Happy Dogmanay!

New Years Day provided numerous options for entertainment. We missed the Loony Dook at noon, where a bunch of crazy people (many in costume) jumped into the Firth of Forth along the Leith waterfront. On our way to Edinburgh's Dogmanay, which featured sled dog races at Holyrood Park, we passed the triathlon in progress and the aftermath of the one o'clock run that began at the Edinburgh Castle and proceeded down the Royal Mile (downhill all the way!) to Holyrood Park.

Each dog in each race was introduced, followed by the mushers, before the announcer launched the race with "Hike on! Hike-ike-ike-ike-ike-ike-ike on!" Sometimes the teams came racing around the corner together in a close race. Sometimes the dogs were more interested in the crowd, or the grass, or the sky, or each other than they were interested in running. The larger teams tended to go faster, because one daydreaming dog is less of an impediment there than in a two-dog team. Huskies tend to have about the same attention span and love of running as my sweet little Irish Setter. Whether or not they choose to run with a heavy cart and person behind them is another matter. In sled dog racing, there are no whips or bullies. If the dog runs, great. Mushers can encourage their dogs, but if the dog prefers to do something else, that's how it is.