It was a dogs' day!

Saturday marked the beginning of what is known as 'the last great race', the Iditarod 2010!  This years event moves in swiftly on the heals of the Winter Olympics, making it feel like having a couple of old visitors around the past few weeks.  That is one thing we have come to enjoy since we landed, is being able to watch the ceremonial start of the race, with our dogs of course, and being able to monitor the progress throughout the next couple of weeks as they race to Nome.  The Iditarod originally came about to commemorate the emergency delivery of diphtheria medicine during the 1925 outbreak in Nome, Alaska.  Here is a link that tells the story.

Iditarod Trail Dog Sled Race | The Race to Nome 

I am also including this link for those who are interested in following the race.

 The Official Site of the Iditarod®

Sad thing in a somewhat happy sense is that this year we didn't get to watch the cerimonial start of the Iditarod.  Fortunately for us our dogs don't keep track of the calendar!  No, Saturday found me out snow plowing with Maryann along for the ride.  Yes, snow!  I mean it is darned near spring now....but finally we got snow!  Not to mention the weather did come just in a nick of time for the dog teams and their mushers.

 

This was one of the young moose born back in spring.  This pic was taken a few weeks ago during the early hours of the day.

 

Not far away was mom, who towers about four times the size of baby.  Notice it's size in comparison to a full sized truck?!

This winter just plain sucked!  It was pretty much a wash as far as any accumulations of snow.  It started out snowing in late November/early December, and looked as if it was going to be a hearty snow year.  But from just before Christmas until about the second week of February we had no new snow, and what was on the ground although still present, had compacted and froze.  So, the irony of this winter is that I managed to lick the doldrums of the long dark days, and went borderline anxietal and semi depressed from the lack of snow!  Lets face it, anybody who knows me knows I am a devout passionist of the snow and bitter cold....which by the way the bitter cold was about non existent this year....and with the lack of these elements, lets just say that Maryann was about done with my pouting and bad attitude and almost had me committed!!  Not to mention the absolute lack of income that is usually generated from snowfall in the form of snow plowing for me.  But to no avail, we have had several significant snowfalls the past few weeks and I am back in business making money with the powdered gold, and dancing nakedly with bliss amongst the falling flakes of love!  Almost sounds like the trailer of some up scaled porn flick.

Most of the winter has been alot of thaw/freeze.  It would warm up, the snow from earlier in the winter would begin to glaze over, and then several days of this it would freeze up again.  It was a complete nightmare for anyone who relies on walking or driving through their days.  Fortunately, I have somehow managed to maintain poise, and have staved off attacks from my arch nemesis....gravity!  We actually began having break up the past couple of weeks.  I mean, it was just too incredible to me that we were having such a snow less winter.  But we have had.   And of course now, alot of people have had the itch of spring, and hardly want any snow at this point, but yet it begins to stack up when we are all hoping for an early spring.  Meantime, the rest of the lower 48 has gotten pounded from what we have heard.  Oh well.  At this point I am just a confused stressed out individual over the fact that winter forgot to come here.  It's like a kid at Christmas, running down to the tree Christmas morning, only to find that Santa forgot to come!  Coincidentally, this never happened to me as a child so I don't speak from experience, but from sheer speculation.

The Kenai River with it's huge breaking ice. This is low tide near where the river mouth feeds into the inlet. That chunk about the middle of the picture near the waters' edge is a good15 feet tall! 

 

Last week I won as a door raffle at a Chamber event, this vibrantly 'not me' hot pink tee.  Not only was the color 'not me', but the shirt was too small.  But it fit Cherokee and he loved it!  So much so he wore it all day and all night.  Good thing dogs cant see in color, eah?!

Meantime we are back to the stinking sour subject of our water.  It looks like we will be drilling a new well, finally!  We have had positive response from the drilling company that we will more than likely be able to tap into cool, clear, stink less water at 110 feet.  Originally, they were considering drilling as soon as mid March, due to the lack of snow, and the thawing that was happening.  In leau of the colder temps and the ever so present snow stacked up, this may have to wait a little while, but we are going to move forward with it just as soon as the weather allows and the ground begins to thaw.  Stay tuned, as we anticipate the coming of a new age.  No more will our showers feel like....well, never mind.  You get the point!  We just can't wait.