Spring: Flowers and Wind Warnings

Yes, it really is spring. I walked on the arroyo bank yesterday and in about a week the mesquites had gone from barely showing the knobby buds to new green emerging! It went very fast this year. Other weeds and plants are leafing and blooming as well. I have seen several lilacs beginning to bloom now around the area. Mine are not quite there and only one may be mature enough to bloom but in a few years, I will enjoy them. Lilacs and roses are my favorite flowers.

 Remember my pix from last spring? Here are a couple of reminders.

 The filaree is nearly bloomed out now and the mesquites are not quite as fully leafed out as this one yet (it was taken April 13 last year) but they will be in a week or so. Thus it's a little ahead of 2013.

And here in the high desert of the southwest US, wind is another feature of spring. It may not blow every day but as the upper air patterns and the jet stream change with the shifting seasons, winds are common and often pretty severe. We have a high wind warning now in effect until about midnight and more winds, just barely less powerful, are in tomorrow's forecast. Wind usually means blowing dust, too. In this case we are fortunate because a front passed by last night with accompanying showers and thunderstorms! We only got about .15 of an inch but that did settle the dust a bit. Lots of flashes and booms during the night had the dogs all upset but once it quiets down, they go back to sleep. I'll tolerate a little disruption for any moisture since it is so sorely needed. And ironic how the Pacific Coast has been inundated and the northeast blizzarded almost beyond belief. Mother Nature sure seems to have permanent PMS this year!

Meanwhile I stay inside when it is too blowy so my allergies do not go wild. There is plenty to do anyway. I am working on a baby quilt for my gentleman friend's first great-grand daughter, plowing along on two new Deirdre stories and writing a lot of letters to try to get the new project I mentioned off the ground. It's kind of nerve wracking to wait but since things could fail to take shape (though I am hoping and praying that is not the case!) I am not making any announcements yet. You'll be among the first to hear once it is assured.

But I will have another mule article in a couple of months. More on that when it comes out. Here is one more shot of my on one of my mules. This was taken in Mescal Canyon just south of Jerome along the Mingus foothills. I think I inadvertently reversed the negative when I scanned it but not sure.  Anyway you can see how rough the terrain is there! From the looks I would say this was taken in spring, too. Snow melt fueled the stream that was dry in the early summer and later in the fall after carrying runoff when the monsoon rains came.

Two verses-daring and werewolves?

These two poems were actually intended to be part of my last post but it was getting way too long, so I held them back for a follow-on. They do share an inspiration with the theme of daring to be different and to reach for the stars, though. One a bit less perhaps but it has links to my recent immersion in the Iditarod. I'm having a bit of withdrawal there since the race is over down to the final awards and sending everyone home from Nome but that's okay. More on that as it becomes relevant.  Anyway here are the verses... Both copyright protected as of March 2014, the date of their composition, as are all contents of this blog.. Any copies of any material are to be made with permission only!

          Prayer for Courage

Dare to be different, dare to exceed

Limits you self-set and too quickly heed.

Dare to reach higher, to try one more time

Dare to take chances and risk all to climb.

Challenge your weakness and build ‘til you’re strong.

Take that strange road that seems hidden and long.

Lift up your head, your heart and your pride

For the worst that can happen is after you’ve died

You realize your doubts, your shyness and fears

Held you back, kept you down all through your years.

So give it your best shot, be bold, strive and dare

To fly to the far peaks on a wing and a prayer.

                                                   GMW 3/14

            Mystery Memory

Have I run through a long, cold night?

Fought my fear of the swirling white?

Heard the shush and crunch of snow,

Felt the bite when the storm winds blow?

Though I cannot know, my spirit claims

Many and varied lifetimes and names,

Most of them spent in desert climes

But other places at other times

Perhaps have seen and challenged me,

Brought me down or set me free.

So as this long day slips nearer night,

Spirit-feet recall the cold, the white.

Once in a dream-night I ran with a pack,

Howled and ran, never looking back.

So was that a memory or merely a dream?

I can only trust in how real it did seem.
                                      GMW 3/14

I do have an affinity for wolves and they are mostly creatures of the more northern climes. Who knows. Yes, there are the so-called Mexican Gray Wolves down along the border here and of course their kin the coyotes, but I have dreamed of running over the snow and such, more than once actually.  I was never sure if that running was on two feet or four... Maybe I was a northern were-wolf in some incarnation! Smiling but not laughing as to me at least it is no joke.

Dare to be Different, Dare to Excel!

I may have mentioned that I was valedictorian of my high school class back in 1962. I had resolved in 1959 that I would make it when my old hero and crush Marvin only managed to be co-salutatorian. I have to attribute some of it to luck since after the year I was out of school, I fell in with a somewhat under-achieving class, but I did work and strive for that goal, too. I had to make a speech that graduation night and was very nervous because I was still terribly shy at the time. I made the actual speech high on pain pills due to a bad tooth extraction, but I did make a speech. My theme  was "Dare to be Different." I always was; I suppose I always will be. But in that case, the difference I supported was in daring to reach and strive, to try to exceed the norm and the standards of others to be your personal best. I've always held that sentiment or at least since I was old enough to understand it.

Here is the text of that speech: (Secretary Bolin was at that time Secretary of State of Arizona and if memory serves later became governor. Mr West was the HS Superintendent.) At the right is the young woman who gave that speech. I can hardly believe she was me or I am she...a half century later.

     "Secretary Bolin,  Mr. West, members of the school board and faculty, parents and friends. Tonight it is my honor and duty to represent my class in saying goodbye to high school days and in thanking all of you who have done so much to help us that we might reach this night.
     You are all interested in us, otherwise you would not be here tonight. Because of your interest, you have aided us in achieving this first major goal of our lives. You have done so much that we can never repay you completely. Tonight we thank all of you. In the future we hope to live our lives in such a way that you can be proud of us and know the effort you have spent on was is not wasted.
     Graduation is a unique time. At what other time can you look both forward and backward, see childhood and adulthood at one glance? The terms "graduation" and "commencement" are contradictory. One applies a beginning and the other an ending. Out feelings tonight are contradictory also.
     We are sad and happy, fearful and hopeful, humble and proud. Although we are sorry to be leaving behind the carefree days of youth, we are eagerly awaiting the future even though it may not always be bright. 
     When we ponder upon the significance of this ceremony and realize that it is now our turn to face life as adults, we feel humble for fear we may not be strong enough to carry this new burden. Still, we can't help feeling a bit of pride because we have finally reached an important goal in our lives. Because of this success, we are encouraged to believe that we may eventually reach goals which now seem as unattainable as our high school diplomas once did.
     So we laugh a little, cry a little, and then square our shoulders and come to join you. Let us in, please, and forgive our mistakes for we will be only apprentice adults for awhile and we have yet a great deal to learn. Certainly we will remember this night for many years to come. Don't you remember your graduation? Whether you graduated in 1961 or 1912, you recall your special day and perhaps some feature of life at that time. Probably your reaction when you compare your graduation day to this one will be, "times have changed."  Perhaps you think that schools are not strict enough nowadays.
     I disagree with that idea but I do believe that a few aspects of young people's educations are being neglected. Of course schools are not responsible for all of the teaching. The parents' duty is extensive. Whether the schools, parents or the times are at fault, I cannot say, but I believe that today's young people are not learning enough old-fashioned pioneer spirit.
     What is pioneer spirit? Why is it needed today? Pioneer spirit is difficult to define. it is a strange quality which nearly everyone possessed a few generations ago. Today it is a much more rare quality than wealth. 
     To me, pioneer spirit can be defined as a combination of independence, self-discipline and plain courage. You may say that such principles are out of date and out of place in our modern world.I cannot agree. 
     Today, pioneers, brave people who are willing to work beyond the call of duty and risk all to succeed are needed more than ever before. There are thousands of new frontiers waiting to be explored. The greatest frontiers ever open to mankind await pioneers who can conquer them.  Certainly the vastness of outer space provides a great challenge to modern explorers.Also there are many discoveries to be made.in medicine and science.
     I do not wish to imply that modern young people are lacking in good qualities. According to many experts and psychologists, they are superior to past generations in many ways, but they are strangely lacking in ambition and individualism. Although the lower level of intelligence and ability is rising, the top level is falling at a similar rate. Soon there will be neither superior nor inferior individuals, nor with there be replacements for today's experts and leaders. 
     No one can deny that most doctors, scientists, astronauts and even educators are exceptional people. Because not everyone is exceptional, superior individuals are different. They do not fit in well. Modern society is not sympathetic to people who don't fit in. Practically every aspect of life today seems to form obstacles for those who wish to rise above the masses. People who have pioneer spirit and exceptional abilities are discouraged by those who scorn them for being "different" and urge them to conform to conventional standards. Where will the future Albert Einsteins, Marie Curies, and Scott Carpenters come from? 
     Young people must dare to be different! Teachers, parents and other leaders must help them by removing some of the obstacles from their paths. Independence and resourcefulness must be rewarded ratter than rejected. Security, no doubt, is wonderful. Also there may be safety in hiding in the masses, but safety and security seldom coincide with fame and adventure, high achievement. Some of us must sacrifice safety and security for the thrills and rewards which will come to the pioneers of the future. Some of us must dare to be different!
     Thank you.

Many years have passed since that night near the end of May, 1962 when I spoke those words but the beliefs I held then are essentially unchanged. I think this is why I am fascinated by excellence, daring and sacrifice, courage and determination wherever I see them. Setting example for the young people of today who will deal with a world more troubled, complex and needy than I ever dreamed is the most important role one can aspire to. So to the graduates of 2014, I can repeat the challenge: Dare to be different! Dare to excel!

Tales with tails

I expect the next few weeks will see quite a few posts here with a 'tail' or two attached. If you are not interested in horses and mules or in dogs or maybe in Alaska, you might take a sabbatical! I've got a second piece turned in to Mules and More magazine--it will likely be published in 2-3 months but I will probably not know until it lands in my mailbox. Also, I will be backtracking through my scanned pictures to my cowboy girl days and remembering some of the critters than played major parts in my life for about fifteen years there.

Then there is this project that more or less burst out of the dim recesses of memory, sub-conscious and fate to virtually take over my life. Right now it is in a very fluid and formative stage and I am not ready to say a lot more until I have some approvals and maybe support lined up but suffice to say it has to do with mushing, Alaska and writing. I will share more, a lot more, as soon as I am sure it is going to go forward. Once I shake loose and shout that first, "hike, hike" (they actually do not say "Mush, huskies" these days I gather!), you will probably be hearing about it until you are ready to shriek,"Enough, already!"

Short and sweet--the race is over and three female rookies were the last ones in yesterday afternoon. The big award ceremony will be held this evening, Alaska time, and it will be in the books for another season, the forty-second as it were. There has been some negative publicity and brouhaha about one musher who claimed the committee in effect abandoned him and his team in dire straits. I do not buy it and posted a snarky comment in the forum at the Iditarod site. None of that will cloud my enthusiasm and support at all. 99.9% of the contestants have nothing but good to say about the organizers, volunteers and staff working in the background. All who finished a very tough race are heroes in my estimate and even most of those who dropped out due to injuries or concern for their teams. In view of the difficulties and danger in this particular race, they were probably prudent. There is the old adage of living to fight another day. No mushers and no dogs died, despite some huge challenges.

I know even some of my close friends feel this event is cruel to the dogs. Yes, in ways it is harsh and taxing but I am convinced the animals love it and this is what they are bred and trained to do. If they do not love it, they will never get to the point of actual competition. Pups that don't show the real drive are given or sold to pet homes--just like those of various breeds who fall short of the skills to compete in herding or agility or the looks to be examples of the breed. They will still be loved and have good homes but just not out there. It is analogous to many of us who cannot be top athletes, rock stars or whatever. Is it 'cruel' for young athletes to train fiercely for say the Olympics? In some cases where maybe parents or others push them too far, perhaps but normally, I do not believe it is.

I expect my understanding of the dynamic here comes from the many miles I put in on the back of a horse or mule and the connection and teamwork I learned in those joint efforts. I formed a bond as strong as a blood tie or a deep love with those animals because we relied on each other to get off that mountain in the dark or make it through a really long, hard day of travel to accomplish a task such as teaching a wild colt to lead or gathering cattle out of thick brush in rough country. The connection of the mushers with their teams is the same. You can see the mutual love in some of the photos. It's not faked just for the camera--the dogs would give the ruse away because animals are 100% honest and have no idea of playing to the crowd. Some are hams, yes, and you can tell they eat up the attention but when it comes to their guy or gal--it's genuine as anything gets. I have yet to see a dog cowering and cringing in any of the hundreds of photos taken in this and prior Iditarod races. You cannot buy that love with treats and baby talk; it has to be real because of this life sustaining bond that grows though mutual reliance and trust.

I'd love to share some of those photos but they are not mine and I believe that copyright laws are just and needed and do not violate them lightly. So all I can offer is one of mine with one of the mules from the past--I still feel the link whether is shows in the photo or not. Probably an apple core for Louie after we'd shared a lunch break.I expect we had been working cattle with Charley Bryant.

One for the books and the legends!!

When I wrote my blog last evening I had no idea the drama that would take place overnight up in the frozen northlands. I finally shut down at 3:00 a.m. my time with the race still unsettled despite the fact that they'd expected Jeff King into Nome about midnight Alaska time. That did not happen. He had a mishap in gale force winds and scratched out sometime around 2:00 a.m. my time. By then, Aliy was in Safety, the final checkpoint, twenty miles out, tied down while winds raged at 65 mph or so. Here is a link to an article in one of the Alaska papers if you are curious how it all went down.  http://www.adn.com/2014/03/11/3368344/blasting-wind-forces-king-from.html.

In the end, it was the younger Seavey who staggered into Nome about 4:00 a.m. Alaska time. He did not realize until told that he had just won for the second time. He thought the light behind him, which was Aliy, was his dad, and he was racing him for third place! Visibility was so terrible with ground blizzard conditions in the wind that Aliy had passed Jeff, cracked up just off the trail, and never saw him and Seavey did not know who was where. Aliy followed Seavey in to Nome and gained most of the short lead he had since he only signed in and kept on mushing. It was just not quite enough as she took a few minutes to get her dogs up and running after he came through. Still, her time was only two minutes behind his official crossing the line. What an awesome, bizarre and incredible race!

So it was not quite the photo finish I mentioned last night which had happened in 1978 BTW but was the second closest race in the forty-two years the Iditarod has been run. It was a virtual tie but since they measure down to seconds, Aliy is second for the third time. But sooooo close!! Last night in the terrible conditions I just prayed she and her dogs would be okay, winning be damned. And they were. Thanks to the Powers for that! All her dogs got a fresh steak and then were bedded down by the handlers to be fed, watered and kept snug as they richly deserved..Ten finished with Aliy including her little lead girl Quito.

A few other odd things cross my mind. Yesterday afternoon when Jeff King left White Mountain, I believe it was Joe Runyon, a long term Iditarod expert who follows and comments on the race, said something to the effect that, "It's King's race to lose." How prophetic was that odd remark? Did some intuition speak through his seemingly simple words? The double meaning  was not clear at the time. But it was also noted that while Aliy did get some rest during the mandatory eight hour stop, King was totally wired, up and moving all the time. So I am wondering if fatigue played a role in his accident. The wind was no doubt awful and the reports say a fierce gust blew him and the sled and team off the trail and into a pile of driftwood and debris. At that point,  the route follows a narrow spit of land where high tides and storm surges deposit a lot of ocean flotsam.

The dogs became so entangled in the mess that he could not get them freed to travel on--all the while fighting the wind and cold. Could he have drifted a bit off the trail and not been alert enough to steady his dogs and get them past this situation? I expect we will never know. He would have been the oldest winner, at 58 to the senior Seavey's 54 last year, adding a fifth win to his record and dramatically breaking the speed record; maybe he was just too keyed up. At least I do not believe he or any dogs were seriously hurt.

Dallas Seavey and Aliy did run the 1st and 2nd fastest Iditarods ever at 8 days, 14 hours and some minutes to John Baker's 8-18-xx which was in 2011, not 2010 as I said yesterday. So there will be mushers straggling in to Nome for the next day or two--some fifty or so still out--but the race is really over. While it is a tremendous accomplishment to finish at all, history only tends to remember those who win. Place and show may be noted but beyond that you are just an also-ran. However, I say it is much, much better to have given it your best shot, tried with all your soul and accomplished an incredible feat, win, lose or draw! My hat is off to all who cross that final line in whatever order they may do so. They are all heroes and examples of courage and determination. And those wonderful dogs are awesome, amazing and absolute athletes.

On by...

Which is what a musher says when they are wanting to take the trail and pass someone. Until the last stretch, the one asked has to yield. From the final checkpoint at Safety for the last twenty-two miles into Nome, it is each musher for him/herself and can get wild. There have been a few very close races including the famous win by a nose--where one musher's lead dogs stretched enough to get under the arch first. It may not be that close tonight but it could and this will definitely be one for the books from what I am reading.

Aliy is in second place, leaving the White Mountain checkpoint an hour behind four time winner veteran Jeff King who moved up the last day or two and grabbed the lead last night between Elim and White Mountain, passing Aliy. They ran within sight of each other all day yesterday. Despite some horrendous conditions, this is going to be the fastest time ever. John Baker, a native Aleut who won in 2010, set the prior record of 8 days 18 hours and some minutes. It is likely Jeff or Aliy will clock in around 8 days, 10 hours and even the rest of the first 3-5 mushers may beat the prior record. The two Seaveys are next after Aliy, two and four hours behind her. Some others who were front runners at some point have fallen well behind and stand no chance to make the first five. It is been one hell of a race, truly! I've been enthralled to watch things unfold.

Now, my little bit of personal news, or possible news-to-be. I've been an Alaska fan since about 1953 when I read my parents' copies of the two books by Bud and Constance Helmricks about their years homesteading in the Alaskan wilderness. Then I got hooked on the Iditarod reading about Libby Riddles' amazing victory in 1985, she being the first woman to win after daring a blizzard that most of the male mushers elected to sit out. Then Susan Butcher won four times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There have been a number of other lady mushers who did well even if they did not win but made a big mark on the race and have become legendary. I want to do a book on The Women of the Iditarod and also see something of Alaska for myself. I know I have to go in the summer as I doubt I could handle the cold and sunless winter months but I'm going to try to get there this year. If I can find a kennel, stable or some other place that will hire me for room and board, I think I can swing air fare and use the free time I would have from such work to visit and interview and so on.... So wish me heaps of luck!!

I'll post a short special once the race is over--at least the first few mushers are in and then let this subject go for awhile, honest!

Still Going to the Dogs

If you are not mushing and dog fans, you can stop reading! This time of year, I am totally enthralled with my special weird passion. A considerable pack of the racers are at the halfway point now, having survived some horrible trail conditions--a big stretch that was almost totally glare ice, a trek across a burn scar that was bare of snow and studded with rocks and jagged stumps etc and then some more ice. Finally they are far enough north to have gotten to some good solid snow and the pace is picking up. But now there is wind chill to contend with and cold in the sub zero range.

I have to chuckle at this poster. It says it all! And "only" twenty five miles? What pikers those humans are!! This looks like one of the Siberian Huskies some of the mushers favor. There are several kinds of huskies and some other dogs that are used too.

From what I have read, the bad trail was a lot worse for the mushers and very hard on equipment but the dogs generally fared pretty well. There were some crashes where the dogs got going too fast and could not stop on the ice and sleds were wrecked and some mushers hurt. Only one serious enough to require him to scratch out, with a broken leg. But one guy is going on with a trashed up knee, probably serious ACL damage but he has braced and taped it and will not quit! These folks are not sissies, for sure. Yes, it has become big business but it is, IMHO, a lot less phony and big-biz shenanigans than most professional sports and even college sports. It's about as real as it gets. No WWF stunts here. Basically it is a man or woman and their dogs against the worst Mother Nature can throw at them and the sheer endurance required to go 1,000 miles. That would not be easy with a wheeled cart on a smooth track in moderate weather but --well, I am sure you get the picture!

Speaking of pictures, the Iditarod site has some great photos but they are copyrighted and I am not going to share them here as much as I would like to. You can also visit Aliy and her husband's "Skunk's Place Kennels" site to see a  lot more. By the way, Skunk was Aliy's first lead dog when she arrived in Alaska and began to mush, even before she met her husband and they combined forces to race and raise sled dogs. I can tell how much she loved that dog and that's why the somewhat odd name.  Here is the link to their blog page and site: http://spkenneldoglog.blogspot.com/

Stories are coming out by the several bloggers who are following the race, many literally going along by snow machines and planes from checkpoint by checkpoint. If you have any doubts how much these mushers love their dogs, you wouldn't once you read these tales. One guy was almost in tears when one of his lead dogs inexplicably began to fade so he got him to the nearest check point and left him with the vets there to be flown back to Anchorage for TLC until the race is over. Most mushers have to drop at least a dog or two as they keep close tabs on their team and the vets check each dog at every check point. Some mushers even pull a 'caboose' trailer behind the sled where they can carry a weak or injured dog to safety.Others ride on the main sled atop the musher's sled bag or gear carrying bag that attaches to the sled.

Anyway as to "going to the dogs," I had impulsively signed up for something on line and then decided to cancel. I figured what I had paid was lost, so I was very surprised that they refunded the full amount without any hassle at all. That "found" money has now gone to be a supporter of the SPKennel site and become an official 'fan' of Aliy's sweet female lead dog, Quito. Quito is a small husky, not much bigger than Belle and Ginger but she and Aliy have terrific rapport and that has to be one very clever and canny little girl dog! She led Aliy's team across those horrible 3-400 miles in relatively good shape. Aliy had some bumps and bruises but she and her equipment came through relatively unscathed. No one made that part of the trail without some scars to show for it this time. Several scratched out before they got to the worst part including Aliy's friend and former mentor Deedee Jonrowe who at 60 is one of the older women to be still running this race. I am not sure but think she is a cancer survivor or honors one as she always wears a pink parka and her dogs have pink harness and booties. She is on the cover of this year's program in a shot from last year's race.

Late Note: Yes, Deedee is a breast cancer survivor and ran one Iditarod shortly after completing chemotherapy treatment. Talk about dedicated, determined, and amazing! I think she finished in the top ten that time--awesome or what?

So enough on that until the winner crosses under the burled arch at Nome. probably some time next Monday or even Tuesday. They still have a lot of hard miles to cover and out there literally anything can happen. Most of the grizzleys are hibernating but the wolves are out and about and one stalked a walker who is following the race on foot. They have followed some of the mushers at times too but seem unwilling to tackle a team of dogs that are close to a match in size and strength for them since wolves seldom hunt in groups of 12-16!

Offer of a copy of the program still stands for a randomly selected commentor on these Iditarod related posts!

And they are off...

It was a gorgeous sunny bright day in Willow, Alaska today when the sixty nine mushers and their teams took off in the order of bib numbers the mushers drew. My gal Aliy is running with number 10 this time but was the 9th to take off. (There was no bib 1; I think there is a story behind this but have to research the matter.) In the long run this start order doesn't make a lot of difference because an hour or even several that it takes for each racer to get a clear solo start will have minimal impact on the many hours they will be running. They get off at about 2-5 minute intervals. The dogs are mostly very hyper and this helps to avoid fights, getting teams tangled up etc. They generally start with sixteen dogs in the hitch so a team stretches out quite a ways to give each pair room to maneuver and run easily. As they go along, almost every musher will drop some.dogs that suffer a minor injury or are just getting too tired. They can get down to eight dogs--less than that is too hard on the animals left and they'd probably be forced to withdraw.

Added note: I learned that they actually add the time difference for each starter ahead of the final one to the mandatory twenty four hour rest that each musher must make somewhere along the trail. The playing field is as level as it can be made! (Despite climbing some pretty steep and high ridges and such--everyone has to do that too!)

It takes awhile to sort things out and often the early front runners do not hold that position for long. I will be following them by some GPS data, blogger comments and so on that I access through the Iditarod official website. I have a membership and "Insider" status that lets me see more than someone who just drops in or surfs there by accident. But anyone can see quite a lot! Here is the URL: www.iditarod.com That will take you to the home page.

Since there was a tragic situation of a dropped dog dying last year, there are new and even more stringent procedures for care of dropped dogs this time. Of course those with the musher get royal treatment at every stop. Vets check them all and they eat a rich diet and most sleep in open straw filled boxes at the stop over checkpoints. I know from having a couple of part Husky dogs in Colorado that they really do not mind sleeping right on a snowbank and out in the open air. They have a fierce metabolism and put out loads of heat. Anyway they are beautiful animals and you can really see the wolf in most of them. I won't bore you with a lot more on this but it's a passion of mine and I do enjoy talking about it!

Here is Aliy at the start today, all smiles. But don't be fooled--this is one tough and determined lady and she has a fantastic bond with her dogs. She and her husband train and work closely with every one in their kennel and this time she has several veterans of either her earlier Iditarod runs or the Yukon Quest race which he has won twice in a row.  He is running the Iditarod too but was back in the middle all the way last year, leaving her plenty of room to shine. The Quest is more his race and the Iditarod hers.I think that is kind of cool!

Again, GO ALIY!!