We made it to Carman with the truck running all the way!!! We are parked in a remote (I can see houses about ½ mile away but that’s it..) in the middle of a vast sea of snow (which in growing season is probably wheat) flatter that most pancakes! Needless to say there is not wifi here…………Randy looked at the trail says it will probably pack up good tonite but wonders about whether you would be able to hook down. While we were feeding dogs here another driver from Minnesota arrived – he says he’s been driving dogs 45 years (3 longer than Rand) – this must gonna’ be a “senior citizens” race!!! The funniest things that happened to me today were 1) cleaning up the back sleeper part of the truck after not having ridden in it in a week, I reached down to pick up some lint from the floor and there was a mouse………..dead…….but still one of my least favorite things!!!! I guess he came along for the ride from Michigan! 2) When I went to take the movie back to the Red Box in Walmart, I must have tried for 5 minutes to get it to go in the slot and then the perky greeter finally (after watching me struggle….) said “you have to press “return” on the screen” – better late help than none I always say….. Drive down to Carman came off without a hitch – the road had frost heaves in it and the scenery leaves something to be desired – vast flat fields with few homes and very little in the way of trees. Not much to look at! Got here and found the place of business for the race coordinator, Sean. He works at a family business making things out of granite! Including the ever-popular cemetery markers! He led us to the race site and wonder of wonders………..it is in a big flat field! They had a parking lot scraped out but not down to the ground so we put the chains on the tires to play it safe! Got parked without problem for the nite. Up in the morning and thought, what the heck, there aren’t any people here…until about 9 or so after we watched them put the start/finish chute in – 2 big round bales and some orange fence that kept blowing over – this is really like their first race so much of what happened for the 2 days could be attributed to that – we aren’t going to complain, because beggars can’t!!!! There were not a lot of entries in the classes (like about 5….a far cry from when I entered the 6 dog in Quebec and there were usually 60 entrants!) and the day was good for racing. There were not very many entrants but lots of spectators!!!! All day long they bought busloads of kids for every race- must have been between 50 and 100 most of the day!! – the snow was a bit granular and so I took special care putting Zeus Juice (a secret oil that we put on the dog’s feet that we heard of from Ken and Laurie Chezik) on all of their feet = the results for Friday’s race were 4 dog- 3rd, 6 dog- 3rd and 8 dog – 4th!!! And the most wonderful thing is that 1-3rd got a trophy which was a granite dog engraved by Sean the race coordinator!!! Even better; we spent $180 to enter the 2 days of the race and Randy won $210!!! The awards were given at the pick up truck in the parking lot and we got a good feel for the humor of the people here – everyone is a comedian – and funny!!! Very friendly and just happy we were here to race their race! After racing 3 classes Randy still had 6 dogs he wanted to try and see if they had recovered from injuries so we hooked up a 4th team and he went 4 miles – they all seemed to be fine. So in creating his teams for Saturday (very unusual to have a 2 day race be 2 separate races; each with its own prize money; and you can have whatever new set of dogs in your team the second day!!!) So we were very happy that we decided to come here to Carman. Before the day was out the timer said she or her husband (who has a province-renowned 8-miniature horse team that pull a show wagon) would pick us up for the free pancake breakfast in the morning (because we were in the parking lot with chains on and didn’t want to move until the races were over)– and he did and it was free and good! The day was the warmest since we left Michigan (which already seems like a century ago…..) sunshine and the snow melting so I am thinking above 32 degrees though I didn’t look at the temp as I was still busy hooking up dogs and doing feet (Randy decided after yesterday that he didn’t want me to get hurt doing the trail so he raced all 3 classes again on Saturday). A few more teams here today but Randy still did mighty respectable with 4 dog- 4th, 6-dog, 3rd and 8 dogs- 4th – that means we will get another 3rd place granite award!!!! (Randy just told me that if we are going to get 3-3rds that will equal a first!!!!!! Ha Ha!) And be still farther ahead financially! Many people stop and ask about he dogs and the rig – one guy who did not tell me his age, said he had showed cows for 50 years…he decided that dogsledding was just as much of an addiction but that we were lucky we didn’t have to “wash” the dogs to participate!!! The awards are at 5:30 with a chili supper so I will have more to report!! We had no trouble getting out of the parking lot and made our way to the community building for the chili supper and awards – the supper was free for us- an additional bonus and was very good –they even put celery and carrot sticks in a little cup with ranch dressing at the bottom – never saw that before!!! Randy did get another 3rd place trophy and did make the joke whiled accepting it that 3 thirds make a first! When he went up to get the check for the 8 dogs the little boy at the next table said “Randy again…..” After the supper and awards they had the most beautiful fireworks! At least 15 minutes and I saw some firework configurations I had never seen (maybe because they were Canadian…..???) We were able see them standing right next to our truck. We made sure not to be moving dogs around till after them – we had a bad experience in Daquaam, Quebec while they were doing fireworks. They started them while the dogs were still dropped and while I was putting one of them in an upper outside dog box she flung herself out of my arms and wasn’t found until the next morning by Lou Serre! Then while we were feeding dogs supper, a friend of a friend – Matt is a friend of our friend Dave Hochman whom we knew from racing in Frazee Minnesota = stopped by as we were feeding the dogs = lots of good dog talk because he used to be a handler for Terry Streeper. His main goals are to run the Rondy and the Iditarod – it’s no wonder it would be appealing to stop and talk more with Randy! Matt will be in the Pas along with Eddy Streeper, Terry and Buddy Streeper, Dave Hochman, Matt, and hopefully Mark Hartum – it will be like “old home week”!!! Up this morning to yet another mild temp day but lots of fog – during the nite the humidity frosted everything so it looks like a fairyland! Fed dogs breakfast and are planning to start north again if it isn’t too foggy still after we drop the dogs again. Made it to The Pas with only some freezing rain to slow us down – the generator in the trailer wouldn’t start once we got here so we decided to Motel 8-it – seems good to see tv again – will talk to you tomorrow!