Category Archive:Alaska

Still not feeling too swift – just WHO in the world invented THIS CRUD??? People at work are still dropping like flies – and I have missed more work this month than I have at any one time in the five years I have worked here!

Came in this morning – still feeling yukky, but able to at least sit up and take nourishment as hubby moose says. Having some trouble breathing, and my voice isn’t full strength, but am not coughing as much as I had been.

Iditarod updates! See the links on the right side of that page – you can find out up to date information on who is where and who has scratched. I think there are still 61 or so out of the original 82 starters still in.

Lance Mackey is into Koyuk and making a dash for Nome!!! Yay, Lance. He said on the tv news this morning that he has youth on his side. (Young pup!!!) An interesting side note on Lance Mackey. He made sure he was FIRST to sign up for the race – so that he could get bib #13, which is the same number his dad and brother wore when THEY won the race. So, he’s got THAT going for him, too.

Of course, I wouldn’t mind Paul Gebhardt winning, either. That’s essentially a home town “boy” – his wife works for the advertising department of our newspaper.

And, King might still pull it off. He has the moxie and the, shall we say, self-awareness, to do so.

 

 Oregon State University studies what makes Idita-dogs run – with the thought that human athletes might be able to learn something. Let’s all do like the doggies do, folks!

There have now been several more scratches – mushers dropping from the race:

In Finger Lake yesterday: Butch Austin, Frank Shier

In Rainy Pass yesterday: Jacques Philip, Lachlan Clarke, Melanie Gould, Randy Cummins, Richard Hum

In Rainy Pass today: Tom Roig, Don Huttunen, Perry Solmonson, Scott White

Rough going for some folks there, huh? Saw a tv interview with DeeDee tonight. She knows her decision was the right one, but she really hates not being on the trail. She’s hoping to be recovered in six weeks to do another race – a 400 I believe they said. Go, DeeDee!!!

Looks like there are still 68 teams in the running. Lance Mackey is in the lead and a local guy, Paul Gebhardt in second. But there is still a LOT of trail ahead of them – and Jeff King has said he will take the race. I would rather see Martin Buser take it before King, but that is because of his attitude, I guess. King . . . gah!

I hope you’ll take the time to go through the Iditarod website – there is an interactive map that shows where the mushers are at present and gives you a bio on them. That’s pretty cool. And, you can check the up to date standings. Enjoy!

in other news . . . .

we woke to S.N.O.W!!! Yes, I know I live in Alaska. But, dratitall, it was beginning to look like we were headed toward spring! It has snowed all day and is still doing so. Sheesh!

When I came home from work, hubby was shoveling a spot for the car:

 

here he is waving me in

 

looks like Ol Man Winter, huh?

complete with snotsicle!

Because I know that the anti dog mushers out there want another chance to dis my comments – here’s an update:

No dogs harmed!

However, Swingley is out due to a crash on an ice patch (ice – in Alaska – go figure! and you wondered where Lessa got her snarkiness, right?) where he broke a couple of ribs and his thumb. Then we hear that DeeDee Jonrowe is out due to a crash at nearly the same spot – with a broken pinkie bone and “bone tired”ness. Her bones are likely brittle due to the chemo she received for breast cancer four years ago.

Of note to the aforementioned commenter . . . both mushers decided to pull partially because they were worried their injuries might not allow them to care for their dogs properly.

Mushers spend a lot of time breeding and training their dogs. Each dog has its own personality and name – and each musher knows each dog by the same. They eat, drink, sleep, breathe dogs 24x7x365. When on the trail, whether training or racing, the first thing a musher does – before s/he takes care of her/his own needs – is to bed down and water and feed their dogs. They check them all over for any injuries or soreness. They treat any they find. Once all that has been taken care of THEN they eat, hydrate, and rest themselves. The dogs come FIRST.

Pulling out of the race means they won’t have a chance at the purse money. Neither of them mentioned the money. They worried about their dogs.

And, now I am stepping down from that soapbox. Comments are open, but can always be cut off. All are welcome to comment, but use your own space, paid for with your own money, to make any political statements, okay? Thanks.

Lessa and I drove to Anchorage to check on the amateur photo contest. Due to the published press release I knew that none of my pictures had merited a “special” ribbon (grand, first, second or third prize ribbon or honorable mention), but we wanted to see if they had been placed on display.

All four! So, that is nice. They will be on display at the Sears Mall in Anchorage until mid March. I will drive back up to pick them up on the 17th – at least, that is the plan as of today. 😉

While up there, we decided to take in some of the Rondy sights. Mind you, it is brrrrrr cold right now – and the bit of wind we had made it seem all the more cold – so, we were choosy as to what we would stand around for.

The snow carvings were one of the things – and what best to do – than people watching?

 

how better to keep your head warm than with a dog head hat? We live in Alaska – we make our own fun!

:moose: