Curling

Last Friday we went curling with a group from BP. We have never done it before and actually trying to stay upright after you have thrown a stone down the rink was quite a challenge. The idea of wearing one slippery shoe when you are standing on the ice seems wrong as well.

After a while, a few got the hang of it and were dropping stones in the 'house' at regular intervals. The shot is me having just sent a stone down, pointing sideways.


It got quite competitive and everyone enjoyed the event except for the curler who fell over and hit his head on the ice - that must have stung a bit!

Earlier in the day we had been skiing and we are both finally gaining confidence, coping with bigger slopes and going a bit further on some of the trails. That could easily be our last ski this winter as the thaw had started this week and the good snow will be gone very soon. April is typically a very mucky month as the snow melts and goes slushy. Too soft to ski but not dry enough to go hiking. I'm sure we will find something to keep us busy.

Alan & Sylvia

Mush! (2)

Saturday 6 March saw the start of the 1054 mile Iditarod race from Anchorage to Nome and all the mushers went past the end of our road on the way to the first checkpoint. This is Newton Marshall from Jamaica who is the first West Indian musher ever to enter the race. As he went past, he greeted the crowds with 'yea, mon!' and gave us a laugh and a wave.

This is Lance Mackey, who is almost certain to win the 2010 race. His dogs are in the paper every day and are looking very strong. He started with 14 and is now down to 11. The dogs that gave up on the way are checked out by vets and transported back to base by volunteers so they are well looked after.


Here is another shot on the Yukon River of another musher and his team. Pretty bleak!

Alan & Sylvia

Mush!

Saturday saw the start of the World Sled Dog Championships over a 26 km track around Anchorage, starting in the Main Street and going out into the sticks, past the end of our road, and back to the town centre for the finish.

They don't actually shout Mush!, but they do call Haw! for left and Gee! for right. The shots show the start, the dogs coming along the trail at the end of our road, and on the way home. Note the sign at the top of the 3rd picture to remind the dogs what becomes of the slow runners! Anchorage's finest were also on patrol to issue tickets to every dog sled that went through the red light.

This was the celebration of the 75th Fur Rondy (rendezvous), when the trappers used to come in to the town with their winters catch to flog them in a huge fur auction. Furs were the reason that Russia took an interest in Alaska in the 19th century, and they thought they had pulled a fast one when they sold Alaska to the USA for $7million, as they thought the fur resources were depleted. What a different world it would have been if Russia had all the oil that Alaska has produced.

Alan

Running of the Reindeer

To compete with bull running in Italy, Anchorage has the annual reindeer run during the Fur Rendezvous that takes place at the end of February.

To get the reindeer to race, the trick is to feed them half their tea, then lead them to the other end of 4th St and let them chase back to their trough while some foot-runners try to beat them to the finish line. A huge crowd turned out to see the spectacle.

Little did the four-legged competitors know that the hot dogs being served at the finish line were made with reindeer sausage!

Alan wanted to enter the race, but the entry fee was a little dear! Ha ha.

More to come on Rondy celebrations.

Alan