Iditarod -- March 7, 2015 -- Anchorage

             The weather forecast went from an overnight snow accumulation of "up to 9 inches," to 6 inches, to 3 inches, to in fact, rain. By 9:00 a.m. when we set out for the Iditarod though, the rain was ending, and the sky clearing and windy. Downtown the wind whipped the flags, pushed the road barriers, and made sails of people's ponchos, but didn't seem to disturb the dogs in the least.

Dogs -- stars of the show.


Fact --78 mushers and about 1,200 dogs. In the thick of it, easy to believe, and remarkably noisy. Each team seemed to have a dozen or more helpers -- dog handlers, musher handlers, and handlers' handlers. Not to mention that every spectator over the age of ten seemed to have at least one camera (not counting phones, and helicopters with cameras). We only hung around the west end of the scene where sleds were getting ready because we had another commitment at 10:00, but got plenty of photos nonetheless.

A musher handler (not a dog handler).

      Each team has a truck, which often is graffitied with advertising. But a few were works of art -- this one, with the thistles, for example.

Advertising the "Mushing Mortician."

The well-worn, rusting-out look -- but the dogs look great.

 As the time got closer to hitch the dogs up, someone had to put booties on each foot of each dog. Note that at the curb of Fourth Avenue, the dogs are standing on wet pavement. The snow was in the middle of the street, and down the middles of the side streets where many of the teams were getting set up.

This one's got a jacket, along with the booties.

A pair of dogs in harness, ready to run. It was hard to get a long shot of a whole team -- I'll find some stock photos and post them later.

The mushers and spectators were worth watching. Not sure who this musher is -- either Aussie, or Kiwi.

People were dressed warmly -- it was 38 degrees, but the wind was cold and damp, and the forecast was for increasing chill. Fur was much in evidence for hats and ruffs, but too heavy for jackets.

Spectators dressed warmly too.

At Fire Island, people sitting outside, and a little dog, not ready for the mushing life.

Later in the day, we went back to see how the snow sculptures were doing. Costumed Girl Scouts waylaid us and persuaded us to buy the last box of Thin Mints. Who could turn down an offer from these kids?

The sculptures had taken on an earthy, ancient-ruins quality.

Pussy willow bush.

 Rolling up the fences on Fourth Avenue.

 A be-whiskered Alaskan.

We missed the Frostbite Race along Fourth Avenue, but captured a couple of the contestants outside a bar.

Over it all, mostly clear blue skies.

Later, sunset over Cook Inlet.

Plane landing at the airport.

Kites on the Park Strip.

Another Alaskan-hatted guy at Bear Tooth.

Anchorage days, March 6, 2015

   Raindrops on the birch tree outside the kitchen window this morning.

Our bare backyard; photo taken for contrast just in case it actually snows tonight.

Some blue sky in the morning -- that was about it for the day.

Ice floes on the mud flats of Cook Inlet; calm water.

First dandelion, on the west side of the Court's Snowden Building.

Visitors on Fourth Avenue, heading east with their bags full of information from the Visitors' Center. Note the fencing already up along the curb, in place for the Iditarod start tomorrow.

Sculpture on Old City Hall lawn.

First Friday in Anchorage, so shows and artists all around downtown. Marla showing off an over-the-top boot for a little girl. Cinderella would be jealous, if not for the fact the Shu-Z-Q has even blingier shoes for grownups.

 Tamara Hageland was the featured artist at Cabin Fever.

The International Gallery on D Street had a structure whose interior lined with thousands (7,560, to be exact) egg shells.

Jim looking at the outside. I didn't get a chance to read all of the information posted about the endeavor, so am not sure what the purpose was (other than the fun of putting together something so improbable?).

Back on Fourth Avenue, people were busy setting up for tomorrow's Iditarod start. A tent on E Street.

More fencing going up near H Street, to separate the spectators from the dog teams.

The bronze statue for Balto the Sled Dog who was the lead on the last leg of the original run to the diphtheria serum to Nome (the Iditarod race was modeled after this 1925 1,000 mile run to Nome). This is a duplicate of the statue of Balto in Central Park in New York City.

The start line for the race at Fourth and D Street, with the flags for all the countries who have sent racers -- U.S.A., Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden.

Snow plow downtown waiting for the snow to arrive from its storage spot on Tenth Avenue at the west end of the Park Strip. Rain was starting about the time of this photo -- drizzle, to be more precise. But not snow.

The lawn by the Captain Cook Hotel was snow-free (the little pile of ice toward the back is what remains of the ice sculpture that went up in mid-January).

The snow "vacuum" at the end of the Park Strip, sucking up snow to be sent in dump trucks to Fourth Avenue.

A long stretch of snow to move -- but note how dry the street itself is. At midnight, 39 degrees, not raining (that's good), instead of the promised six to nine inches of snow. Maybe it's falling in Boston.

One more bit of art -- a hand-painted purse at Shu-Z-Q.