Romano

See you up the trail, Romano…

Yesterday, after sixteen-some adventure-filled years together, it broke our hearts to say goodbye to our beloved Romano.

Romano was a good man! He didn’t have a sneaky bone in his body (which, for an Alaskan husky, is really saying something). He was a saint among dogs. He touched the lives of so many. I like to imagine him in Heaven, hanging with all of the humans who adored him—Dwight, Brenda, Mom, Dad—as well as the long string of dogs leading him to the Heavenly smells and sights—Lolo, Borage, and his brother, Stinky, along with the rest of the Cheese Family… and the many other dogs from both the Gilliland’s pack and my own… the list goes on and on.

Thank you, Romano, for being you. 

We’ll miss you… 

Mush, Romano! Mush!

 

 

Louis Tenney Photo
Louis Tenney Photo

Sled Dogs on the Prairie

… PRAIRIE CENTRAL ELEMENTARY, THAT IS!

We enjoyed our return visit to Fairbury, Illinois. A big thanks to Lisa Lange for arranging our visit (and YES, you should apply to be the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail!).

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Thank you to the artists: Brianna, Brenna, Lainie, Sklar, and Mia. We ADORED the sign you made for us!

Romano Goes to Chennai…

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Virtually, that is! Thank you to everyone at the American International School in Chennai, India! Romano and I really enjoyed visiting with the class. The 3rd grade students just finished reading the book, “The Stone Fox” by John Reynolds Gardiner, and sent 3 pages of great questions to us in advance. Because of the 9.5 hours time difference, I was worried Romano might sleep through his unusually late night gig but like always he was a true big screen star. He even stayed awake for the entire 45-minute chat (with the help of hot dog treats). Because of a thunderstorm moving through Indy at that exact time, Noggin was “not available” to join us — she spent the evening wearing a Thundershirt and hiding under the kitchen table! Thankfully, I have a dog for every occasion.

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Romano is Still Skyping…

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Romano might be pushing 15 years old but he’s still Skyping and loving it! This will be my 18th year presenting Iditarod talks at schools and public libraries across the country, and my third year giving presentations via Skype. Email Romano now at mymusher@yahoo.com to reserve a date on his busy schedule…

Oh, the Places We’ll Go!

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…yesterday, it was the Warsaw Community Public Library, and today we visited with the awesome 5th grade classes at Bunker Hill Elementary (pictured above) and Adams Elementary. Next stop… Hope Public Library, March 16th at 6:30 pm.

Cavedog Art

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Yesterday before our Iditarod talk at the Pendleton Community Library in Pendleton, Indiana, we discovered this cavedog graffiti on the concrete trestle under the CSX railway. I’m opposed to all types of graffiti and destruction of property, yet these simple figures caught my attention, prompting me to pause and admire, and even smile. I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that four dogs — Jigs, Chloe, Romano, and Noggin — were leading us down the gorgeous paths of the Falls Park Trails. Or maybe it was the simplicity of the modern-day pictograph — woman and her dog — and what it represents, what it feels like to be in such a relationship. To all of you who have shared a profound bond with an animal, I’m sure you “get it”… so I’ll just let the image speak for itself.

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Karen, Jigs, and Noggin

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Even though it was a perfect autumn day in Indiana and there were dozens of football games on the tube, we had an awesome turn-out at the Pendleton Library. I really enjoyed visiting with everyone. Our always-delightful-host, Kristen Case, let us take home a sheet of her famous Romano Stickers. 

The Other Side of Skype!

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Thank you, Nicole, for sending these great photos of our Iditarod Skype session last week. It’s so fun to see what it looks like from the classroom’s perspective on the other side of Skype. The students at the Boyle Road Elementary School in Port Jefferson Station, New York were well-prepared to visit with Alaskan Huskies, Noggin and Romano, and their musher (me); the entire class donned their favorite winter hats and mittens/gloves for the occasion. What fun!