By Sean Fagan
Huskies often have striking blue eyes (Photo: Sean Fagan).
.
Encounters of the Canine Kind...
.
"Recent archaeological evidence suggests humans in Arctic regions have had working relationships with dogs for at least 4,000 years. Clearly, human habitation in the vast north may not have been possible without canine assistance" (1).
.
When I lived outdoors in north Maine for a spell I visited a guy who kept a dog sled team in a remote location.
These dogs were mostly a hardy mix of Siberian and Alaskan huskies...
They were a wild, energetic bunch, and rivalry between dogs was not uncommon - often resulting in aggressive but brief skirmishes.
They had phenomenal endurance and grit and revelled in the hard graft of pulling a sled - mile after mile, hour after hour.
Each time the owner went to feed them they would all bark and howl, uninhibited and loud - filling the surrounding forest wilderness with their haunting but joyous wolf-like calls.
Their howling seemed like a deep-felt expression of gratitude and excitement for the food they were about to receive, and happiness - in simply being alive.
Amazing experience.
And that is one of the great things about living outdoors, doing bushcraft…it enables the individual to tap into a way of being that is simple, vivid and dynamic.
There is a reassuring solidity in living close to nature - that simultaneously expands and calms the spirit...
.
"You lose consciousness of your own separate existence: you blend with the landscape, and become part and parcel of nature".
John Muir
.
Reference:
.
Below, a short video about why some people compete in dog-sled races..."Huskies are mischievous, they are trouble-makers - they are high energy, they are smart - I've met some and they are like people in dog's clothes..."
Recent Comments