Is the Cabin Haunted?

When Sheri and I moved to Island Park four years ago, we brought our malamute, Aspen along for the adventure. She quickly took to mountain life, making friends of our neighbors. Last year she made a new friend and presented us with two puppies, Boots and Socks. That is how we became a three dog family. The black and white lab/malamute-cross puppies have enough energy to provide power for the entire caldera if only it could be harnessed.

Not inclined to stay home, we keep them in the cabin until late evening when they are allowed to run. When I leave the cabin, Aspen usually lays in the driveway until I return. Over the past few weeks Boots and Socks have escaped from the cabin several times while I have been away. Sheri suggested that I was negligent for not completely shutting the door and tasked me with retrieving the dogs. What was really disconcerting was that each time the door was standing wide open. Had the puppies pawed at the ajar door and opened it wide before making their dash to freedom? I began wondering if the cabin had become haunted by a door-opening ghost or was age finally taking its toll on me.

The other day I cleared the snow out of the dog run so Boots and Socks could enjoy the sunny weather. I left Aspen outside to lie in the sun and returned inside to work on the computer. After about an hour I felt a cold breeze blow through the cabin. Walking into the TV room, the door was standing wide open and Aspen was lying comfortably on the floor.

This summer I changed the front door handle from a knob to a lever. Aspen learned how to open the door and let herself in. She is a smart dog that knows what she wants and I appreciate her initiative. I wonder if I can teach her to close the door behind her.

Yellowstone Country Hunting * Leg Bones *

My dogs keep returning home from the forest with deer legs. I trust that they have found a kill site and that there aren’t a few deer hopping around on three legs!

Yellowstone Country Safety * Happy Dogs *

My dogs are happy again! I can let them out of their run before 10:00 pm. Solitude has its advantages.

Dog Dependent

When I was a teen, I spent my summers helping my grandfather irrigate his hay fields in Lehi, Utah. Grandpa’s constant companion was a collie named Kit. Whether we were changing head gates at 3:00 am or bucking hay in the heat of the afternoon, Kit was always there. She was both company and security.

As Sheri and I were preparing to move to Island Park, we purchased a six-week-old Malamute puppy. Aspen has become an integral part of our family. She is our bear alert when we go on hikes or pick huckleberries. She is the official greeter when neighbors arrive to open their summer cabins. Her company helps us feel a little less isolated during the months when mountain life is quiet.

This past week events confirmed that my feelings were shared by other caldera residents. First, Connie Funkhauser’s German shepherd Max came up missing. Connie’s dogs are her constant companions. I know of at least one instance when Max protected her from a grizzly that was encountered while Connie was running on a local trail. When Sheri and I visited with Connie at the cook-off that she hosted, Max had come home but the intensity in her voice conveyed the fear she had experienced at the thought of losing him.

The second event occurred when our good friends Sam and Reed Nielson lost their dog Josie to illness. Reed came by to pick up a radial saw that I had borrowed. He explained with a tear in his eye, that he wanted to construct a casket for their dog before burying her in the mountain soil. When I spoke to Samantha, her voice broke in sadness as she related the loss of her companion. We are sorry for your loss.

Emotionally investing one’s self in dogs or pets of any variety, brings with it joy but also the potential of heartache. Living in Yellowstone Country has brought me to the point of bonding with our animals and understanding those who have done the same.