Day 3: The Best Part of My Day The best parts of my day this summer are hours of reading and playing with Rosie, my Blue Heeler/Chihuahua. So far I have read 12 books, most of them taking only a day or so to finish. When you have nothing else you must get done then sitting for hours and hours reading will never be a waste of time.

Rosie has been with me since March 1999. She was either one or two when we got her at the animal shelter. To say I had ever seen a dog like her would have been a lie. And the comments people made before seeing her photos- Who was the dad? How did they do it? Seriously, did I look like I knew the mating habits of chihuahuas and blue heelers? It's not I was there when she was conceived! She has grayed over the years and her little brown face has turned white. The first summer I came back from eight weeks in China it was so obvious her age was showing.

Now she will follow me everywhere so I deliberately walk all over the house to give Rascal and her the exercise we no longer get on a daily basis. They will settle in for a short nap and I'll get up and go to the kitchen or the computer or to the garage, anywhere to get them moving. At first it was annoying to have my posse of two follow my every move, however it is all fun now to see how long they will keep it up. When I took these photos Rosie was not interested in being apart of them. I think she is positively sick of the camera. Her curiosity got the best of her and she had to find out what I put down on the floor. I took this opportunity to snap her photo. Two of my loves together for a VERY limited engagement!

DAY 2: BUSY! My dog Rascal is 14, has arthritis, and may have the beginnings of dementia. Often he seems unaware of what's going on, other times he is top of things. When he isn't busy he's resting on the floor taking a nap. As I have found with Border Collies many are afraid of loud noises. He is no exception and when you live near a field artillery army base there's going to be A LOT OF NOISE! I now busy myself with giving him back rubs, hip massages, and overall closeness to either calm him down or to reassure him we are still here loving him. It calms me down too. Didn't you know having a pet like a dog brings down blood pressure and soothes the human as well as the dog?

Day 1 ME

I've decided to make myself useful now that I am apparently stuck in Oklahoma for the remainder of my summer. Those of you who really know the traveling me know I need to be on the move during the summer. Since I'm not here's a photo which actually shows the traveler I am. I love Asia. Japan was my first foray into Asia in 2002, then again in 2004. I collected Kokeshi dolls from various regions of Japan, mostly northern in the Sendai area. These represent my love of the arts and simplicity Japan is known for. There are also two Terra Cotta Warriors in my photo. Xian, China is one of the most traveled historical spots in China now. Imagine having yourself buried with thousands of life sized warriors to protect you in the afterlife. Emperor Qin did just that in 210 B.C. They were found in 1974 and ever since the opening of China to the rest of the world Xian has been a city to visit on most people's agendas. See the church illustration? Pat Buckley Moss did that one of my childhood church. She has a remarkable insight on seeing the world with a unique style. I love her work. This church provided the foundation of my faith as a kid and I still enjoy going to it when I am in Virginia. It was founded in 1740! I have many pleasant memories of Sunday School, youth group, and other events close to my heart. It is one place that, when you go back after YEARS, people still are interested in seeing you. Crosstitching used to be my favorite thing to do. Because I am a Virginian I enjoy using things and places from it in my crosstitch. I have always loved Colonial Williamsburg and will always remember it as the last adventure my mom & I had in 1996. There is a simple design of Williamsburg's most famous and traveled street above my left shoulder. Seeing it and thinking of her makes me smile, knowing she enjoyed my company as much as I did hers. So I'm a traveler, lover of art and history, stitcher, avid reader,photographer, writer, and woman of faith. Let's see what else I can do this summer besides take photos and write about what pops into my head!

There is no blog from Alaska. I'm not there...waiting to go to China though so hopefully there will be news to tell in a few weeks.

www.shelfari.com/o1514379490/shelf

Here's my bookshelf of titles read in the past year. You might find something interesting to read.

Surprises at the Iditarod signups June 2011

Having never driven on the Parks Highway I wasn't sure how long it would actually take me to arrive in Wasilla for the annual Iditarod sign up picnic. I left fairly early, 5:45 for me is EARLY!!! Getting there around nine was my plan and I did make it by then, realizing practically no one was there. Well, I had a parking space and time for a nap. I slept in the car for about 45 minutes, took a walk to a nearby campground (about a mile away), and returned to a lot of people milling around, hugging puppies, greeting each other and tourists who just happened to come that morning.

Because I still needed a few photos of awards I went in the HQ building where a meeting was going on, attended mostly by teachers. Lots of good conversations and questions were going on, introductions of Iditarod staff were made, and hearing about the financial state of the Iditarod
from Mark Moderow. I had a good conversation with him about how teachers use the race for many classroom subjects and how I had used it in a Colombia, South America school during Spring Break. He introduced me to John Baker, the 2011 winner and it was nice to hear John talk about what he's been doing since the race. Ken Anderson was also happy to talk to us about how we use the race in our classrooms.

Of course Hugh is always a fan favorite. He remembered me from last year, because he said, "You're the world traveler aren't you?"

Another good time was had by many at the annual Iditarod sign-up picnic in June at Iditarod HQ. Teachers love this event because we get to meet and converse with the mushers we introduce into our classrooms each year. Mushers, dog drivers, the guy/girl on the sled...get together with their buddies, competitors, best friends, strangers, and talk dogs, eat, talk dogs, eat, talk dogs, fill out a race application, talk dogs, take photos with teachers and race fans, talk dogs, listen for the race list, and hope they win their race fee back. Woohoo Martin and Kelley!

I took an Iditarod book, which I wrote in 2011, so the mushers would sign it for me. Quite few actually thought it was a great idea. Martin Buser actually read a great deal of it while talking to me. Hugh Neff, Ray Redington, Jr., and Jodi Bailey all thought it was a clever idea for my students to use for a resource.

After reading Lance Mackey's book I had to complement him on what he has done in spite of his earlier days. To overcome addiction, cancer, and a broken family early in his life Lance has proven you can indeed succeed if the mind is stronger than the body. After all you don't just go out and win four Iditarods, much less four in a row, unless the will to do so can overcome physical limitations. He was a little surprised and quite modest about the whole thing. I then went over to compliment his mother on how she enabled him to realize his potential, whether she realized she was doing it or not. I did not even know her, nor she me, however I felt it necessary for her to hear praise from a stranger as well as her friends. She really did not know what to say except, "Thank you, it means a lot." She, too, was quite humble about the whole thing.

I also spoke to Jeff Schultz, Iditarod's official photographer. He was quite interested in how teachers use his photos. He seemed genuinely surprised at several ideas on how I use them in my classroom and wondered how I came up with them. Sometimes it is so hard to explain how I come up with my lessons or the details, mainly because often they just pop into my head. I'm glad I am able to use this way of thinking to develop good lessons, but when it comes to determining how to teach Iditarod checkpoints and dogs Jeff has provided the perfect resources. So my teacher friends...let Jeff know how you use his great photography!

Next up was Stu Nelson, head vet for the Iditarod. I met him last year when he came to our teachers' camp to talk dogs, dogcare, and race responsibilities. If you haven't read about his wild adventure last September you must go to the Iditarod Facebook page. There is a great story about his survival after a kayak mishap. You need to scroll to the middle of June to find it.

The really fun part was meeting people who did not come in 2010.

Yep, Aliy Zirkle and Allen Moore. We were hoping to see Happy last year, however she was not available. I want to see her run the Iditarod again this coming year. That dog has a fantastic story.

It was great to see Mike Santos again. What a fun guy to talk to. You've most likely already read my day at a kennel story, so now you can put a face with the man who made it happen.

And then who shows up and signs up? Jeff King! Jaws dropped and conversations immediately turned to this turn of events. When asked about the race, he simply said, " Oh, I really like the northern route!" Race 2012 will be something with him and Aaron Burmeister returning.

The Millenium Hotel once again provided a delicious spread with many, many desserts. Thanks for another great lunch Milleniumm!

It was nice to met Blyne Froke, the 2012 Teacher on the Trail. She was joined by 2011 TOTT Martha Dobson and Terre Henke, another former TOTT.

Not to be left out was Sonny Chambers, master of the Koyuk checkpoint!

I was finally able to get photos of all the major awards given during and after this race. I was missing the Spirit of AK mask, given at McGrath. Thanks to those who helped me obtain these photos.

I really enjoyed talking to Dan Seavey, Mitch's dad, Dallas' grandfather. He was also a teacher so we had a good conversation. Teachers rarely have to go looking for conversation topics...there's enough drama in our jobs to never be at a loss for words. And as it turns out he will be racing again this year too.




Scott Janssen, the mushing mortician, was a real hoot and enjoyed talking dogs to me as well. He's looking forward to his second race.

I also met a few rookies, Anna Berington and Kevin Neher. Anna is Kristy's twin so it will be fun to see them both in this race. Is this the first set of twins ever?

When all was said and done I had to head back to Denali for my summer job. I took with me lots of photographs, heartwarming conversations, memories of meeting old friends, the knowledge that the Iditarod committee is really interested in what teachers do with this race, and the joy of meeting people who love dogs and racing them in the wilderness that is Alaska. 2012: It's going to be a great one!

Flightseeing Over Mt. McKinley

Flightseeing...A wonderful way to see the mountains a normal person would never see on foot.
Flightseeing- Taking a plane to the peaks of the Alaskan Range was such a eye-opening experience. The sky could not have been much clearer, the glacier much better to land on, the pilot much nicer, or the plane much smoother. But let's start at the beginning of my experience.

Each person filled out a form, basically a waiver, complete with how much each person weighs. If you lie the entire plane could be at risk so you must tell the truth. If you don't the guy will add at least 10 pounds to your weight. People are seated based on weight and couples often may not sit together. And yes, the form says you do not hold the company responsible if you DIE…I'm thinking that's not going to hold up in court if it is pilot error.

Next I was asked if I needed boots to cover my shoes for the glacier landing. Seeing that my tread was worn smooth I willingly accepted the NEO overboots, having never worn them in my life. I was amazed at the ease with which they went over my shoes, how lightweight they are, and how ugly they weren't! I WANT SOME!!! I was the only one on the flight to accept them and was very glad I did. Others expressed their dismay at not wearing them, as the glacier was quite slushy.

We were reminded to go to the restroom before boarding, because there would be no other chance for four and a half LONG hours. Most everyone thought that was a great idea…being mostly older people I'm sure you get my drift.

We were shown to our plane, placed in seats according to their seating chart, and told to buckle up.

We also put on headphones so we could hear the pilot's commentary throughout our flight. Those headphones kept our ears quite toasty and drowned out the engine noise. The safety lecture was given, location of sick bags explained, last words (not last rites!) were said, and we taxied for takeoff. We followed another plane down the landing strip and did a 180 turn in front of the first plane since two planes cannot sit side by side on these strips, nor can one pass another one. As soon as we turned around we flew down the runway and up we went. I am not a fan of takeoffs or landings but this guy did a pretty good job of both.

We passed over the small towns surrounded by the green hills and Nenana River snaking its way through the canyon. This canyon is a natural break in the Alaska Range. It did not take long for us to see the difference in the north side and the south side of the Alaska Range. The AK Range is 50 miles wide at Mt. McKinley. The moisture is mostly on the south side, because it originates from the Gulf of Alaska. As it goes over the range it warms up and dries up.

Mt. McKinley was named for Senator McKinley, soon to be President McKinley. Because he was a staunch supporter of the gold standard and gold was what brought many people to Alaska the powers that be deemed it fitting as a way to honor him. It is the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet tall.

Now for the science of what I was seeing. The Pacific plate subducts the Northern plate, resulting in the Alaskan Range formation. These mountains are primarily sedimentary so they erode quite easily. The Denali Fault runs along the valley, appearing very similar to a meandering river. The Alaska Range has the highest rise in the world- 3,000 feet of rock and ice. Looking down upon all the snow and ice it is very difficult to determine height of these ice walls and snow banks, because there is no frame of reference such as trees.

This is a glacier tour so we expected to see many glaciers and we were not disappointed. There are major glaciers in this area, several of which are called circuit glaciers because they appear to be sitting in a cup-like formation. Muldrow and Trilicka Glaciers come from Mt. McKinley, Eldridge Glacier from Mt. Eldridge, and others are named Ruth, Peters, and Tahiltna. The dark areas in them are called moraines and can be lateral or medial. This is sediment which has collected as the glacier travels down from the mountain. Thousands of tons of sediment are transferred and the landscape is covered with very large boulders, ice chunks, and field debris, making it look like a river. The very black sediment is from the granite mountains.

As we flew closer to McKinley it appeared we would run into it and several of its shorter peaks. Of course we did not really come close to hitting anything, even though it looked so close we could have touched them. One area we flew through was a narrow spot between peaks so it was nicknamed "root canal". This is followed closely by "floss gap", "broken tooth" (a really jagged set of peaks), and "loose tooth". We wondered if they had been named by a dentist-explorer. Many of the peaks were named by the explorers, prospectors, and geologists who have visited, studied, and/or climbed these mighty mountains.

We also viewed upper ice faults whose ice was 1000 feet thick. Here's what they look like:

There are areas where cracks formed, water got into them, froze, and formed jagged edges. One such area is called Fang Mountains.There are also Eractics- ridges where glaciers melted and left valleys and sharp peaks.

On this day Mt. McKinley was in full view, her splendor out for all to see. It is said only 30% of Denali National Park's visitors actually see the mountain peak (We actually sell things in the gift shops which proclaim 30% Club on them). I'm guessing the count does not include the flightseeing tourists, because it is a given they will get a wonderful view of McKinley. At first I was actually surprised at the amount (depth) of snow on these mountains, however when you realize the temperatures go to the degrees below zero that is understandable. McKinley's peak temperature the day I flew was estimated to be around 20 degrees above zero.

Mt. McKinley and the associated peaks are actually one big rock! From 2,000 feet to 20,320 feet is a rise of over 18,000 feet. Mt. Everest, the world's tallest totally above ground mountain, has a rise of only 12,000 feet, so it looks like McKinley wins in that department. McKinley's base camp, #14 camp, and #17 camp were established by the National Park Service. They recommend that climbers wake up around 2:00 AM, go to the summit and back to Camp 17 in one day and spend only about 20 minutes on the actually peak itself. They do not use oxygen to climb this mountain. Most climbers call their friends and take loads of photographs before descending.

Lest people think this is a less dangerous one than Mt. Everest every season people die on this mountain. Only a week before my flight a man successfully summitted, returned to Camp 17, went to sleep and never woke up. So far at least five others have died and seven others needed rescuing. People cannot just go climb this mountain- a permit is required. 1700 permits are issued and no more than half, in any given year, make the summit. So more people successfully climb Mt. McKinley every year than have ever finished the Iditarod Sled Dog Race (That number is now at 595. Somehow you knew I would get around to talking sled dogs in here!).

Finally it was time for us to land on a glacier. Many flights are unable to land due to low clouds, rain, rough winds…snow too soft for a safe landing. Mine was flawless as we flew over those 1000 feet tall ice and snow walls. The landing was one of four planes this particular point in time and two others left soon after we landed. We were able to hang out on the glacier for about 25 minutes, walking only a short distance from the plane, (needed to stay out of the way of other planes coming in) and taking tons of photos. It is very difficult to see the screen because of the snow's glare (We were required to wear sunglasses and now it was obvious why) so we all hoped our photos would turn out okay. I had to make a snowball to see if it would hold together and it did not because it was too slushy. It made for a fun photo though. Soon it was time to takeoff so we all got back in the plane and had a smooth run in the slush. It was quite fun watching those ice walls get smaller and smaller.

Carl, our pilot and me


Our flight went in a different direction for some of the return flight. Most of the scenery was quite similar to what we saw coming up to Mt. McKinley. We did see Dall sheep on a very high mountain, as they like it up high since the bears do not like it that far up.

So many mountain peaks, so much snow, and beautiful blue sky the whole way…what a grand way to spend an afternoon.