Why the Iditarod?

This photo shows Dallas Seavey and Aliy Zirkle in Nome after they come in first and second respectively in the 2012 Iditarod.. It is of course not my photo and not mine to share but I intend only honor to both these great competitors --and their teams that are not shown, by posting it here.

Why the Iditarod? Of course it is a bit mind-boggling: why would a late middle aged desert rat who’s spent the bulk of her life in Arizona and New Mexico become a very intense fan of dog racing, in particular a special event held in Alaska well before the spring thaw sets in? Most years it is still close to the depths of winter in early March when the event takes place. This year has been unusually mild but last year they were inundated with snow! I am not going into the arguments about why—climate change does happen and from a complex and wide range of causes. ‘Nuff said.

Okay, back to my reasons. First the history of the Iditarod appeals to me. The race was established in the early 1970s to commemorate a real historic event when desperately needed vaccine and medicine was carried by dog sled across the frozen northland to the beleaguered folks of Nome when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the population. Featured on the weather channel a few years back and in various documentary films and books, this is a tear-jerker, especially for the heroic dogs. There is a statue to the lead dog in Nome and it’s stature is right in there with Lassie and Gray Friar’s Bobby and Rin Tin Tin, a true canine hero.

Next, it is an eclectic event. Old and young, male and female and people from as diverse places as Jamaica, New Zealand, Brazil and Norway have now competed! This year alone at least two known cancer survivors are competing and doing quite well with three quarters of the race run now. They are veteran mushers Deedee Johnrowe and Lance Mackey. Mackey is a four time winner of both the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest, the other 1000 miler. There may be others but I know of those two. Last year Dallas Seavey, a third generation musher, became the youngest Iditarod winner to date at the age of 24. This year the sixty plus mushers range in age from 19 (Rohn Buser, son of musher Martin Buser)  to 73 year old Jim Lanier. There are several in their sixties.  The average age is around 45 I would say without actually doing the math. There are even a pair of identical twin sisters running this time and sticking together on the journey, not going for the win but just to complete the race and demonstrate their love for the sport. A number of the racers have a similar philosophy but some are fiercely competitive.

So consider this—they are traveling 1000 miles (this year’s course is actually 998 due to some minor changes in the start and initial short leg of the route.) and much of it walking or running by the sled or at least pushing, a bit like riding a scooter, to help the dogs. They are crossing rivers and mountains, wading through snow drifts and other than one 24 hour mandatory layover near the middle and another two eight hour stops, they seldom rest more than 4-6 hours out of each twenty four at various check points or spots they choose to camp. They travel this distance in about ten days of actual sledding. The fastest run to date made by John Baker, the 2011 winner, was 8 days, 18 hours, 43 minutes and 39 seconds!! Now I call that a real athletic feat!

  

Sure, you can talk about the speed, the endurance needed to run a 25 mile marathon, or the Iron Man triathlete style competition of run, swim and bike but such pale in comparison in my not-humble opinion! And many of these mushers are middle aged people or even ‘seniors’. Heck yes, I admire them!

Add to that the fact I am a real dog lover.  Dogs that have jobs and perform them with their whole heart will win my affection any day. I love the herding dogs, admire and appreciate those used by the military and law enforcement, and service and therapy dogs. But the huskies and other breeds and mixes that are used for dog sledding again are the champs among the champs! They are given excellent care, monitored by veterinarians at  all stages of the race, and watched keenly by their mushers, but they give their whole to this race and others in which they run.

They run for the love of it and for their musher handlers. There is a strong bond between musher and team; occasionally someone will run dogs they have not raised and trained but often the dogs each musher runs come from his or her kennel and have been bonded from puppyhood on. They are all named and spoken of in terms of partners and family. They have their place in the lash up as well. Of course the lead pair are the alphas and carry the burden of being the leaders. A good lead dog or pair is essential!

For the major races, most mushers start off with sixteen dogs. This allows them to drop or take out of the harness any animals that become lame or have problems. It is not unusual to drop several dogs during the course of the race. If a dog gets sick or lame in route it’s not uncommon for the musher to put it on the sled and ride it in to the nearest check point. Dropped dogs are given whatever care they need and flown out if their issues are life threatening. Volunteers help care for them at the checkpoints and if they are moved. All eventually return to their kennels or the start or end point to be reunited with their mates and musher.

If a musher gets down below a certain number in the team, I think it is eight, they must scratch for that is not enough ‘power’ to race without harm to those dogs. A musher can voluntarily drop a dog or a dog may be removed by a veterinarian at any check point. Very few whole teams complete the entire race despite the rigorous training and conditioning they are given. Now and then a musher realizes he or she cannot go on and scratches but that is rare. So far this year, six racers have left the competition for various reasons.

So that’s my reasons. They do not call it “the last great race” for nothing. I will never participate and probably never even watch part of it in person but I can still be a fan and maybe make some of the booties the dogs run though in dozens or help in some other small way because this is truly a great thing!.

Scottish Eats

Let’s have some Scottish recipes today!

I’ll add that all three of my Celtic cookbooks have a lot of recipes that feature sea food. These folks lived much nearer the ocean and many made a living from fishing so shell fish and salt water fish were favored. They also enjoyed salmon—which thrive in both fresh and salt water since they swim up river from the ocean to lay their eggs and of course trout and similar fish caught in the many lakes and streams. They also used a good deal of seaweed, something I have no access to and have not tried!

As a desert dweller for the greater part of my life I have trouble visualizing places so green, so wet. Here in the southwest water is precious and rare! Rivers, streams and lakes are almost special treasures and with the last few years of serious drought, many are actually drying up, lakes evaporating away and streams flowing underground. But that is not the case in the British Isles! However since I am not a big fish or shellfish cook, I cannot vouch for most of those recipes and prefer to share those I have tried and enjoyed.

Oatmeal Soup

I admit the name sounds odd but it really isn’t and is fairly easy to make!

2 TBSP medium oatmeal (neither too coarse or very fine)

1 cup milk

½ cup cream

1 large onion

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock (bullion cube dissolved in the water will do)

1 TBSP butter or margarine

Melt the fat in a saucepan. Chop the onion finely and cook until soft but not brown. Then add oatmeal and seasonings, cook a few more minutes. Add the stock slowly, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Then put through a sieve or blend mechanically for a minute. Return to pan, reheat with the milk added and serve hot with cream and chopped parsley as garnish. Serves 4-6.

Scots Broth

Another soup, substantial and tasty.

2 lbs neck of lamb (can use stew meat of about any kind)

1 knuckle bone

3 heaped TBSP barley (this is the barley pearls, whole)

1 cup shelled peas (dried split peas may be used too)

1 large onion, sliced

1 large leek –only the white

1 small cabbage

3 carrots, sliced

2 medium turnips, diced

2 TBSP chopped parsley

10 cups water

Sale and pepper

Put the meat and bone in a large saucepan, add water and bring to a boil. Skim fat off the top. Season to taste and simmer gently for an hour. Add the peas (if dried used, cook with meat) and other vegetables except cabbage and the barley. Simmer for 20 minutes. Then add shredded cabbage and taste for seasoning. Add parsley a few minutes before serving. Serve hot. Vegetables may be varied for what is in season, kale substituted for cabbage, etc. Serves 8.

Mutton Pies

This is a Scottish variant of the “Pasty” which appears in various guises all over the Celtic world!

Pastry:

1 lb (4 cups) of flour

1 cup lard or grease from bacon or meat

1 cup water

½ tsp salt

Filling:

1 lb lean lamb, free from fat, bone or gristle; cut very fine

Salt and pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or mushroom ketchup

1 small minced onion or shallot

½ tsp ground mace or nutmeg

4 TBSP broth or stock

To make pastry, put fat and water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a hole in the middle. Pour the boiling water and fat in and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until cool enough to handle, then form into a ball. This must be done quickly before the fat hardens too much. Turn onto floured board and knead well, then pat into a flat shape. Divide into half and put one half to stay warm. Roll the first half into a large oval and stand a small jar (3” across) in the middle. Mould the pastry up the sides about 3” high, reserve some for top. When it stands well, remove the jar and make the second half. Roll out dough for lids and cut them to fit the tops.

Mix the filling ingredients together and fill the pastry moulds. Dampen the edges and pinch the tops on. Make a slit in the center to let the steam escape. Brush the top with milk or beaten egg. Bake on a tin or sheet for about 45 minutes at 250F.

You can also roll circles, fill and fold in half, crimping edges, the more typical pasty form. When made with beef instead of lamb and using normal short-crust pastry, they are called Forfar Bridies. Venison or other game meat or poultry may also be used for these pasties.

A Taste of the Celtic World...

I have three marvelous cook books that I acquired some years back, if memory serves from Dover Books, a firm that did reprints of old, classical and collectible books. They are titled respectively, A Taste of Ireland, A Taste of Scotland and A Taste of Wales and were edited and compiled by Theodora FitzGibbon. All are lavishly illustrated with wonderful old photographs presenting life in the three regions a hundred years or more ago. I am not sure if they are still available anywhere or not but betcha might find them on eBay or possibly Amazon or maybe in an obscure used book store.

At any rate, I have enjoyed them and although I am by no means a gourmet cook, I did find some dishes my family enjoyed over the years. Some of the ingredients may require substitution and be forewarned that many of the recipes do not meet today's heart healthy and fighting obesity guidelines! But what the hey, we all have to kick over the traces now and then so for special occasions, try a few!

Today I'll hit the Irish book for a couple of faves.

Tea Brack

I have used this for many years in lieu of the traditional fruit cake-- which I secretly like, at least some of them-- generally reviled and put away to turn to cannon-ball consistency! And this one is actually pretty healthy --a cake without any fat! Like fruitcake, it is best aged a bit.

3 cups seedless (blond) raisins
3 cups regular raisins
(Optional--1-2 cup currents and/or citron, chopped dates or other dried fruit)
2 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar--I like dark for the flavor
3 cups milk-less tea* or 1/2 tea and 1/2 Irish whiskey   * tea often served with milk like coffee "over there"!
    ( rum or brandy can also be used)

Soak the fruit and sugar in the liquid overnight. I put the mix in a large bowl and covered it with a tea towel.

The next day add alternately:
4 cups flour w/ 1 TBSP baking powder and
1-2 tsp spices if desired--cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice etc. mixed in
3 beaten eggs

Mix thoroughly to form a batter, i.e. a cup of flour, one egg and stir, etc.. Turn into lightly greased bread pans and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 300F  Recipe makes three middle-sized loaves. You can also use a bundt type pan for a ring cake.

When cooling brush the top with melted honey to give a nice glaze

This is good served with a thin white frosting type sauce and delicious with a hot cup of tea, warm punch or other holiday drink to include egg-nog but you do not have to limit it to Christmas! Once baked and cooled, wrap in foil and refrigerate or freeze for up to 4-6 weeks, best if also wrapped in saran wrap to stay moist.

Dublin Coddle--a nice stew for supper!

8 slices 1/2" thick of ham or bacon
4 large onions sliced
4 TBSP chopped parsley
2 lbs potatoes peeled and sliced
4 cups boiling water
salt and pepper
8 pork sausages

Boil the meats in the water for about five minutes. Drain, reserve the liquid. Put the meats in a large saucepan or oven-proof dish with the thinly sliced onions and potatoes over the top and the parsley garnish. Season with salt and pepper. Add enough of the reserved broth to just cover the meat and veggies. Lay waxed paper over the top and then put on the lid. Simmer gently on stove top or cook in a moderate oven (250F) for about an hour until the liquid is reduced by half and all ingredients are cooked but not mushy. (Test potato slices with a fork for texture desired) Serve hot with vegetables on top, fresh soda bread and glasses of ale or Guinness.

A couple of Scots recipes next time!!

Update on the Iditarod--Aliy Zirkle was in first place for a bit and then Martin Buser got ahead again. He'd dropped back to 5th but really hauled it I guess! They are in the last 48 hours or so now as today was day six and finish may come late in the eighth day or early the ninth. The trail is now heading to the coast where it will be windy, icy and likely very tough going I expect. My second fave, DeeDee Johnrowe who is a cancer survivor and one heck of a gutsy lady, has moved up several places and may well finish in the first ten--and doing that is awesome. A surprising thing is a good part of the mushers are over forty, some well into their sixties and another neat fact is that a number of families have been racing for three generations since this is the 41st race! I'd love to share pictures but they are all the property of the Iditarod committee or individual photographers who do not readily grant permission to use, even for non-commercial purposes, so you'll have to visit Iditarod.com to see them!

Dog sleds and Dermatologists

Oh wow, Aliy Zirkle is back in 2nd place behind veteran musher Martin Buser who a few years back made the fastest run ever of the Iditarod--finishing in eight days when the norm is ten and up.. She is burning up the trail though! Out of the checkpoint at the village of Iditarod which is about 65% of the trail behind her now. She took advantage of the good rest with the mandatory 24 hour layover which she took at Takotna and had fallen back to about 11th but made up a lot of ground today. Of course the race is not over and the last stretch is the real test and sorts out the true mushers from the cheechakos! Anyway I am psyched for her and hope her luck holds. Go Aliy!!

As to the dermatologists, today was my turn to go get the old sunburnt complexion cleared up. Right now I look like a bad case of the measles and chickenpox all at once but in a couple of weeks I will be pretty again--well at least as pretty as I can be ;-). The liquid nitrogen treatment for those actinics, brown spots etc is technically freezing but it burns like a son-of-a-gun! But there is no sign of recurrence of the actual cancer I had on the side of my nose where one of the pads of my glasses fits that I had removed in June 2008 which was good!

As cities go, Las Cruces is barely in the category but just a day of driving to and around the town reminds me of how glad I am to live out in the boondocks. It is just a hassle and a pain in the sitter, construction, traffic, one way streets, bah!! Even malls are not much fun anymore. The Mesilla Valley Mall is Dillards, JC Penney's, Sears and a bunch of (I guess) trendy little clothing stores and such for the much younger than me set. The Barnes and Noble was the only place I really shopped! A pox upon them all! It was good to come home! I am a charter member of the hate-to-shop gang. It is so much easier on the internet!

Mush huskies and a big floppy hat for me for awhile when I am out in the sun!.More Celtic stuff tomorrow, I promise. Recipes, okay???

Iditarod...Day Four

A brief comment on the race. There have already been some early leaders and some changes of rank but the race is far from over. It is still too warm and there is a lack of snow in some parts of the trail. That is rough. Last year they had too much snow and had to reroute some of the trail. This year they may have to reroute to find snow! However there is a severe weather warning covering a good part of the central Alaskan area which is traversed in the middle days of the race.

So far only two have scratched, one before the actual start and the other at about the second checkpoint. My gal Aliy is on her mandatory 24 hour layover at Takotna--I believe that is the spelling of the checkpoint village. She dropped back a few spaces as some others elected to take their 24 hour earlier or farther along the trail but the race is far from over. I'm also rooting for DeeDee Jonrowe, another veteran lady musher whose about a third of the way back in the pack right now. There are a number of seasoned veterans --the Seeveys, last year's winner and his dad,  John Baker, the 2011 winner, Martin and Ron Buser, another father and son pair, Lance Mackay--a four time winner and winner of the Iditarod and the 1000 mile Yukon Quest his first try, both the same year...a list equal to the stars and heroes of more familiar sports and probably athletes of equal or even greater excellence!!

My heart  is with them all. I cry for a dog that gets pulled--some are hurt and come into a checkpoint on their musher's sled and are tenderly cared for and flown back to the starting point or reunited with teammates at Nome at the end of the race. They are such gallant and wonderful animals but they truly are loved and given the best possible care. They run for the love of it, just as much as the mushers. You can see it in their faces.

Godspeed and many blessings to all!

Celtic Music...

I have always enjoyed folk and ethnic music, probably my favorite musical genre although I like specific tunes, songs and arias in most musical genres. I grew up, at least into my teens, with my parents' preferences of classical, Italian opera, light opera and musical comedy or show tunes, and the 'swing' and big band dance music of their era. Dad had studied music for part of his college experience and could play several instruments and also sang. His mother hoped he'd be another John McCormick but that was not to be.He had a decent Irish tenor type voice but nothing exceptional enough to be a star. Mom had played the piano from childhood and had a music minor in college and did a few recitals. So I heard what they lived in 78 rpm records, radio programs and some music recorded on an early reel-to-reel tape recorder. Still their musical bent came down to their three children in various ways. I have sung, though not as even a serious avocation but in choral groups in my teens. My brother is a very talented musician with all kinds of guitars and a song writer as well.

Somewhere along the way, I decided I would prefer country and western to the early rock 'n roll and eschewed the likes of Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson et.al. for Buck Owens, Hank Snow and Johnny Cash. As a country diva n later sang, "I was country when country was not cool."  There was a strong connection between the music of Scotland and Ireland in the 'hillbilly' music of the USA and in the cowboy and western ballads which were really our American folk music. Thus when I first discovered The Chieftains, Clannad, The Dubliners, The Clancey Brothers, Mary O'Hara and their ilk, I felt right at home and recognized some patterns of melody and rhythm that were not at all strange.

The sixties saw a fad of folk music, much really folk style but some authentic, working into the popular music scene with people like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, Peter, Paul and Mary and others. This opened the door to musicians from the Celtic regions of Europe. Alan Stivell, Capercaillie, and a great bunch of others began to sell records in the US. You might not have heard them on the radio much except for the NPR stations but LPs and then CDs could be found in any larger city and slowly filtering out to the rural areas. I grabbed all I could find!

New Age music emerged and began to incorporate ethnic elements along with the ambient and electronic sounds. Genres blended and mixed--Native American music, especially flute and drum, some singing or chanting and fusions of rock and folk with Native sounds came along. The same thing happened with the Celtic music. Clanned mixed true folk with jazz, rock and pop sounds. The Chieftains performed with Roger Daltry of the Who, Bono of U2 and musicians from Africa, Spain and elsewhere. Enya who is a sister/niece  of the members of Clanned brought a newish fusion of Irish tradition and sounds inspired by Yanni and Kenny G and other New Age performers. Recording companies like Wyndham Hill offered these new mixes of genres and Canyon Records with brilliant artists like R Carlos and Robert Mirabal did the same for the emerging Native American sounds. 1970-1999 was an exciting time for those who did not really enjoy the 'typical' pop fare, be it rock, hip-hop, rap or even the modern country sounds.

My eclectic CD collection is now becoming out of date but I still enjoy the variety and play them at home and in my car on longer road trips. I pick and choose from the mainstream when an artist or song appeals but I always go back to the folk/ethnic. The fact it mainly covers the Celtic and the Native American reflects my spiritual beliefs which also bridge those cultures. Actually there are a number of common or parallel threads between those two seemingly totally disparate cultural groups. The clan/tribe social pattern, the hunter/gatherer and early stage agriculture and the habits born of living close to nature made it easier for some of the Scots, Irish and Welsh settlers and explorers to relate to the various Indians they encountered.

I now listen to the NPR station based at NMSU in Las Cruces a lot. The five weekday evenings they have a program of Latino and Hispanic music from all around the world from seven until nine. Sunday evenings there is Thistle and Shamrock, a syndicated program hosted by Fiona Richie who is based in Scotland. There are occasionally other ethnic programs or features. I'd like more Celtic but it's all interesting! Thank goodness for PBS/NPR. Being libertarian I have mixed feelings about how much the government should subsidize this but there probably are not enough people who enjoy the variety and will put their money where there ears are to sustain it. That is sad. At any rate, this month I will get in as much listening to my favorite Celtic artists as I can!

They are off and running!

I've got to take one day off here from Celtic stuff and delve into another passion of mine, dog sledding, mushing--what a marvelous sport! The ceremonial start of the Iditarod took place today between Anchorage and Willow, Alaska. The real start is tomorrow but this is the fun and show part. All the entrants and their teams are on display, every one with a 'rider'--a guest who bids on and wins for the privilege of taking a few miles' ride on the competitor's sled and some on a second sled hitched on behind. Yes, it is an unlikely dream for me but I'd love to be there for real. I'd be miserable cold but still love every second of it!

I did watch part of the events in a live broadcast at .www.iditarod.com and they will be re-broadcasting it all later plus you can order a video for each year's race. Well, not back to the first one in 1973 but quiet a few since video cams have been available. So this is the forty-first running. I'm not sure if you can view it without being a member, which I am, though not at the highest level. I do what I can to support this race. There are corporate sponsors etc but it still takes lots and lots of money to keep it going. Anyway take a peek at the site if you wish!

Here's a picture I grabbed recently and I think it says it all! A marathon is twenty-five miles. The Iditarod is in the ballpark of 1000 miles--can you even imagine 40 marathons back to back to back? And in bitter cold, ice, snow, fog, and over some rugged terrain?? Of course the dogs are the super athletes but those mushers have got to exceed Ironman/Ironwoman triathalon performzane as well. I admire them with all my heart!

I especially consider the women who tackle this as heroines. I'm really rooting for Aliy Zirkle this time. She came in a very strong second last year behind a young man who is a third generation competitor! There are quite a few rookies this year too. I did get the official program and a quick count shows around seventy registered competitors. Any aficionado will recognize a number of names but there are contestants from Russia, Scandinavia and a number of US states although of course the bulk are from Alaska. You almost have to train there and acclimate the dogs to the climate and terrain. At any rate I wish godspeed and a safe run to each and all.

I have to say for anyone who thinks these dogs are abused or maltreated, you could not be more wrong. They get better care than a lot of people's children. They are all in booties to protect their feet--the same kind I had on Miss Belle for a time--and get plenty of rich food for energy; they are checked by veterinarians at a dozen or more points on the trial and above all, when you watch them you can see they purely love to run! Even in pictures far out in the wilderness without the excited crowds etc. you can see them going, eager and full out unless the musher pulls them down for safety in extra bad spots. They are born and bred to do this and it is definitely in their blood. I like the fact there are no formal bets and it isn't really a pro sport-- it is done mostly for the sheer love of it and the thrill of 'the last great race.' Out there in the wilderness the musher's life depends on his or her team and the dogs depend on their musher. It is a wonderful symbiotic pairing that touches me to observe. Brightest blessings upon them as they run the next 10-12 days!