Mitch Seavey Wins Iditarod...

 these are the end of Anchorage Ceremonial start and i will just be beginning the Fairbanks trek and pictures...so delay.  will probably mix it over time with more recent pics.  always fun.  loads of cool shots.  i still have some to look through but i'm getting there.

 lots of good jumpers on this team.  we left downtown fairly soon after this.  some were getting chilly so i headed off to check on the puppies then loaded them and stopped off at a spot near the hospitals to check on the last teams heading through.

 was just watching "the White Helmets" before hitting the computer. it's not very long but it is still pretty powerful.

 these are brave souls.  heroes for sure.  they do rescues from the many bombings in Syria. i guess i had in my head this was a small group of men doing this but it is much more organized than i thought.  several have lost their lives sadly but they have saved many, upwards of 58,000.  in a place that has lost over 400,000 souls that is quite impressive.

 neighborhoods and civilians are targeted.  one white helmet member said he had been fighting but saw that his own government was corrupt so he decided he'd rather save souls than take them.

 there are good hearted, brave people everywhere, or all races, of all religions, of different sexual orientations, different genders.  often you have no idea who will rise and stand out when the crap hits the fan.  these guys have though, in a huge way.

 reading about Germany and Rwanda and other places where such atrocities have taken place.  when i was young i remember picking up books about Vietnam and the killing fields.  i remember all i studied, the big inventions in science all ending up being utilized for war.  it was all so sad.  i always hoped i'd be able to be on the right side of history and not follow those who had lost their compassion or were blaming of others based on race or religion.

 all i read of these places and atrocities taught me how easily it was to succumb.  hate and fear can really take hold of people and make them do things they would never have done before. neighbors killing neighbors.

 i decided that we were surrounded by killers at some level just waiting for someone in a society to give them permission to kill.  they were held back before by social mores but it didn't take much to release them from those rules.  i do see this in our society under iitoo sadly.  he became a hero to many who were racist with his whole birther crap. it went unchecked as many of his lies do.  he has empowered this element in our society and it's going to be tough to get them back in the holes they belong in. hidden due to social constraints.  they are loose and are terrorizing the neighborhoods.

 Europe is dealing with it's own share of issues at this time.  it's stressful feeling we are at the start of a downward spiral that does not have a peaceful outcome.  that we are seeing the beginning of yet another span of bloodshed and destruction. when will man learn....war is hell.  i do not wish to experience it first hand.

 only like 5 teams have scratched in the race.  may be more as the days go forward but this does seem to be a fairly decent trail this year...fast for sure.  i think all three of the top teams came in breaking the record time.  Father-son and then Nic Petit.  great to see Girdwood represented.

 the pups and i did Rovers Run today. i had my eval in the afternoon.  apparently, they are planning to require i get certificates for ER...drag. 2 day courses, such a pain.  more pressure mounting to work towards BSN it looks like.  at this time if you have 20 years experience you are exempt so i'm good at the moment.

 another nice day out there. feels a bit like spring.

 don't want to be tricked into thinking that though, but it is a good time to start venturing out more

 start teaching these pups to be road trip dogs.

 several police out on the trails...not much trouble keeping the peace that day.  looked like a nice gig.

 we are over a small tunnel near the dog park here.

 last teams through.  i only caught a few.  then i walked the pups.

 lots of fans stayed to the end!!

 a few from the phone.  this was the morning of the restart. i woke early concerned they would have altered the trail or made it difficult to get down to where we wanted to be.  i wanted to check it out so figured i may as well just get up and get out there. it was worth it.  beautiful morning.

 the old igloo, an idea that never really brought success.  looks kind of cool in the winter though.

 one from Nenana i think.

 a few of us post Iditarod restart out at Chena Hot Springs.

 playing with our hair and the frost.

 i wanted to take advantage of my shorter hair with some frozen hair art.

 beautiful views of Denali coming north.

 broad pass is usually pretty impressive.

 got some nice ones on the return trip as well.  blowing snow and cool clouds made for some decent photo ops

 took lots of pics...i know you can't tell but i purged a lot of them

 a few teams traveling at the same time i was.  they stopped a few times to feed the dogs and let them out of kennels.

 nice sun on a river.

 ice on river.

 another team making a pit stop.  literally i think.  this was just past Denali

 last few in Nenana as the sun was beginning to set.

 i wanted to hit the road and get to Fairbanks before the darkness really set in.

 keep forgetting to buy my tickets for the classic.  that tripod out on the ice is set up and you can pick a time for the ice to break up.  may win some bucks .

thankful for: A.  living without bombs dropping at all hours. those poor folks in war torn areas, seem to try and carry on with day to day life despite the bombings.  it seems nuts but i guess that is how it works. i suppose keeping some semblence of order in your life would help you cope. B.  opportunities.  i have had many and have been much blessed  C. puppy hugs...they sure bring a smile to me.  sweet pups i got here.