Kaltag!
“I like that name,” Spence says. “I like a lot of these Alaska names. Are they Eskimo?”
“Couldn’t tell you,” says Admin. “But this cappucino is Italian. So are the capuchin monks, so there must be a connection. I’m thinking hood, myself.”
“You seem perky today,” Spence says. “And off-topic. Here’s news from Rebecca, slightly dated since the Snowhook team – ‘our’ team – has reached the Kaltag checkpoint.”
At the time of this email, AJ and the team are within minutes of the Kaltag checkpoint, the first checkpoint off of the Yukon River. The team has traveled 134 miles on the river and once they leave Kaltag will have a long run to Unalakleet, the first checkpoint on the coast. To break up the long run between Kaltag and Unalakleet, AJ will likely stop at new Old Woman Cabin to rest the dogs. Where there is a new, there must be an old. Shortly before the team will rest at new Old Woman Cabin, they will pass old Old Woman Cabin, where AJ may make a brief stop. Legend has it that the ghost or the witch of Old Woman will follow you to Nome and curse your trip unless you do one simple thing—leave her some food or candy. In 2007, I left a piece of hard candy on the woodstove of the decrepit, old cabin. Will AJ leave a baked good or beef jerky from team Feed the Giant?
Tags: cappucino, capuchin, Iditarod, Snowhook
This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012 at 7:52 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
8:01 am on March 12th, 2012
Good morning, y’all! Maybe AJ can leave one of my Caramello bars — I’m sure the Old Woman would really love all that yummy chocolate and gooey caramel, and will make the rest of his trip easier! Unless he’s eaten them all, of course!!!
8:12 am on March 12th, 2012
I have some Swedish Fish here at the office…
Greeting ALL!
8:14 am on March 12th, 2012
A song for AJ and Rebecca:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuFyHwG188
8:17 am on March 12th, 2012
Morning plunderers. Mom’s taking a vacation day, so we are still at Sissy’s house in the west side of the mitten. It’s supposed to rain all day today, and be quite warm. Mom and I woke up and we just laid in bed listening to the sound of the gentle rain. She was rubbing my paws and giving me tummies. I love that.
Go Snowhook!
8:42 am on March 12th, 2012
Is true – Old Voman is vaiting to see vhich mushers do not pay respect. Of corse, AJ is good musher. He vill leave nice gift for Old Voman and she vill send him on vay vith good vishes.
Team is running happy, but vill be glad to see Rebecca and other kennel mates. Ve think AJ also vill be happy to see most lovely smiling face.
8:51 am on March 12th, 2012
Swedish!…Fish!?…snort!…What the is that?…grunt!
Early!…grump!…We were all woken up early this morning – her mother was on a mission to get us outside right away…sniff!…Helluva thing…grump!
8:59 am on March 12th, 2012
Rio: Swedish Fish is a soft and chewy candy, that is red and looks like a little fish. I love them, but they get stuck in my teeth alot!
9:21 am on March 12th, 2012
Swedish Fish sounds a little like Gummie Bears.
Rio, how is Beau doing?
9:29 am on March 12th, 2012
Beau!… He has been behaving and has not had one leg-lifting accident since that weekend where he almost lost his happy home…sniff!….Although, he usually messes up on Monday. Mondays seem to be a bad day for him after my friend leaves for the busy-place…grunt!…Except for last Monday because she stayed home, so this will be the first real Monday since that bad weekend….sniff!
9:32 am on March 12th, 2012
Cappuccio is Italian for hood. Here’s a link to a picture of one. Good morning all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jan_van_Eyck_088.jpg
9:41 am on March 12th, 2012
We have a question for Oley from last night. We thought you had two horses – Annie and Shiek. Did we miss something? Where did Chato come from? So does Ned make #4?
9:52 am on March 12th, 2012
Mollypop’s Mom: My atomic clocks are now on DST. Thank you.
9:57 am on March 12th, 2012
Good morning, all. We have a couple of questions for Howlers, too. How tall is Mr. Ned and do you ride English or Western?
Rebecca – I listened to the Outlander cd samples on Amazon. Very nice. Isn’t it fun to just click and buy on Amazon?
10:08 am on March 12th, 2012
Good Morning Everyone!
Love the names of the Iditarod’s checkpoints and because of the Insider videos over the years, we have learned how to pronounce them. Koyuk is one of our favorites. Most of them are Native Alaskan names. The ones on the coast would be Eskimo names. The Native Alaskans that live in the interior are not Eskimos.
Bluecat, mom thinks it is way fun to click and buy on Amazon. She hasn’t done that since the race started. Amazon will be worried about her.
10:28 am on March 12th, 2012
B&M: Exactly.
Rio: I’m glad that Beau is giving it the old college try. Is he doing okay so far, or will there be a little catastrophe when you friend comes home?
10:44 am on March 12th, 2012
Back after dealing with a little power outage here. A small preview of the coast and our checkpoint at Unalakleet we think.
Unexpectedly I see Jeff King scratched last here last evening…wonder why.
Good morning everyone (or almost noon as the case may be)
10:46 am on March 12th, 2012
Rose!…I cannot predict the future…heh!heh!…At least not where Beau is concerned…sniff!
10:51 am on March 12th, 2012
Bee, I saw this and immediately thought of you lounging in this beauty with candles and a big glass of red wine.
10:53 am on March 12th, 2012
Masquers, I wondered the same thing about Jeff King and I found the anwser on the internet. Go to the Alaska Dispatch newspaper to read the entire article. It was sick dogs with serious stomach problems. I hope the vets can get the dogs better.
11:00 am on March 12th, 2012
Rio: Que sera, sera then, huh?
11:01 am on March 12th, 2012
So it looks like Beau has been good for 2 weeks!
11:04 am on March 12th, 2012
Rose, so YOU are the one that buys Sweedish Fish. Mom always wondered who was buying them, heh-heh.
11:04 am on March 12th, 2012
Hi Everybody! I’m up and ready for the day.
The Giant at Kaltag. (whispering) Later today, when you leave the Old Woman’s Cabin, be sure to leave something special for her so the old witch will send you on your way with her blessings.
Beau: A note to the wise…behave yourself today.
You can do it!
Jasper! That’s a beauty…is it for reals?
Breakfast is calling.
BBL
11:08 am on March 12th, 2012
Good morning(sort of)!
Masquers, we were also very surprised by the news of Jeff King scratching. Makes you realize what a gigantic feat it is to reach Nome.
Rose, everyone at Mom’s office loves Swedish Fish, except for Mom…pulls her teeth out.
B&M: we have 5 horses now. Shiek is Mom’s love and the guy she showed on way back when. He is now 31 years old so Mom does not ride him often and never for any distance. Annie is her mare that she had since she was a weanling at 41/2 months old. She is the horse Mom rides. Chato is Pop’s horse who caused him to separate his pelvis as well as his shoulder, in two separate incidents. He is very spooky due to over-training in his youth, prior to coming to our farm, in our opinion. Pop has been too nervous to ride him much these days. Thats why they looked for a nice, relaxed, bomb-proof horse, which is exactly what Ned is. Abby is a mare that they rescued several years ago, to keep Shiek company when they went away all day with Chato and Annie. She is probably close to Shiek’s age.
Bluecat, Mom rides English, and Pop rides Western. Ned is 4.3 hands, which is about the same as the others, who are Arabs (except for Abby).
How appropriate that the cabins after the Retirees checkpoint are for Old Women.. LOL
11:10 am on March 12th, 2012
Macy, That is a funny cartoon!
11:11 am on March 12th, 2012
Macy, that cartoon is a riot!
11:12 am on March 12th, 2012
Thanks for the tip, Siber, It really is a shame…he came out of retirement only to be dealt an unfair blow by fate. I hope the dogs recover quickly.
11:15 am on March 12th, 2012
Macy: Dude Dog speaks the truth. This has happened and on this race.
11:45 am on March 12th, 2012
Jasper: I want one!
11:47 am on March 12th, 2012
Oley, Are you sure you dont mean 14.3 hands? 4.3 is a mighty short horse!
12:01 pm on March 12th, 2012
AJ!…And the Team are on the Move!….WOOOOOO!…Next stop Unalakleet!…grunt!…Wonder what Admin will make of that name…heh!
12:10 pm on March 12th, 2012
Snowhook says goodbye to the Retirees and heads towards BearSpiritDog & Masquers checkpoint. Go steady, Snowhook!
12:20 pm on March 12th, 2012
But before Unalakleet…a very important stop at the Old Woman cabin to leave an offering.
12:21 pm on March 12th, 2012
Sorry, Maggie…typo here!
12:26 pm on March 12th, 2012
Oley, What breed is Abby? We knew you didn’t mean 4.3. Darn IPaw!
Funny one Macy.
12:34 pm on March 12th, 2012
OHs: Pulling out my teeth is the risk I take eating the fish. They are just too good!!
Macy: Can’t pass up Swedih Fish….
12:35 pm on March 12th, 2012
Oh, oh….power flickering…….
12:46 pm on March 12th, 2012
Mom says that Abby is half-Arab…the half you can’t see!!! Heh heh. Truthfully, we think she has Morgan in her but we do not really know.
12:51 pm on March 12th, 2012
Still here…for now.
Siber: In case you haven’t already seen it…there is a video interview with Jeff King on the Insider…talking about the health of his dogs and his decision to leave the race. Heartbreaking decision for any musher to make. Five mushers out just yesterday.
1:03 pm on March 12th, 2012
I counted my books. There are 2,141. I’ve already donated 14 grogery bags of books to the Woman’s Guild at the library. Perhaps I should stop buying books….
1:07 pm on March 12th, 2012
Just looked at the list of mushers and am wondering what is the difference between “withdrawn” and “scratched”.
1:07 pm on March 12th, 2012
I forgot to include the books on the other turn table shelf. The new total is 2,178.
1:10 pm on March 12th, 2012
TYB: Rebecca explained the difference. The musher scratches himself and an official withdraws a musher.
1:15 pm on March 12th, 2012
Dallas Seavey is in first place.
1:52 pm on March 12th, 2012
AJ still has thirteen dogs with him. I haven’t received the call that I can pick up Frank, yet. I will probably hear something tonight
BStover: You have me beat by a long shot. You could stop buying books, or you could give away two for every one you buy.
Rose: You had me at Swedish Fi… My favorite treat on the trail is frozen gummy bears. Yum!
1:54 pm on March 12th, 2012
Masquers, Thanks for the tip about the video. I have to catch up on watching the videos.
TYB, A musher can be withdrawn from the race by the officials for different reasons, including not taking the right kind of care of his dogs, but I don’t remember that ever happening. This musher was withdrawn from the race because of a cut on his hand. I don’t have to be there to know that the musher told them he can race just fine with the cut on his hand, and the race officials told him he needed medicial treatment and they withdrew him from the race.
I had never heard of Swedish Fish before today.
1:58 pm on March 12th, 2012
B: Dallas Seavey…a very determined musher. Looks like he may be head and head with Ally Zirkle coming into Nome. We can only hope.
Just read on facebookie: Ramey Smyth came from 30th place in Takota to 7th in Koyuk…that with a team going through a brief period of not feeling tip top.
Dog! Some of these guys are relentless.
2:04 pm on March 12th, 2012
Svedish Fish are ok – but nothing compared to Russian Eels!
2:06 pm on March 12th, 2012
Go Aliy! But, We also like Dallas.
Last year, it was Dallas’s dad, Mitch, that cut himself with a knife but he scratched voluntarily.
We have zoomed in and are watching AJ and the team move toward the coast.
2:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
I didn’t include the books in the basement. Sigh.
SH: How do you zoom in?
2:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
You guys have been busy. Love the cartoon and the bath tub!
My blood pressure is not normal yet, but much better than it was. Hmmm. I wonder what kind of stress I have in my life.
Need to rest up for Dan’s Family Birthday Party! That’s today at 5:30.
2:14 pm on March 12th, 2012
Ally has twelve dogs and Dallas has only ten.
I clicked in on the zoom-in button.
2:16 pm on March 12th, 2012
Melanie: I was wondering where you were. Is it Dan’s birthday?
2:16 pm on March 12th, 2012
Stover, Up in the left hand corner of the screen is a little white box with a cross in it. Click on it to zoom in, but only one click at a time until you get it like you want it.
Let me know if this works for you.
2:23 pm on March 12th, 2012
Tomorrow is Dan’s Birthday. I just got him his birthday present. Season two of “Flying Wild, Alaska” . Dan used to fly those kinds of planes they use.
I meant to say. “You can NEVER have enough books.”
2:31 pm on March 12th, 2012
Party at Dan’s house!
B.Stover: I had a feeling you weren’t done counting yet.
12 dogs isn’t too bad but when if I was down to 10 dogs I would start to think about worrying! Actually, I would’ve been worried the whole time, who’my kidding?
2:33 pm on March 12th, 2012
I like that philosophy Melanie.
Thank you SH. I found it.
2:36 pm on March 12th, 2012
Unfortunately, one musher was “throw out” of the Iditarod in the early years. A dog bit him and he killed it. That kind of history is the what the PETA people cling to, no matter how old.
Just for you Siber-H.
2:38 pm on March 12th, 2012
Hey, Melanie…Now we will think of Dan when we watch that program. We love all those airplanes.
2:39 pm on March 12th, 2012
Dallas has been our pick to win since the start, although it would be nice to have a woman win again. Did we ever find out why Lance Mackey said “anyone but Dallas”?
2:44 pm on March 12th, 2012
Thank you Miss Macy. That is a cool photo.
I remember reading about that incident, but that was way before my time. I wish all dogs in the country could get the good care that the Iditarod dogs get now.
2:45 pm on March 12th, 2012
Fellow Sibers, I would like to know also, but we may never know why Lance said that.
3:04 pm on March 12th, 2012
I’d like Aliy to win. When AJ ran the Don Bowers 200 mile race, she ran and won the 300 mile heat. As he was heading toward the finish line, her next 8 hour layover, he passed her as she was camped along the trail. AJ says she gave him a look like, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that,” but she later recounted she thought he was also in the 300 heat and her competitive side kicked in. She got her team up and running and heading to the next stop only to find out that he won the 200.
3:06 pm on March 12th, 2012
Isn’t Dallas the young man? Wonder too why Lance said that. Maybe Dallas has a super ego or attitude. “Too big for his britches” as some used to say.
Bee, Even without the books in the basment, we are amazed!
3:10 pm on March 12th, 2012
Jeff King is a class act. No whining. No blaming. And he gave kudos to the trail Breakers for an excellent, fast trail.
There is a video that talks about the sleep deprevation and the problems it is causing the leaders. We worry that could impact decisions.
3:25 pm on March 12th, 2012
Barb, yes, Dallas is the young man. I am guessing that Lance is the one with the mouth on him, not Dallas. I could be wrong. Last year Lance said something in a video about the musher from Jamacia. I thought it probably true at the time but Lance shouldn’t have said it.
3:27 pm on March 12th, 2012
Hi everyone – just t=got the mud scraped off the fingers and going to get ready to go to a certain beloved person’s Family Birthday Party!
We had the Weather Channel on just now and they were talking abou the Iditarod. They said the leaders should be in Nome tomorrow, that the weather is perfect for the racers, very cold, but very sunny. And that the winner gets prize money and a truck. Yeah, so what….its all about the glory, ain’t it? Anyway, they were showing someone with a sled and a headlamp, but on the small tv, we couldn’t see the number. We have decided that it was AJ – they got footage of him cuz he’s a Giant!
Bee – my stars, but that is a lot of books.
Howlers – we got a kick out of 4.3 hand tall Ned – the Corgis think he sounds like their kind of horse!
Nattie – eels? ick!
3:56 pm on March 12th, 2012
Tomorrow!….The winner will be in Nome tomorrow?…..snort!….That sounds ridiculous….grunt!
4:04 pm on March 12th, 2012
I’ve been collecting books since I was a kid. That reminds me that I have a collection of Golden Treasury Fairytales down there. All of my hardcover Agatha Christies are in the basement as well. Guess I better go down there and count them.
4:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
B: You sure have a lot of books!!! Definitely more than me (I think) 🙂
Rebecca: Frozen gummie bears….Yum!
Miss Macy: Beautiful picture!! The doggie has very intense blue eyes.
And for those who have never seen a swedish fish…TA DA!
http://www.swedishfish.com/products.html
4:18 pm on March 12th, 2012
I forgot the cookbooks in the kitchen also. The new total is 2,948.
4:25 pm on March 12th, 2012
Mom says she will try some Swedish fish. Me, I think I would like Natasha’s Russian eels.
4:37 pm on March 12th, 2012
Rose: I like that…”you are what you…eat be delicious”
Siber: Gah. For some reason I’m having problems today with zooming in on the trail…trying to locate Old Woman’s cabin…it’s not showing up. Am I not going far enough ahead?
Macy: The Siber-H picture is great!
The race you are talking about…where the musher shot his dog…was the year Libby Riddles won the race. The incident was mentioned on ABC news.
We think Lance made that remark about Dallas because of some wager between them.
4:45 pm on March 12th, 2012
Masquers, I don’t believe Old Woman’s Cabin is on the map and I don’t remember ever seeing it on the map in past years. It should be because it is part of the lore of the Iditarod.
I think that is a good guess on Dallas and Lance.
5:06 pm on March 12th, 2012
We are big swedish fish fans here in Chevy Chase, especially mom and dad; me and grandpa not so much though.
Happy Birthday Eve to Dan.
Stover — left to his own devices, my dad might give you a run for the money on number of books owned (although yours are probably of a higher quality); fortunately for the rest of the family though mom does not leave him to his own devices, so his numbers are not quite as ambitious as yours.
Wookie
5:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
Bee, Barb is a counter, but I think you have her beat!
Have you read most of the books, except the cookbooks. I guess you would peruse cookbooks.
How many mushers are there now? I think we would like young Dallas.
Let’s see T & G, 4.3 hands = 19 inches. Just a little taller than you!
5:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
Masquers: 🙂
Wookie: We know are candy!
SiberH: If your mom is anything like me, with a big sweet tooth, I think she’ll love them. Of course, I’ve only eaten the red ones…My favorite color.
5:20 pm on March 12th, 2012
Melanie: Sounds like Party-Time at the River Bear’s! A Happy pre-Birthday to Dan!!! Best keep an eye on Franklin…you know his surfing skills..lol.
B: Someone here had tons of books in by-gone days. Friends advised her to never, ever ask for help moving. A couple of years ago she made the decision either to give away or sell many of her collection, saving only classics and personal favorites. We suspect your 2900 plus are all favorites and classics.
If there really is a wager between Dallas and Lance our bet is on the former.
5:23 pm on March 12th, 2012
Happy Birthday to Dan.
Dallas appears to be taking excellent care of his team, so we like him…unless we hear otherwise.
Dancing here! We received Winterdance today!! We think Bear gets it after us, and we hope he is not in a huge rush. With the gorgrous weather, daylight savings time, and a new horse….well, you get the gist.
5:30 pm on March 12th, 2012
I’ve read most of the books. Some are reference books. Many are school books from when I was a student and when I was a prof.
Dallas is the one with Diesel right?
5:45 pm on March 12th, 2012
Yes, Dallas is the team with Diesel. His team is looking really good, strong, and happy every time I see them.
5:54 pm on March 12th, 2012
I think Dallas has five more checkpoints to go and AJ has eight.
6:00 pm on March 12th, 2012
I see the lovely Kat up top.
Trail trackers: Where is AJ now?
Happy Birthday, Dan!!!!
6:05 pm on March 12th, 2012
He’s made it to Old Woman Cabin! He’ll rest the dogs before he continues onto Masquers and Bear’s checkpoint.
6:29 pm on March 12th, 2012
Thank you, Rebecca!
6:39 pm on March 12th, 2012
Rose: Have you tried the Sweedish raspberries? Delish.
6:40 pm on March 12th, 2012
B.
i think I might be able to come close to your book total. If i do it would be only because I probably started collecting books before you started breathing, and I have a difficult time getting rid of any. Realizing that someone will have to do something with all of them when I go, I’ve started giving boxes of them to the library.
They shelve what they want and put the rest in their annual used book sale. I have to stay away from that; I don’t want to buy back any of my books.
6:40 pm on March 12th, 2012
The Alaska Dispatch has a slide show of the sexiest mushers.
Ahem….I DID NOT see AJ’s picture there! GRRRRRRR
6:47 pm on March 12th, 2012
Sweedish raspberries? No, I’ll have to look for those! 🙂
6:48 pm on March 12th, 2012
Hi all! The party was a success. I’m to call T&G at 9:05 pm if the prayer doesn’t go up. I believe the call will to be to wake up the Royal Mum.
Dan had a great time. Warm things, sweet things and very funny cards. He got his flying license when he was 16 years old. Let’s see that would have been in (doing higher math here) 1945!
B.Stover, it must be like opening presents with your books.
Going to check on AJ.
7:10 pm on March 12th, 2012
After fiddling with Google Earth, I have the area where AJ is camping out. It is in the area of the yellow dot.
7:32 pm on March 12th, 2012
No TYB, don’t buy back your own books!
Melanie: While I was sorting I had to force myself not to start reading the books.
It looks like AJ is in between two checkpoints. Dallas isn’t moving now either.
7:36 pm on March 12th, 2012
TYB: That’s a funny comment about buying back your own books.
SnowBella: Is Old Woman cabin about 35 miles from the coast?
Remember what we all said in Anchorage about Diesel and that determined, focused look in his eyes? His musher had that same look of determination and confidence. If these are any indication of the ending to this race I would say it’s in the cards for Seavey this year.
7:40 pm on March 12th, 2012
Home in the middle of the mitten. Spent a short time in the underground parking garage due to a tornado warning. All is well now.
Mom has all the windows open, gentle rain outside. Bread in the bread machine.
7:49 pm on March 12th, 2012
Weather on the coast seems to be improving…sunny, less wind and only -11 below zero. Snow expected at Unalakleet on Wednesday, but we’ll be long gone by then.
7:50 pm on March 12th, 2012
Rose, I believe that Bella got wind of what they were doing and pulled AJ’s picture from the list. (snickering)
7:59 pm on March 12th, 2012
Creator – we thank you for this day of beauty on your nurturing earth . As the sun sets over the hills, the subtle hues of of the sky going to rest bring with them a peace and tranquility. The day is over – what has been is now at rest. There will be another day tomorrow that brings its own promise.
Creator – give us within ourselves, that ability to lay down the day and be at rest. Let us understand that for each day, we live the best way we can for that day.
Creator – just as the sun may shine and please some, others wish for rain or clouds. However , the sun is doing what it should do, it is following the plan that you have made.
And so it is that our actions on each day may only please some. But if we live each day in the best way we can, we can come to our rest knowing that we have followed the path that you have planned for us.
Help us to follow that way so we may live each day true to ourselves; living the way that follows your plan. Let us learn to compare ourselves only to what we know we are able to do, not with what others may do, or even what they may expect.
Creator – we ask you to give this peace of spirit to those who are honoring that way. Let it be in AJ’s heart that the winning of the race is not in crossing the finish line first, but in running the race in the best way for himself and his beloved companions.
We ask you to give that peace of spirit to each of us as we go through our day. Let us think not of what has been left undone, and find blame. Instead, help us to remember and reflect on all the good of the day, and learn from that what we can do tomorrow.
Creator – let this peace be in our souls that we can sleep well and be able to live our best life again tomorrow. You give us a wonderful new day each morning so that we may have the opportunity to honor your gift anew.
Creator – we thank you for another wonderful day of beauty on your nurturing earth . The sun sets over the hills. The blue and purple hues of of the sky going to rest paint the evening with peace and tranquility. The day is over – what has been is now at rest. There will be another day tomorrow that brings its own promise.
Amen
8:06 pm on March 12th, 2012
(((Yawn)))
Gosh I haven’t caught up with that hour I leapt on Sunday yet.
I got a spectacular pastel of Alice M. Johnson in the mail today. I showed it to Mr. Staff and he is amazed at the talent that Angela has. As am I.
Now I have to go look for a nice photo of Abbie ’cause she is jealous of Alice.
8:10 pm on March 12th, 2012
And it is Andrea! Jeez Louise! I have to start getting her name correct!
Another wonderful prayer. I hope I am doing the best I can here Tupper and Gilly. I might have to try a little harder.
8:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
Amen and a another perfect prayer for today. Thank You! Mom says that for the first time this season she can feel the sun starting to warm the desert and the earth. It is very magical. The Royal’s Mum will know what I am talking about.
In between checking on the Race, I have been doing a lot of sunbathing today. It may be surprising, but many of us Sibers are serious sunbathers.
8:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
Amen. Another lovely prayer to help guide us thru our day’s end and the promise of tomorrow. Thank you and Good Night all.
8:13 pm on March 12th, 2012
We second/third/fourth that, Siber. Nothing like warm sun on a stone path for us.
8:14 pm on March 12th, 2012
Amen.
We have gotten so in the habit of reading our nightly prayers that it will seem like something is missing when the race is over.
8:14 pm on March 12th, 2012
Amen.
8:16 pm on March 12th, 2012
Amen. The words are beautiful, the spirit wonderful.
SiberH: No suprise here. Nap time in the kennel is one of my favorite times. Many a husky laying on top of their house basking in the sun.
8:17 pm on March 12th, 2012
Wow, did you see the pictures of Jeff King laying in the snow trying to shield his dogs from the wind after they stopped? Amazing photo’s and true dedication to his dogs. It is on the Alaska Dispatch link that Rose talked about.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/slideshow/photos-jeff-king-scratches-outside-unalakleet
8:22 pm on March 12th, 2012
Storyteller & Amalia
Another Amazing Prayer
Perfect for this Day.
Thank You.
8:33 pm on March 12th, 2012
Sunbathing!….snort!… Who’d a thunk it?…heh!
8:36 pm on March 12th, 2012
Prayer!… My friend says she needed that prayer tonight. It was perfect for her…sniff!….And guess what? Monday has rolled around and Beau did not perform his circus act inside the house….heh!….Everyone is happy about that!…snort!
8:41 pm on March 12th, 2012
Rio – thank dog that Beau was being the best that his little pug self could be.
(we think he might have overheard that talk about r e s c u e and decided to turn over a new leaf instead of a new leg)
8:44 pm on March 12th, 2012
Dawson,
Please let me know if you have checked your SDD in the last few days.
8:49 pm on March 12th, 2012
Maybe Beau is finally catching on and realizing what a good life he has there. Thank Dog!
Thanks for posting the pictures of Jeff King. They really show how much he cares about his dogs.
Night all.
8:54 pm on March 12th, 2012
Loverly, loverly prayer. BTW, I sent it along to YSAS. Maybe he’ll sleep tonight.
Barb and MagPie, we can always reread them!
Staff, it is beautiful isn’t it? She really caught Alice’s eyes.
Siber-H, it is only fitting that you love sunbathing since you dislike water bathing.
Snowhook, Rest your souls and Godspeed.
TTFN Can not keep my eye’s open.
8:57 pm on March 12th, 2012
Rose: They obviously did not look at the photo they took of AJ when then made that hottest musher list. Fools. 🙂
9:24 pm on March 12th, 2012
Scratching!…..My friend and I are scratching our heads wondering who they did pick for that list of Hot Mushers…heh1….Every guy we’ve seen so far on the trail doesn’t hold a stick to AJ…snorkel!…Maybe Dallas Seavey, just because he is so young, Ramey Smyth was sort of cute when he was talking about falling off his sled…heh!….But other than that?…grunt!…Nadda…
9:27 pm on March 12th, 2012
I just learned of a great injustice. Autographed bibs are up for auction, one for each musher. #38 Justin Savidis’ bib has not, I repeat, not, been bid on. How can this be allowed to happen?
9:32 pm on March 12th, 2012
Auction!….grunt!…What auction? Plus, that Bib goes to no one but a special Plunderer….sniff!… If I’m lying I’m dying…sneeze!
9:48 pm on March 12th, 2012
I have an autographed bib of AJs. It would actually be better if this new bib is auctioned off and the money goes to Snowhook instead of the Iditarod.
9:52 pm on March 12th, 2012
AJ has two bibs. The one he wore at the Ceremonial Start which is being auctioned off; the money goes to Iditarod, not the musher. The second bib is the one he wore at the restart, gave back to officials at the first checkpoint and will be given again at Safety so he can wear it into Nome. This bib will be mailed to us at some point in the future.
9:56 pm on March 12th, 2012
Whew!…Thanks Rebecca, I was startled there for a moment thinking AJ’s bib might go to a stranger and not someone at this here blog…wheeze!gasp!
10:07 pm on March 12th, 2012
yeah, Thanks Rebecca. Rio and I can get carried away sometimes.
Whew
10:12 pm on March 12th, 2012
Goodnight!…On that bizarre bib note, I am off to bed…sniff!…My friend is exhausted – no sleep last night or the night before for some strange reason…wuffle!…She probably is feeling just a teeny-tiny bit like Rebecca…wuffle!…Although, Rebecca hasn’t truly slept for weeks and weeks now…snuffle!
10:13 pm on March 12th, 2012
We are turning in even though we are not sleepy. We have to get up at some ridiculous hour because of daylight savings time.
Night All
Rebecca, LOCK THE DOORS!!!
10:23 pm on March 12th, 2012
Lock the what? 🙂
11:08 pm on March 12th, 2012
The team is on the move!
11:11 pm on March 12th, 2012
Doors. LOCK THE DOORS!!!
11:17 pm on March 12th, 2012
SnowBella: Sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.
We have been meaning to ask you all day…you mentioned this morning up top that AJ would be stopping at the new Old Woman cabin. Did they fix up the other one or is this really a new cabin with the same name?
11:17 pm on March 12th, 2012
Go Aliy! I’m all for having a woman win the Iditarod this year!
Or Ramey Smyth (sp?) ‘cuz then AJ would have bragging rights (That was the guy AJ gave a ride to, right?)
Or Dallas Seavey ‘cuz he’s young and a Seavey.
Actually, one musher that I have been following is Mike Williams, Jr.. His father has ran the Iditarod 14 times and uses the dogs as a way to promote sobriety; a symbol of healing for traditional communities devastated by alcohol and the side effects of rapid modernization(from Alaska Daily News). Mike Williams (the father) had all six of his brothers die of suicide or accidental deaths.
Mike is not that far behind the leaders…he could sneak up on them.
Dogs are sunbathing? SiberH: We need to change places. I’m shoveling snow.
The doors, Bella! Lock the doors!
Here they go! Hoorah for Snowhook! WhooooHooooo!
11:43 pm on March 12th, 2012
Handler Jeremy and I are going to split a frozen pizza tonight. Once I take his share down to him, I will lock the doors.
BSD: The old Old Woman cabin is in shambles. It reminded me of something that could have been in the movie the Blair Witch. A few years back a new Old Woman cabin was constructed. It is beautiful with a couple of bunks in it and a good place to park and rest teams.
I’m pulling for Aliy or Ramey. I really wanted Ramey to win last year.
11:56 pm on March 12th, 2012
Hmmmmm…….here in the lower 48 we bake our pizzas first. You Alaskans are tough!
12:05 am on March 13th, 2012
Wolfie: Snort! It’s in the oven now. The oven is actually working, so this is a good day at the ol’ homestead.
12:22 am on March 13th, 2012
We are rooting for Ally. Just heard Dallas is down to 7 or 8 dogs…she has 12…could make a big difference those last miles.
Kat only knows how Rsmey got so far so fast. The last update is showing him only 4 miles beyond Ally and traveling at warp speed…over 9 mph. We may have a long shot coming in here! I was reading a bit about him earlier. He doesn’t have any fancy equipment, just the basics.
Jeff King is tops in our opinion after today’s heroic scratch. No complaints, only complements for the Trail Breaker and his team.
Our AJ is racing with a different team than he had trained with prior to the restart in Willow. I have great admiration for him…the way he is focused on the team’s well-being…not pushing them past their limits. This to me is the mark of a truly great musher.
Bella: Thanks for the update on the new Old Woman cabin. I don’t think anyone is going to miss that spooky old shack. Bad enough with all the tale tales and superstition surrounding it.
Bear will love the story. I’ll tell him tomorrow…he’s out for the night.
12:29 am on March 13th, 2012
Our Snowhook puppies are getting some invaluable experience. About 1/3 of them are rookies and they are doing great. Good on our oldster, Annabelle, for her leadership qualities and the rest of the veterans like Whitey-Lance, keeping our musher on the Trail. Did AJ say which dogs were leading his sled when you talked to him? Annabelle and Twig? Orion?
12:35 am on March 13th, 2012
Finally! The flag moved. I swear a watched flag never moves.
Looks like he’s getting close. Woooo.
Dawson: Those Snowhook rookie racers can brag about running the famous 40th Iditarod.
12:38 am on March 13th, 2012
The question is, do you leave your offering at the old cabin or the new one?
Our point about the bib was that it was not cool that it had not been bid on. That is just wrong and if I was to find 10,000 lucky pennies I would bid for it myself. *digging in couch*
12:46 am on March 13th, 2012
Good point Macy. To hazard a guess…I would say the old one…that is where the spirit would feel most comfortable.
1:34 am on March 13th, 2012
A quote for all of you with groaning bookshelves and stacks of books:
“Buying more books than one can read is nothing less than the soul reaching for infinity, and this passion is the only thing that raises us above the beasts that perish.” unknown
1:44 am on March 13th, 2012
Macy: I dug in my couch and came up with $0.16. It won’t get us far.
Your support of AJ and the dogs on the trail means a lot. I know he was disappointed with the changes to the team and adding some unproven pups into the mix. When I spoke with him—when he was concerned that he was disappointing us—he said, “This isn’t the race I wanted to run.” I told him, “Focus on doing your best with the race you have.” I am very proud of him and the dogs.
More to Macy: Masquers is correct. The offering is left at the old Old Woman cabin. It is very run down and has a creepy feeling.
4:34 am on March 13th, 2012
Bear and Masquers, AJ is at your checkpoint!!! All the way to the coast !!! WOOO HOOO !
6:20 am on March 13th, 2012
Good morning, y’all! Last night was Mom’s late night at the library, and by the time she got home and ate dinner and did a load of laundry, that stupid time change made her crash and she never made it into the office to turn the computer on for me. 🙁 Anyway, my girl texted Mom last night to tell her that Maggie — remember, she’s one of Those Girls! — had eaten 3/4 of a block of cheese! It seems that my girl had shredded some cheese when she was making dinner, and when she turned her back, Maggie went counter surfing. Way to go, Maggie! Sure wish I could counter surf, but they don’t make counters low enough. 🙁