There are a variety of posts in this photo essay, dog sled races, moose, rodeo, ML Park, 'tosh and 2 parades!  All things that our crew experienced in 2018.

Every year the local Dog Mushers put on Sled Dog Racing in either Loon Lake or Meadow Lake or both.  In 2018 the races were held on the lake at Loon Lake.  The Winning Ways & Meeds Meadows crews were there to lend a hand.  I mean that literally, hands-on, holding dogs, dropping flags and reading stop watches.  The most impressive aspect of a Dog Race is the start, IT’S VERY NOISY!!  Once away, the dogs run happily and quietly but there is absolute bedlam at the start. 

2018 was a year of more than usual moose sightings. I have documented a couple here but I believe that different helpers saw some more.  It started in February--we were going down the road toward the Two Bar C when we saw some something large and black moving in the ditch near the fence.  We thought one of George’s cows had escaped and we would have to chase her down the road to return her to the yard.  However, as we got closer, we realized that while it was a cow, it was not a bovine and we weren’t going to chase HER!  The large cow moose jumped over the fence into one of the paddocks and lumbered off through the snow.

Later, in the summer, we had just come out of the North Ranch when I spotted another cow moose standing just south of the gate.  She was very cooperative and hung around for about 5 minutes while I took some photos.  It was another time I was looking for a tele-photo lens!  Then we had another photo op in the fall, when all the hunters were out in full force looking for a bull moose.  THERE was a bull moose standing right along the Hildebrand Road as we drove by on the way to the North Ranch.  I’m sure if I’d been hunting, I would have had time to take a shot.  I know the volunteers with me had time to take several photos.  Unfortunately, I forgot to remind them to send me a picture.

There is a small village just outside the Provincial Park called Dorintosh.  One of the entrepreneurs in that community has a Hotel and Bar called the Parkland.  Every Thursday evening there is a Steak Nite, the Bar has TWO steak grills on which the clientele cook their own steaks to their satisfaction.  In the summer, Friday nights also become Steak Nite, since the place is overflowing.  The common expression in this area is to say “You wanna go to ‘tosh for steaks?”  That is what the Winning Ways crew did one August Thursday evening.