Lisa, Here's the Sled Dog I Met...

Lisa's most recent post in her blog was about the sled dogs in Nome. Last Sunday morning, Grant's old band played during Elk Creek Community Church's morning service (outdoors up in the Rocky Mountains). A number of people brought their dogs with them. One such person was this gentleman. Though he has long considered Greg a good friend, he is not himself a church goer and has always said that Greg would never get him to church. (Greg is the pastor of Elk Creek Community Church.) Never is a long time, though...and this fellow broke down and came when he heard that the Bluegrass Missourians would be giving a concert during the morning service. (He had already come to listen to the Missourians several nights running when they had played at a secular venue there in Conifer, Colorado.) After the service, there was a wonderful cookout. Such a beautiful setting and such a great opportunity for the church to reach out to the surrounding community. This fellow got to visiting with Grant after the church service and commented, "Well, I think I will visit this church again!"

I had told Lisa I would post a picture of his dog. He told me that the dog was from Juneau, Alaska. He says he inherited it from his son...that it was a sled dog. I had remarked to Lisa that although the man characterized his dog as "Hyperactive and having a short attention span", the dog seemed to me, more autistic. He just didn't appear to connect with anyone...even his owner. He did not seem interested in being interacted with...in fact, was downright evasive. He wasn't at all aggressive or skitterish, he just didn't seem to like interacting. He was just very disconnected from the people around him. After past conversations with Lisa about how sled dogs are treated in Alaska, this dog's mannerisms/affect did not surprise me.

It was absolutely gorgeous up in Conifer, Colorado. It was definitely a very different culture than the Ozarks, though. More politically correct. Much more secular. One thing I really did like, though, was that dogs are so much more an integral part of people's lives. There was a dog that looked almost exactly like Ransom, waiting (rather impatiently!) in the back of a pick-up truck while the young fellow that owned him went in a store. Even the dog's personality put me in mind of Ransom...having a fit that she had to stay in the truck, but knowing she better not hop out or she would be in deep trouble! While we were at the Coffee House (where the best Chai Tea Lattes I have ever found are served!), a Jack Russel Terrier mix pup from the bookstore next door, kept sneaking in! On the bulletin board of the Coffee Shop was a notice regarding the election of the next mayor of Conifer...all the contenders were pets...cats, dogs, birds...! The kids spilled over into the bookstore as soon as they had finished eating their breakfast, eager to chase down the pup they had gotten brief glimpses of each time before it was shooed once more out of the Coffee Shop. In the bookstore, they found Sasha, the very active, very happy Jack Russel Terrier mix along with an aging peach colored poodle...permanent fixtures in the bookstore. That bookstore wasn't unusual for Conifer...rather, it fit perfectly with the outdoorsey, animal loving culture of the town.




(Normal attendance at Elk Creek is about 50. There were about 175 people present for the outdoor morning service this past Sunday. Where they met this past Sunday is next to the building that houses the church. They hold outdoor services,though, as frequently as the weather permits. This service was geared towards outreach to the surrounding community, and as well as bringing their dogs, many people also brought their instruments. After the cookout, several jam sessions broke out! Through the many performances this week, Warren Kennison Jr sat in with the Missourians. Warren plays mandolin and helped Earl Scruggs write the tablature for the influential banjo instructional book he authored. Warren has played in a some of the foundational professional groups over the years. A sweet, older woman from the church who plays a mean banjo(!), also came up on stage and played a few numbers with the group!)

(Grant was playing on a borrowed bass. Since he was able to borrow a bass from one of the church members in Conifer, we didn't have to lug his huge bass those 1800 miles we traveled!)