Getting ready for the big event!!

Went downtown for the blanket toss and had to take a picture of the view

Randy being part of the blanket toss

Got them pretty high!! So much fun - both of us spent at least 15 minutes helping to toss~!!!

Vies coming back from Kincaid Park where we went today hoping to see some moose

the view from the deck at the banquet/event hall we went to for the Iditarod banquet where they draw the start numbers for leaving in the ceremonial start tomorrow  - at the table we sat at there was Samantha LaLonde and her family who is a  rookie competitor this year

We saw Martin Buser immediately and Randy went to talk to him - reminded him of 1998 when he was Radny's best man when we got married under the burled arch in Nome

this is the story about Jessie- we were in Fairbanks at the Musher's hall in the parking lot and Randy noticed this guy wearing just a windbreaker taking care of dogs - so he asked him if he would like a full carport Randy had for working on the truck over whatever so he didn't get first - and he gave it to Jessie - he remembers every time we see him and that has be at lest twice, last time being at a seminar in Wisconsin where he actually came up to our room with Jim Moyer and Lydia and shot the you know what!  great to see him and we plan to go to see him and his dogs tomorrow 

we have gone to the White Spot Cafe 3 time in the week we have been in Anchorage - great halibut and everything else - this kid is the son of the owner and so darn efficient and good as a do everythign server!!!  takes your order and never even writes it down!!!  great kid!!!!!!!

We went to   Kincaid Park looking for moose and didn't find them but saw tracks - This is Randy on the bridge there
 

Thursday -excited in anticipation of the Iditarod start!!!

 Yesterday was a day of shopping and visiting and gawking............

First off was a trip up the mountain to visit with a  nurse named Linda Sandstrom - and buy a wolf ruff from her that was attached to a kasper coat that was handmade by someone - we wanted the ruff for my new red coat so the pink one it was sewn onto was a byproduct = she was wonderful - a really good, joyful and welcoming person who also happened to be a nurse!  we visited her home that was in process of contrstruction up on the mountain about a mile high and just beautiful with the view!!!

We then went further up the mountain to a park and took more pictures of Denali (Mt. McKinley) which was doing a rare appearance (very hard to see because of cloud cover in the winter)  the road was a hairpin switchback and made Randy very nervous - we hiked to the very top of Flat top and it was exquisite!!!!!

Then to the Alaska Zoo - my favorites were the grizzly bears playing and the eagle!!

To lunch at a place that has a contest during the Fur Rondy for shucking oysters!!!  we didn't stay til 5 but it would have been fun to see!!

site of the oyester shucking!!!

same place as above - delicious halibut blackened salad and the biggest bar (the actual wooden bar in a huge rectangle!!) I have ever seen!!!  also 21 tv's!!!!

here you go "Wolverine" fans!!!

red tail hawk

hugest porky we have ever seen!!! 70 pounds!!!  glad they are not that big in Michigan!!!

2 Grizz bears playing

snow leopard

the road down was mighty steep!!!

the yak

Awesome Denali!!!

atop Flattop!!

Randy talking to Linda

the view from her dining table

it's like this all the way up the mountain - looking down on half your neighbors!!

handsome isn't he???

Seeing the sights!!!

 
ivory carving at the Anchorage museum - so very delicate

selfie in the dark room at the museum that was simulating what it would be like to be in a earthquake 

the lobby of the hotel where all of the Iditarod registering takes place  - we registered

as volunteers and got out shirts and badges - now we are legal!!!  I even brought out shirts from when we volunteered in 1998!!

a view of the restaurant we had lunch at today - Acrtic Express and it was - faster than McDonalds!!!  I had a blackened salmon sandwich and it was delicious!!  the interesting thing was that they had framed photos of people that had come to live here and what they did!!  all over the restaurant on every wall

Arctic Express  see the photos even on the ceiling!

they had something that when I saw it I had to haveL  onion strings - like the leftovers from making onion rings so smaller and with less batter on them!!!!  even bette that I imagined!!!

one of the oldest fur stores in town - notice the mammoth tusk..........????

tusk info

furs

and more furs!!!

museum display - half the moose is on one side of the wall and the other side is the other half!

beautiful paintings throughout!!!

entrance to the fur store

parka made from the intestines of many different animals and fish

beautiful!!!!

these mitts have teeth sewn on them for decoration 

I couldn't believe it - they made goggles for the sun out of wood!!

Alaskans have been using these for forever - these are examples of really old ones

biggest painting I can remember seeing!!

they captured the beauty of the aurora borealis!!

amazing!!!  the decorative "saddle" was for dogs of the wealthy or kings - you can see the dog harness in leather behind it

musk ox in the hotel lobby