Problems with the wifi again………I am even sitting right in the clubhouse and I still am not able to get on!! I finished 3 loads of laundry and had lunch with Pat and Ron and then Pat brought me back to our trailer at the track clubhouse and we fed dogs and then got ready to go to Mari Hoe-Raito’s house for dinner – it took a little over 45 minutes to get down to Salcha but with Dorothy the GPS’s help we didn’t have any trouble finding her cabin – it’s beautiful – just as you imagine a cabin in the woods in Alaska should look!! And we had moose for dinner!!! She had cooked it in the crock pot and then we had it as a gravy over rice and broccoli from her last summer’s garden and then for dessert hand picked wild blueberries!!! I spent quite a bit of time with her daughter Adeline and also Marie Wynn, a neighbor, was there with us for dinner. Adeline and I played golf, bowling and baseball on the Wii (sp???) and that was my first time!!! It was very fun – I think Adeline was surprised how well I did – being my first time she probably thought I would be “lame”………
This morning we were up with our “alarm clock”, Arrow (she is getting to be a bit irritating, she is the only dog that barks……..) at 9:30 and had breakfast. Tonite is the driver’s meeting and draw at the Westmark Hotel – snacks for dinner tonite!!
While I have the time I need to tell you a funny story – I had been using a styrofoam cup to put linament in to warm up in the microwave before I applied to the sore dogs – well Randy thought he would take a gulp of milk with his Tyleon PM’s ……..you got it!!!!!! Yghhhhhhhh!!!!!! It looked like mild but sure didn’t taste like it!!!
Wednesday we spent around the track and visiting with all kinds of people including the Hartum's from Alberta - at the driver's meeting Randy drew a 7 and that actually is probably pretty good because he has 2 "medium" teams behind him and 2 "fast" teams ahead of him- so not likely to have to pass - he is still considering Echo in lead and he has only run the one race for me in lead and never passed in a race!!!! Nice appetizers and nice company at the meeting - Amanda Byrd sat with us and I finally caught on that her accent was Australian not British.....also had all the Hartums and Rob Peebles - Randy even did a little "negotiating" for borrowing 2 dogs for the race from the Erharts.....we will see how that goes..2 dogs we have never seen before! and put them in your team on day 1!!!!
Today is Thursday and this morning we went to a breakfast (burritos!) for drivers of the race and handlers - talked alot with Mya and Elle Hartum about their horses and practicing for barrel racing this summer - back to the clubhouse for the driver's meeting with the race marshal Mike McGowen and then Randy could have ridden around the trail with his sled behind a snowmobile but opted not to.......too cold and long and many hours
This morning we have been able to be helpful to several people because we carry our "house" with us.....cough drops to Dawn Brown, back pain medicine and heating pad to Mark Hartum and Randy fixed a driver's truck that just flew in to Anchorage from the bush and then drove up to Fairbanks over nite - he had to find a way to open the hood cause it would not work and then had to clean all the battery connections before it would turn over!! Makes us feel good to be able to help.....

This afternoon trim toenails and go to the store and buy petroleum jelly and mineral oil - Rocky swallowed his leg wrap (we think, cause it wasn't there in the morning and not in his box in the hay.......) per Dawn Brown's suggestion - try and "oil it out" - she said it may take a month before he passes and there is no predicting whether he will have problems with it.....so we wait.....

I don't know what my computer's issue is but I have even had trouble getting on the wifi here at McDonalds......so who knows when I will get a chance to post again - I will do my best. Tomorrow we leave the track at 11 to be downtown at 11:30 and the race start is at 1p - you are supposed to be able to follow it on the website (sleddog.org) but who knows if that will work!! We love you all!! Wish Randy luck!!