This weekend begins the Iditarod Sled Dog race - the grand marathon of mushing.
Those championship sleddog races held during the Rondy required a different sleeker sprinter-dog than these Iditarod canine veterans of today's race. These are the workhorses, bred for strength and smarts and a passion for running. Many of the winning mushers raise all their own animals, training from kennels of a hundred or more dogs. It is a bush thing - most live off the beaten trail where a neighbor won't object to a few dogs around the place. You can't just wake up one morning and say "I think I'll run the Iditarod this year, buy a team, a sled and practise by running up and down a few of the Alaskan hills. The champions have hours, days, weeks, years of effort, training, diet, and love in their teams...

The race is started from Fourth Avenue Anchorage and runs out of town, where the racers are picked up and on Sunday at 10 a.m. the race will start again (really) from the Wasilla Airport. I will catch the start here; Gail will be in Wasilla, and hopefully we'll find a picture of the winner - whomever it may be- in the camera. Nome is a very long way off, eight to twelve days, if you're mushing, and these mushers will get there afoot ( or asled) over hills, mountain passes, the Yukon river, and even on the Bering Sea Ice, travelling day and night, stormy or clear. The winner is one usually who is the best prepared for this rigorous Thousand mile plus trek, and who has the best luck, too!

Back in Anchorage, 2 other events take place this weekend. The line was long - around the corner and down one block then around the corner again - bet all 1200 tickets were sold!!!
Souperbowl Saturday- at the 4th avenue Theater. A person can have an all you-can-eat bean-soup and corn-bread lunch in a bowl hand-thrown and glazed, and donated by one of Anchorage's many local potters, members of the Clay Arts Guild. (thank you, potters.)
You get to keep your bowl. The cost? $12. Poceeds from this annual fundraiser go to the benefit of Bean's Cafe - a shelter and feeding place for the Anchorage homeless.
and in Town Square - there's been an ice-carving contest going on. Teams of 2 people have been working day- and -night to create these beautiful sculptures of ice. Ribbons awarded at 3 this afternooon. A bright sunny day added sparkles to these creations beautifully.

For a peek at our new house, click here.