Yesterday, I got to see Gary Paulsen, the author of more than 200 books, including the latest book, The Woods Runner. The book is just indescribably great! I got to listen to his stories, got to laugh, and got two books signed. He said he currently has 54 dogs, One of his dogs is a small poodle with only three teeth, that thinks it is a pit bull. GRRRRRR!!! Ha Ha Ha.

Mr. Paulsen said that when he was living in the woods in Northern Minnesota as a young man, he started using sled dogs to help him manage a trap line for catching rabbits and beavers. He needed a lead dog for his sled team. The lead dog he got was three-quarters wolf with different colored eyes, that came in a crate. This wolf-dog was so mean and vicious, that he said,”Opening the latch on that crate was like pulling the pin on a hand grenade.”

I’ve enjoyed Mr. Paulsen’s other books like Hatchet and The Lawn Boy.

He REALLY knows how to tell a good story.