I bled twice today. The first time it took me awhile to notice, because my hands were numb. I spent a disproportionate amount of time out in the cold morning trying to pry open those annoying little rings that attach tags to dog collars…and I literally pried until my fingers bled (sorry, I’m a bit sleep deprived). Each Iditarod dog is identified with a microchip, and they also must wear numbered tags…this is very necessary considering that over a thousand dogs are entered in the race.
My second bloodletting was when an otherwise gentle dog I was lifting used my face for leverage as she launched herself back into her dog box to bed-down for the night. I’m pretty sure Durango appreciated the boost, and with a scratch running from my lip to my neck I declared myself an official dog handler. I’m thinking that if I wear some serious false eyelashes tomorrow, no one will notice it.
Ever since we returned to Anchorage on Wednesday evening, things have been in high gear here. The hotel where we are staying serves as race headquarters, and the quiet place we left on Monday is now a Grand Central Station of dog trucks, people decked in Iditarod merchandise, and volunteers wearing lanyards. The energy is amazing and it’s very exciting to be a part of it!
We have all been progressively busier helping Kim as the race start closes in…and even John & Rhiannon are totally “with the band” at this point. Rhiannon has helped with many random tasks, such as Velcro-ing wet dog booties together to make chains that can be hung over the shower rod to dry for re-use. John has become the official chauffer, shopper, and photographer for the NJ to NOME Committee…and as always, a great all-around “go to” guy. What a wonderful experience this is for us as a family; and a wonderful experience for us as individuals since we each find elements that fascinate and interest us. We are having an absolute blast!
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