Good Morning!!

That is one fat chicken,

Yep, I'm awake.  NOt that I choose to be, but I am.

The one thing that would get me ALERT (since I and AWAKE) is an RV.  Now, that would be a feat that has been unattainable for quite some time.  It probably will be "quite some time" until it happens, but then again what is time in reality?  Something we waste more often than not any way.

Awake on this dark Sunday morning!  DARK, yep, the sun hasn't blessed us WAY up here yet today.  Not sure if it makes sense given the way this winter has progressed.  40 degrees and sunny in Alaska and 4 degrees and snowing in the Midwest and on the East Coast.  Amazing and the running of the Iditirod should be interesting this year as there is scant snow to do so.  (That is a 1100 mile race over the tundra from Anchorage to Nome that is run in commemoration of a serum run that happened LONG ago.)  That "Great Race"  restarts today from Willow and will run until the mushers are all in Nome.  These brave souls take their dog teams and dog sleds and head out overland and see who can get to Nome the fastest (elapse time).  The original run was made up of basically a relay of dog sleds that met each other on the trail and the serum was passed from sled to sled - now they race the entire distance to see who can do it the fastest.  They have a mandatory 24 hour stop to make somewhere along the line and checkpoints along the way.  There is gold at the half way point and a new pickup and cash at the end.  Seems like one heck of a way to enjoy dog sledding and camping out in winter conditions, but then again chasing the illusive dinar profits seems like a heck of a thing to do to some also.

I knew a couple of world class mushers, (I suspect they are retired by now,) and for them that was the Indy 500 of sled dog racing. It was about bragging rights than anything else.

I know several.  Dean Osmar and his son from Kasilof; (25 miles away) and Paul Gephart (2 miles away); and the Seavey's are all from this area (just to name 3) and they can be seen "practicing" throughout the year.  Yes, they even run the dogs in summer - pulling 4 wheelers instead of sleds.

The best thing that I can remember about the Iditirod is when Susan Butcher won - and they coined the saying, "Alaska - where men are men and WOMEN win the Iditirod!"  And she did it in style.  There are other races, one right in Kasilof (Tustemena 200) was canceled this year due to lack of snow!  Yep, the "Great Race" will start for real in about 6 hours.  Our school children even participate - they track the mushers on maps on bullitin boards in their classrooms and some even help by making "booties" for the dogs feet.  It is a tradition for some, entertainment for others and enjoyment for a few who actually get to participate. 

I have a very good friend (a veterinarian) who took time from his practice to serve as one of the Race Vets every year until a year ago (over 35 years of free service).  He would fly out to his assigned checkpoint and stay there until the last team went through.  He and his family so enjoyed it that it became a family tradition.  That proves there are things in life that are worth it.

I have seen the race on tv. Do you live in Alaska AK? I would looooove to go to Alaska!

YEP, I do live in Alaska.  That is the Ak part of my handle.  Come on up.  I live on the Kenai Peninsula and have for many many years.  We have observed the traditional start of the race in Anchorage several times.  NO, we don't have any favorite musher - we know too many to have one as a favorite.

Great state, great place to live.  Fantastic fishing, hunting and outdoor activities abound.  Many sites to see (and far more most can't if they do not fly a lot in the bush).