"coppertone tan"

Speaking of tan lines....this one was bad!! Seriously, it's just about the most painful memory I have! Honestly, these were like 3rd (or 10th!) degree burns, I swear. Not my face (believe it or not, that color was normal for the summer), just my legs. I couldn't bend my legs because the backs of my knees were so swollen. It took four days to be comfortable and even now nine months later, I STILL HAVE A TAN LINE FROM IT. Yes, a faint tan line remains from a burn that happened in just a few hours. Bad choice in wardrobe by me.

Dotty

Dotty, Jet and I skijoring on my last night of the summer!


On my kennel blog, I've been trying to write a post about everyone. For memories sake, I might start that here.
Have you heard about Dotty?
I would buy her in a heartbeat. This little dog slept not only in my tent, but in my sleeping bag with me. She is the best. I miss her terribly. She's Jeff's 4 year old main (ish) leader, but I hoped all summer long that she was old and retired because I so badly wanted her for my own. I told Jeff that if she ever becomes available through any circumstance, like losing a leg, being swept away in a flood, anything at all, I'd take her without a second thought.

(Out of MontanaXMaybe.Littermate to Denali, Kona, Wolfy)

Tramp Tans

With Iditarod and all, I've been thinking about Alaska so much lately! I'm not going back this summer, but I'll try for next year. Had I been able to miss some school during fall semester, my job would have been waiting....but I decided to be an absolute (Vodka!) loser and not miss any class. Sooooooooo this summer I'll be home (well, in my home state at least), falling back on the watery crutch of those lifeguarding skills I learned at 15. I'll be at a boy scout summer camp demanding buddy checks instead of on the orientation box explaining what the dogs wear on their feet.




I'm sad about not going North this summer, but I've got some dog events planned to keep me occupied, and plus, my tan lines will be a little better this way.
Awkward tan lines are the story of a Heli-Musher's life. We compare them like gang members discussing scars from a knife fight. The sun finds ALL skin. No skin is safe. Thus, the tramp tan was born. (NOTE:these pics don't actually show a tramp tan)



I always get some pretty awesome strap lines during the summers I twirl my whistle and denounce Marco-Polo, but nothing can compare to the sliver of brown us girls all had in common in the great white north. The perfectly tan strip on our lower backs came from our trusty t-shirts shimmying up our backs when we bent over. No, it's not what you think. Bending for a few seconds multiple times per day really added up! Again, mind out of the gutter. While harnessing, unharnessing, booty-ing, un booty-ing, checking feet, cleaning up equipment and the like, that little, whorish landing strip was bathed in sunlight.




The absolute best time to see a fresh tramp tan was down in Juneau....they stick out so much better with the green backdrop.
Anyway, though this summer I plan to became an irresistible shade of bronze, it just wont quite be the same without the tan sliver adorning my lower back. I miss my tramp tan and my tramp tan misses me! The story about the "tan" lines (more like SCORCH lines) behind my knees is for a different day.

Even though these pics don't show any true Tramp Tans, I chose them because they do represent the weather on the majority of the days. Yes! T-shirts and shorts. Yes! One night we played in the lake and acted like it was a beach party. Yes! It was WARM. And, yes! I always wear the same shirt. Every day. (hahahaha these were all taken the same afternoon)