another fine spring day...

 loved this picture above.  sometimes i just get lucky with a shot.  it's why so many of us take so many photo's...for the one or two that really make us smile!

 exercise has been going well this week.  getting my swims in and my steps in and today i went for a bike ride outside. pumped up the tires this evening and headed out. the sun isn't setting til after 8:30 already.  didn't want to wander too far from home just in case the tires flattened out on me.  they seemed to hold the air.  hopefully i can get in more bike rides over the next several months.

 the seat is never comfortable...gotta get used to that.  i used to bike ride all over when i lived in Pasadena area.  bike to school then the gym. out at the beaches.  on the weekends i did these 25-50 mile organized rides.  didn't get ribbons, but i did collect a lot of t-shirts for awhile.

 Rio joined us and we walked today Potter to Mchugh.  it was a slow walk as there were loads of roots for Rio to deal with. a few moose to deal with as well...thankfully no bears as i'd forgotten my spray.  those trails tend to be some of the first bear sightings each spring.

 gotta get my parks parking sticker for the year so i can park guilt free.

 sat out on the deck with the dogs and cats for a bit a few times.  sun was out and it felt fairly warm.  started to organize the tax stuff while i was out there....mix pleasure and pain.  just need to call and make a few appointments tomorrow for these painful things...once the appointment is made i will have to just go for it.

 good looking dog teams

 SC posted an interview of the Mackey brothers on FB so i watched that.

 i think they both always live on the edge of broke.  Lance has sponsers mostly for product, dog food and what not, but still there are many expenses involved with having a kennel of dogs like these guys do.  i suspect he'll be back on the iditarod trail.  Jason said he would, Lance was still hemming a bit on it all.

 they talked about the dog team of Jansens that Lance came across.  sounds like they were not that secure.  it also sounds like when the rescue folks picked up Jansen he wasn't with his dogs and they couldn't find them.  the Mackeys seemed to both feel that every effort should be made to get the dog teams rescued.

 i really liked what Jason Mackey said...cause it echo's what i have written  on here several times.  he's cool with the GPS tracker...the emergency button...well, that is another story

 you hate to say leave those folks out there without a button but it really changes what this race is and who can or should run it.  having an emergency button gives security to people in a situation where security can't be guaranteed.  you  have to be prepared to take care of yourself and your team in extreme conditions on this race and no expect a rescue crew to show up just because you decide you've had too much.

 if you can't be prepared for every sort of situation then you just have no place being out on the iditarod trail.  they spoke of a storm that they opted to wait out.  they saw others push through.  when they did go they had loaded their sleds up so that they had hay and enough food for themselves and their dogs for a few days at least...they joked a month.  you gauge the condition of the trail between checkpoints and then decide A.  if you should even attempt it or B.  what you should be prepared for if you do attempt it.

 the emergency help button fundamentally changes the race.  i'm not sure they can ever change it back now that they have put that out there.

 if i were to ever attempt something like this i would want to have taken some winter survival training, perhaps a coarse in how to make an igloo or other winter shelter methods.  i would want to have those essential items that we were taught as backpackers to have...it adds weight to have them but when those situations come up, you are ready and that weight was worth it.  they make them carry certain items, axes, snowshoes....things that must be in every sled every step of the way.you have to know what to do with those items.

 the dog deaths, still a mystery.  Lance said the vets found nothing and the dogs both were eating and running well.  both were healthy appearing. both brothers denied that Lances troubles early on had anything to do with those deaths. they rested more than most teams and the dogs ate well.  Jason made a point of saying that for the most part he just traveled with Lance and Lance did the bulk of his own care on his team.  he helped out when temps were really low or if Lance needed something specific done that he couldn't do with gloves on.  good interview.

 i guess the remains of the family dog was found with the remains of the family that was found this week on the Kenai. the whole family went missing last May.  hope they figure out what happened there.  so sad to see an entire family killed.

 this is a musher from France.  she has huskies.  i know the winter temperatures we have here were something she has never had to contend with before.  she got through it all.  sometimes training for the worst case scenarios is one thing, some people just have a survival instinct.  i suppose you can't always train for the worst case scenario....you train and then when you find yourself in a situation you will discover what you are capable of, what you are made of.

 each situation is different.  so far when i've been in situations i have remained calm.  scared on the inside but able to keep my head about me.

 feet from grizzly bear teeth and claws, i moved closer to the bear to scream at it and get to the horn.

 big waves coming towards me when i was in a Kayak and i was able to say, keep it straight, kayak direct into the wave.  every situation is unique though.

 this is Jan Steers, she scratched.

 and of course, this is Dallas.  the winner!

 coming...

 and going.

 this is Becca Moore, another rookie.  she finished...towards the bottom, but she crossed under the arch

 this guy below, Brian Bearass...i may have spelled that wrong.  hehe.  he scratched as well.

 i believe he was running the dogs of Hendrickson, who was hit by a truck while out training her team...still recovering.

 he looks pretty cool in this shot i'd say.

 finally got an email from Bruce Dale of Fish and Game.  he mentioned that they appear to have found some outside funding to keep Round Island funded for summer.  i'll have to check with my fish and game friends before i get too excited.  fingers crossed...we could really use some good news though...i could anyway.

 took him awhile to respond to the email....this is an older email i wrote probably early february?

 the pitter patter of little paws.

 the first group of bison have arrived safely and are in a holding pen there for a bit before being released to the wild.  they will provide hay as they learn to make it on their own.  hopeful for them to do well in their new home.  once the group gets large enough they will allow for a hunt i guess.  that would be a lot of meat.

 having not ridden my bike for sometime, my biggest worry today was whether a spider had made a home in my bike helmet or gloves.  didn't note any scary spiders though on my check, which was pretty thorough.

 stopping to shake his head.  this team stopped briefly in front of us.  sometimes the dogs get tangled and have to be sorted out.

 Rick Costello...number 52 was my travel companion on the trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks...at least for a few hours. i suspect he'd recognize my car if he saw it again.

 these dog shots came out pretty sweet as well

 always love those blue eyes and the long tongues.

 a good set of booties is always cool too.

 Monica Zappa.  i've seen these gloves on sleds more and more.  they look like the handle bar gloves i see on bikes around Anchorage all winter.  yes, people commute by bike all winter long here.  not sure i would enjoy a bike commute in sub zero temps.

 a few more scenery shots from the road trip back.

 the scenery going out was beautiful but i really didn't stop much on the way up except for gas and to pee.  wanted to get to Fairbanks before it got dark.  bad roads and darkness are a good thing to avoid so say I anyway.

 on the way back i was in less of a hurry though.  i knew once i got past Talkeetna, the drive would be easier not harder.

 pretty clouds and below was from the trip up...my first peek of the trip ahead...lots of teams headed up at the same time i was.

thankful for:  A.  another great sunny day to enjoy. fresh air and exercise.  B.  that good feeling that comes with a work out.  C.  happy dogs and happy cats!!