Today .. Saturday .. March 2, 2013 ..
is the FIRST Saturday in March ..
SO?
In the United States .. way up Northwest
of Canada in the State of Alaska .. the first Saturday in March is a special
day!
In Alaska .. the first Saturday in
March is the beginning of ..
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race !
I have to giggle about my friends in
India .. they have no clue as to what a sled dog is .. let alone a sled dog
race .. let alone one that is 1,049 miles in length (1,690 Kms) and that has
quite a history dating back to the early 1970s!
You all can ‘google’ it and learn more at the website .. iditarod.com. There
you can follow the race as it progresses!
Fifteen years ago .. in 1998 .. March
7th was the first Saturday in March .. I was a volunteer associated
with the race. During January and
February of 1998, I worked the pre-race in Anchorage, Alaska. In early March I went to Nome, Alaska, for
the conclusion of the 1998 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race. Jeff King won the race in 1998 and I met many friends
that I still am friends with today, including my Doctor! .. Robert W. Bundtzen MD .. who starts today’s
race in position number 23. Now you all
can root for Dr. Bundtzen who has raced the Iditarod twelve times finishing all
twelve races he started.
A lot of youngsters (and young-at-heart
Adults too) follow the Iditarod through
a feature called .. Teacher on the Trail.
Go to .. iditarod.com .. and toward the top and left of the home page ‘click’
onto Education (between Videos and Insider) .. a drop down box will take you to
the Education Portal and there you will find the Teacher on the Trail .. in
2013 . . Linda Fenton.
Speaking of youngsters .. back in
1998 in Nome Alaska, I was in charge of the telephone room that answers telephone
calls about the race. I desperately needed some ‘volunteers’ because
I was running out of people who were willing to answer the incoming telephone
calls. So out I went into the crowd at
the finish line. I spotted a couple with
a young son in tow. Putting my hands on the
shoulders of the gentleman and his wife .. I said to these total strangers! ..
“How would you all like to be part of
the race? I need people to answer the telephones!”
.. looking back at me the two of them sort of stammered and said in reply .. “Could
our 12-year old son assist?” .. I said “Sure!
He would be perfect to talk to other children who call us!”
And into the office we four trotted
.. me with three ‘volunteers’ (hostages?).
Have you heard of .. Mister Paul
Harvey?
Paul Harvey (who passed away on
February 28, 2009) was a famous radio broadcaster in the United States! On his radio shows .. Paul Harvey had a
feature that he called .. “The Rest of the Story!” .. in which he held you on
the edge-of-your-seat with stories about people and outcomes in their lives.
SO?
Would YOU like to hear .. “The Rest of the Story!” ?
WELL HERE IS .. ‘THE REST OF THE
STORY!’ ..
Four (4) years after I put my hands
onto their shoulders and ‘invited’ the above three to volunteer ‘in’ the 1998 Iditarod
Trail Sled Dog Race ..
The gentleman ENTERED! .. and
FINISHED! .. The 2002 Iditarod as a
first-time-rookie in the race!
The next time you are in Kennesaw,
Georgia, look at the city limit signs as you enter town .. the last time I was
in Kennesaw there was a green sign that PROCLAIMED! ..
Kennesaw Georgia .. Home of Bill
Borden .. the only man from Georgia to enter and finish the Iditarod Trail Sled
Dog Race.
BILL AND BRENDA AND JORDAN! .. What a
joy you have been in my life!
All in all .. at least in Alaska! .. The
Iditarod is a big deal!
Signing Off From Pondicherry India ..
Far Away From The Snow Of Alaska ..
THANKING YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST HERE! .. Cap
..
