredible opportunities come up recently that have taken over my thoughts tonight--and planning, so much to think and plan for..how can I relax and go to sleep when I am all revved up? I biked this morning about 5 miles, and tonight I went for a quick run 3 miles. ..it was too hot to run dogs today so we got the pups out and played with them, and the girls all walked 4 dogs on leashes and I worked on getting caught up on cabin cleaning, books and emails. I miss John and tonight, while the sunset reaches it's peak over the range- i snap a shot in my mind of these incredible colors and shadows, dancing above the horizon..I love with so much depth, this nature and all it's raw- beauty, and a picture can't really capture the moment, but I try...with my little Fuji film digital anyway. James Taylor pulls in for a visit and we sing " Country Roads" and then "fire and rain" ...some of these songs take me back to Madison, Wisconsin..the open fields, dairy farms and long bike rides home. Johnny Cash, "Walk the line" and " Get rhythm"..take me back to way back when..I was 23..and before that when I was 20...the Violent Femmes sing "Blister in the Sun..going back again with The Cure..and "Catch" and " Just like heaven"...Some music is timeless in our books of life and memories. Amazing how each chapter is different with change and progression. Jogging it all down for me, with strong and bold sunsets over the Maclaren. It's good to be alive.

zoya denure

Play time!

What do we do when we're not working hard with dogs?


......girls walking dogs........(Scottie, Spanky, Watsun and Arnica)

We go out & play!




Zoya, Heidi, Danielle, Shannon and Chelsie and bird John...riding the West Fork Trail.

Crazy about dogs......viva la puppies.

--Great pictures Zoya; I get to see some awfully cute pups! Diesel looks just like his great, great uncle Amos. It was like going back in time to see him. Zoya and I got to talk on a private cell phone for an hour today---boy are we getting spoiled! E-mails get tiresome. Thank you Zoya for doing all of the great work you are doing at home while I am away fishing. Crazy Dog Kennel would be nothing without your tireless devotion. It will be great to once again be home so we can work together; side by side, toward our dreams.

Zoya ran the Demon today. He can be tough on other dogs, which is why we have him to fix. She chose to run him by Penny, another rescue who can be a little evil in her own right.......Demon eyed Penny, Penny looked back with her muti-colored eyes and their gleam; Zoya said Demon just sat right down and looked away. Said he was just a sweet little whoosee when he got home. I'm sure with a little time she will have him as calm as can be.

We are off tonight at midnight for the Alagnak R. and our first opening in 5 tides. Hopefully it will be a good one. Fishing is picking up here and we will be fishing the next 3 tides for certain, albeit all over the Bay. The Kvichak R. is looking good and I am excited to finally being able to get a chance to wet a net with some continuity. Also, it is easy to get excited about coming home soon also. That's it----may the wind be steady on your stern, with the moon to light your way. John


Zoya and one of her sweeties

36 days old..

Kayak (below) and Diesel (right)

It's Canoe

July 6---Bristol Bay

The Bristol Bay Fishery takes a new twist today, at least in the Naknek/Kvichak District. Setnets finally got an opening last night. Not a great one, but something. Fish have begun to show in the Alagnak R.--an offshoot of the Kvichak. Also a good bump of sockeye into the Kvichak itself. Good for all fishermen here. Good for the setnet fleet in particular. We will be opening up in the Alagnak as early as the 8th. while this is a bit late for us, the run timing is a bit off so there will be some fish at least. As fisherman, we don't worry so much about the numbers of fish---we know that is beyond our control, we just want the opportunity to try..... we catch what we catch.
Zoya is busy at home with dogstuff and soon I will be there to help out with the million and one things that there are always to do. It will be absolutely wonderful to again be home with my wife.
I sure got a bunch of teasing over that goofy picture she posted on the 4th...... fisherman don't cut much slack with things like that....
Where-ever this finds you---may it always be slack tide and there be fish in your net. John

ENJOY BEING!

Enjoy your love, your family, your friends, your cats and dogs, good food, and each day's new adventure!

Happy 4th of July from all of us here at Crazy Dog Kennels, Maclaren River Valley~ Alaska.


Puppies are getting spoiled.. friends and puppies....

July 3rd in the Bay.

wow. I read Zoya's post from yesterday; it was great to talk on the cell phone for awhile. Usually we get to talk on the radio phone, and while it is so nice to hear her voice instead of just the daily e-mail, the lack of privacy is at times frustrating. Sounds like the kennel is busy. I wish it were so here. The Naknek/Kvichak district where I fish has only 3----count 'em; three, 6 hour setnet openings. Couple that with only average fish numbers and you don't get much for catch. Hopefully the run will materialize, but it is now late, and having fished all of my life, I am aware that people start saying the run is late, that 9 times out of 9 it does not exist....... The 10th is my cut-off date here; If we are not out in the district by then, I will be homeward bound and see if /or what I can manage around home.
I miss my wife; she is a big part of my life and I have come to depend on our daily interaction and communicati0n. I miss the dogs; they always brighten my day with their never changing bouyant spirit.
Maudy is with me in the Bay---she keeps me sane with her always amusing activity. She is one busy little dog. Maudy is the smartest dog that I have ever dealt with; I figured that may make her tough to train, but no, she has become tuned to me pretty well and learns very, very quickly. Her sit, stay and laydown commands came in a couple of days With voice, hand and whistle signals. she has also learned a variety of necessary boat commands; "to the front", "to the back", "jump." "get in the boat." "get out--quick, quick" (these for coming on and off the beach)
Her one 'stupid dog trick' is to respond to the command--"dead dogs lie in the road." She responds instantaneously to that; laying on her side quietly on the edge of the drive to the cannery. Completely useless, that.

All for now; Zoya; I love you, I miss you. I will be home soon. John

Missing each other...

today, i am missing my husband very much...walking, talking, playing, working, canoeing, training, and just whatever we're doing...it's always a pleasure. i just miss the day to day stuff. I love that first cup of coffee togehter in the morning. i enjoy so much discussing our work together.

I am so grateful for the love, friendship and openess we share-- this is what love is all about. It's not always easy but we work together and keep the air waves clear...communication waves open...Today we had the opportunity to talk for an hour on the cell phone....whahoooey! Milepost 32 on the Denali Hwy --- you can get almost perfect cell phone reception. We're like two kids..crazy in love... after almost 2 and a half years. He's got me writing new poems, about love. Mush, I tell you, mush! and not "mush" ..as in dogs, mush as in "mooshy stuff"..the kind of stuff that is for ktty's and puppies.

John is looking forward to catching some fish tonight (oh, and me too) --we're all here hoping he gets a good load tonight. They have an opening this evening from 8 to 3am. I hope lots of fish jump right into his boat....it hasn't been a productive season thus far in terms of fish in the Bay & I know John and he isn't good about sitting still for long. On the other hand, we are taking the time now to create exciting summer and winter excursions for our summer and winter guests ..working closely with our friends of Maclaren River Lodge.

It has been fun working with our friends Al and Susie, on these new tour packages and seeing these ideas develop into realities...John has been making phone calls, I've been working with Sus on advertising correspondence and things are coming together.... dreams do come true...keep climbing, keep running..

Zoya denure-Schandelmeier

Email Scams

John and I have been getting "idiot humor" emails sent to us from??? The hacker that got into our email account can find another day job soon..as we change our email info. over completely..stay tuned for new email info. as we slowly get the new info. together. if you have emailed one of us and we haven't replied, please resend to the correct email address... zdenure@yahoo.com....
AND when you receive an email from "Zoya" please make sure to check the address. JUST recently Someone thinks it funny to pose as "Zoya" from this address: zoyadenure@yahoo.com--
and this is not Zoya and not my address. Please double check that. THANK YOU!

Zoya DeNure & John Schandelmeier