March 14, 2003
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Okay!
The wind died down during the night. Southcentral Alaska is cleaning up the mess and assessing damage today. Temps here are subzero (F) and that complicates the efforts to put out the fires. The forecast is for warmer temps, up near the freezing point, by tomorrow, so that should help.
Even if that brings rain, Doug and I will probably be up on the roof, clearing the creosote out of our stovepipe. With impeccable timing, it’s clogged again. Cleaning it from the top is a complicated process, but that way is ultimately simpler and easier (much less mess in the house) than trying to take it apart inside and work on it.
We’ve done this once or twice a year since we moved here in ’98, so we’ve got a routine… it’s a dirty and strenuous routine, but it has its lighter moments, when a chunk of creosote clogs the Shop-Vac hose and we reverse the air flow and shoot the stuff out instead of sucking it in. Always turn work into play, I say.
IDITAROD
Robert Sorlie of Norway, runs up the chute toward the arch at the finish of the 2003 Iditarod to become the first European musher to win the Iditarod.
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Sorlie poses with his lead dogs and wife at the finish line in Nome. He holds the flag of his home country, Norway.
I was glad to see that iditarod.com was back up to speed today. Yesterday the front page carried an apology about the weather, and race updates were delayed. I couldn’t even get the Nomecam to refresh. I finally quit trying and moved away from the computer.
As of almost half an hour ago, the latest update I have, seventeen mushers had made it into Nome. Dee Dee Jonrowe, in eighteenth place is shown out of Safety at 06:35 this morning, a little over two hours ago. Nomecam right now shows three people standing by the crowd fence, looking in the direction from which the mushers arrive. Times between Safety and Nome have been from two and a half to three and a quarter hours, among those already finished. Those three spectators may or may not be able to see Dee Dee’s team heading their way.
I would guess that when an approaching team is spotted, the crowd along front street will increase. I’ll probably keep watching as the Nomecam refreshes, because I’d like to see Dee Dee come in. She’s finishing in the money, which is great. In my opinion, just finishing after what she’s been through is even greater. Yay, Dee Dee!
Comments (6)
Wow ! What a chore ! You are strong to live there in Alaska, I don’t think I could handle all that cold. I’d turn into an icicle !
Yes, friends like that make the world such a better place. I wish I could be as generous and selfless as him !
Glad to hear the winds died down! And YAY Dee Dee!
Have fun cleaning that stovepipe:)
-M
Those Norweigens have stones. If a European is going to do it, that’s the country that gets my vote.
sorlie is a fun name… i like it
I wanted to tell you how much I’ve been enjoying the stories about Iditarod and the fantastic pictures as well.
you know. it’s just dawned on me that the sled dogs don’t look like what i’ve always considered to be the “traditional” sled dog…the huskies, etc. a lot of the ones you’ve pictured seem to have shepherd in them. That’s interesting. (yeah, i’m a nerd…so sue me.)