Mike Dillingham - Alaska Dogs and Iditarod Mushers - The Adventures of Balto, Back of the Pack, Honor Bound, Rivers

“What could I do? I am blind,” Caitlyn replied.

“Yep, you sure are and so is that dog you are sitting next to, and he is the one who found you. Oh, by the way, he is one of my racing dogs.” Mike said. “Just think, Caitlyn, if Rivers had given up because he was blind, maybe no one would have found you. Isn’t it interesting that a blind dog found you, a blind girl, covered with snow in a blizzard?” Then Mike changed the tone in his voice and asked Caitlyn, “You are not telling me that my blind dog can do more than you can, are you?” Mike asked. “Think about it, Caitlyn.”

I heard Mike pick Caitlyn up and start to sing, “Jingle Bells” as he carried her back to the sled. I guess the blizzard affected my hearing because he sounded pretty good and we all know that Mike does not sing worth a hoot. I heard the team howl and bark. They were happy we had found Caitlyn. Nitro told me Mike unzipped the sled bag, got his sleeping bag out and wrapped Caitlyn in it. He then put her in the sled bag and zipped it up so that only her head showed. He put a musher’s cap on her head to keep her head warm. I heard her giggle.

Next, I heard Mike walk back to me, and he hooked me into the team as the lead dog. Then Mike said, a lot louder than he really needed to, “Okay Rivers, lead us home.”

Now, any of the other dogs could have led us home. Nevertheless, Mike was proving a point to Caitlyn and you can bet your last dog biscuit that I was going to do my part.

We stopped at the orphanage to tell them we had found Caitlyn. After the lady talked to Caitlyn, we were off to our home.

When we got home, Mary met us in the yard and told Mike that the guests that were going to come could not get out of the city due to the storm. Mike told Mary that we had a very special guest who was going to stay with us for a few days.

“Oh?” she said, surprised. “Company?”

“Yep,” Mike replied as I heard him unzip the sled bag. “Caitlyn, meet Mary. Mary, this is Caitlyn. She is the little girl from the orphanage I told you about. She was lost in the woods and Rivers and the team found her. I talked to the lady at the orphanage and she said that Caitlyn could visit us for a few days.”

“Hi, Caitlyn and welcome to our home.” Lakota told me that Mary put a big hug on Caitlyn as she welcomed the little girl to our home. “Now let’s get you inside, out of this storm, and find some warm clothing for you. I bet you are hungry. I have a big pot of stew cooking, and some homemade bread for you,” Mary said.

I heard Mike say, “As soon as I finish talking care of our canine heroes here, I will be in to join you”.

“Now Mike, do not take too long. Caitlyn looks very hungry and she just might eat your portion,” Mary said jokingly. We all laughed at that, including Caitlyn.

After Mike took care of us and they ate their chow, Mary and Mike came out to the yard and moved us into the warming shed. This is another Christmas treat. We can loaf in the nice warm straw. Caitlyn was with them and Mike led her to the straw pile and told her that the dogs were going to play in the straw and they would play with her too. Lakota told me that Ugly was doing his “Ugly Jig” while Brownie and Doc were nuzzling next to Caitlyn. I heard her giggle. Lakota told me she had a big smile on her face. Caitlyn was sure a different little girl now than the one we found in the snow today.

I was standing by Mike and Mary. I enjoy listening to them talk about things other than dogs and running the trails. Mike told Mary that he was thinking about adopting Caitlyn and wondered what Mary thought about his idea.

Wow, Mike does not mince his words, does he? Mary said that she had been thinking the same thing since Mike had told her about Caitlyn after last year’s visit. “No kidding!” Mike was excited. “We can do this, you know. We can give her a good life and tutors to get her up to speed in school. I bet I could train some of the team to be her Seeing Eye dogs and….”

“Hold on, Mike,” Mary said. “Slow down. We need to know if Caitlyn wants to do that and if the orphanage will let us do it.”

“Hmmm,” Mike said. “The orphanage is really no problem. They are a private operation and will be glad to place Caitlyn with us since she is probably classified as hard to place. As for Caitlyn, well, let’s ask her.”

Before Mary could utter a sound, Mike said. “Hey Caitlyn, I have a question for you.” I heard Mike walk over to the straw pile where Caitlyn was sitting with my buddies.

Mary grabbed my collar and walked me to the straw pile and whispered, “Rivers, you had better come also. You are a big part of this. You found her and saved her. Now if she is willing, we hope to give Caitlyn a good life filled with plenty of TLC.”

As we got near the straw pile Lakota told me that Mike was sitting next to Caitlyn, with his arm around her shoulders. All of my buddies were sitting in a circle around them watching.

“Caitlyn,” Mike said, “Mary and I want to know if you would like to live here with us permanently. That means never going back to the orphanage except to get your stuff. Going to school and being a part of our family. What do you say?”

Silence. Not a sound, no person or dog moved. Silence. Come on Caitlyn, I thought, say yes.

I heard Mary sit down next to Caitlyn and I sat directly in front of my little blind friend. Lakota moved next to me.

Lakota told me that Caitlyn turned towards Mike and put her hands on his face and said, “You have a beard, Santa Mike. What color is it?

Mike answered, “Gray and white.”

Then Caitlyn said, and I could hear the tears in her voice when she asked “Are you Santa Claus?”

“No honey, I am not. Why do you ask?” Mike replied as he chuckled.

“Because,” she cried, “every year at Christmas, I wrote to Santa asking him to give me a forever home and I never got it. This year, I did not write and you are asking me to stay here with you and Mary and your dogs. I thought that you might be Santa giving me my wish.”

“No Caitlyn,” Mike said, “I am not Santa and these are not just my dogs, these are my buddies. They are part of our family and we are asking you to join us.”

Silence again. However, Mary broke the silence when she said, “Maybe Caitlyn needs some time to think about it, Mike. She has had a rough day.”

“No!” Caitlyn said. “Is Rivers here?”

“Yes,” Mike answered. “He is sitting right in front of you.”

“Is Rivers really blind?” She asked.

“Yes,” Mike answered.

“Can he do all of the things that you said he could do?” Caitlyn asked. “Yes,” Caitlyn, I would not lie to you,” Mike answered.

I moved closer to Caitlyn, licked the tears on her cheek and put my paw on her leg. She put her arms around me. As she hugged me, I heard her say, “Oh yes, please, I want to stay with all of you!”

Yippee.

Later after everything settled down and I was alone in the yard with my thoughts, I sensed a dog next to me. I knew it was Aurora, my Guardian Angel Dog. “Hi Aurora, thank you for making my Christmas wish come true.”

“Rivers,” Aurora replied, “I had nothing to do with that. My help stopped after you found Caitlyn in the snow. The magic of the season made your wish come true, Rivers. Good things happen to good dogs. Besides, I told you that Mike has some very good friends in some very high places. Well, I guess he had the same wish as you did.”

Aurora continued, “Well Rivers, I would really enjoy spending some time with you, but ‘tis the season for me to be busy. So I have to go.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said, “but make it quick and easy. There is a collie that will give birth to a litter tonight and she is going to need my help delivering those pups.”