mostly dogs....

 these are the wide angle still...

 the front teams are closing in on the finish.  i guess the very low sub zero temps have been replaced with snow and some wind.  Burmeister broke trail coming into Koyuk and was passed by Dallas Seavey right before arriving in Koyuk.

 i suspect he is happy to rest his team a bit and let Dallas's team break trail and wear themselves out a bit heading into Elim.

 just so much fun watching the teams run.  just cool...all those dogs.  gotta love it.  well not everyone does, but it really is a thing to see.

 Left Rio behind to do the Monday walk.  just Lena and i...we booked out the big loop, which is 4.1 miles.  trying to remember to use my mapmyfitness app and get a feel for how many miles these walks are.

 my knee actually felt great walking.  did the whole loop at my basic pace.  still a ways to go just getting my body in to a better place physically.  was planning on hitting the pool again today but after my massage and leaving Rio for the second time today i really felt guilty.  she was not ok with being left behind that second time...i'd only been home for an hour after coffee and groceries. took a lot of me to get her settled in as i headed to the massage.

 i think i will put in a yoga tape and try to balance out the exercise that way.  would be good to work on my yoga and flexibilty.  have always enjoyed yoga and it's been awhile.

 starting to work my way through the many dog pics that i have with the zoom lens.  looks like some nice ones in there so will take awhile to work through and to share here...no doubt longer than the Iditarod will go on.  it's that time of year..the blog turns to the dogs.

 the massage felt great today as i was getting a bit of a headache and she worked on my knots.  i always have knots that need to be forced to comply.

 with this spring weather so early i will probably cut the Monday walks out early and leave myself some ability to venture out a bit more.  always love to drive and hike in new places.

 the trail today was total ice.  we both had cleats.  temps were warm actually, but windy.  chinooks no doubt.  a few heavy mixed snow/rain came down while we were out and for sure some fresh snow is on the mountain tops.

 temps back up to the 40's though so all will melt quickly.

 get the article sent off to the editor at the Alaska Dispatch news a few minutes ago.  next big task is getting organized for taxes.  that time is fast approaching.  should just make an appointment for my next stretch off and get them done.  it's always painful though.  just organizing it all.  every year i vow to stay organized for the next year and i never totally get it together.  at this point i doubt that will really change.

 beautiful day out there today.  nice to take layers off and enjoy the sunshine.  bears will be all over soon enough.

 still seems fairly safe out there now though.

 Aily and King both seem to be falling back more and more these last miles, don't think either will be in any position to make a run for first...but both may make the top ten. we shall see...as someone said, after last year nothing is final until the team crosses under the burled arch in Nome.

 the sleds which look pretty full and heavy in these pictures have been whittled down quite a bit.

 Karen set up for picture taking.  Jill in the background

 had to take a break and get some snacks.  northern light check, neg.  move laundry, check....mix up some gatorade, check.

 Rio is very relaxed now.  she just wants to be with me.  she really is a love, but that much love can make you nuts some days.  haha.

 the extreme cold temps have for sure been a factor this year.  every year and each area can have it's own challenges.  you can't check the weather at one end and expect it to stay that way at the other end or in the middle.

 temps below zero are a challenge on a day to day basis.  i hike to about -20 if the wind isn't howling, but i frequently will adjust it so i do a few shorter walks in that temp rather than think i can stay out for hours.   my seatbelt gets tough to buckle in those temps, it's tougher to get my front door open.  the car is a bit sluggish to get it's engine warmed and running smoothly.

 at -40 you can feel it when you try to breath in and out...let alone trying to care for a team of dogs.  the booties going on and off would be a real challenge.  you need your fingers and thumbs to get those booties on and secured.

 many of the mushers have got frostbitten on a few fingers/toes/noses and such this year.  you would need to be watchful of the dogs too as their pads are sensitive and could also get frostbitten.

 when we dropped our temps to just below 0 here in Anchorage that last stretch apparently a cat got frozen to the sidewalk.  the cat has wandered out of it's house and was found with it's belly frozen to the ground.  the cat was rescued and was eventually reunited with it's human half.

 my cats just stay indoors only.  not a great place for outdoor cats in my opinion.  in the summers there are creatures that may eat your cat and in the winters..well it just gets chilly out there.  people here do have indoor/outdoor cats though at times.  some cats just won't stand to stay inside.

 breezy escaped one night and it was pouring rain.  after trying several hours to get her out of the rain i finally just went to bed.  the next morning she was at the door, soaked to the bone.  she wanted in.  she hasn't shown any desire to return to the wild since then.  she did scratch the hell out of the sealant stuff on the door.  that still needs to be repaired.

 really will need to get a good handy man this spring to do some of the repairs around the house that have gotten neglected.

 not really up on world news this week.  sleep, work and the iditarod.  it's a nice break from the realities out there.

 will have to catch up on some WARIS stuff again . it can all wait a few days while the dogs run.

 this is Baker...he has a bale of hay on the back there. no doubt planning for a camp out or break somewhere between check points.

 i think i headed back down the road toward the hotel after he went past..it was almost over and i was getting a wee bit chilly out there.  so these next few were from the road headed back to the hotel

 always interesting the different sled styles.  this one has hay in it as well it looks like.

 this one is pretty basic...and below..the guy is wearing a google earth 360 camera?  not sure really.

 after i dropped my friends at their hotel to check in (we had a late lunch there as well)  i wandered around down town.

 so just some sights from around downtown.  several tourists out and about.  the Japanese tourist industry is crazy busy it seems in Fairbanks in the winter.

 we will be able to ride our bikes on the trails here soon..the ice is mostly off some trails on the coastal parks.

 better head to bed and possible a bit of yoga first...see how i'm already backing off of that idea...

thankful for 1.  doing the big loop today, felt great 2.  a relaxing massage.  3.  my crazy yet lovable Rio Catalina.