Raine Nordby

Havn't been posting but that is soon to change. Coming your way!

BNI - benefits and adventures of a new group

Innovative Real Estate, a company with new vision

KURT REICH --- The musher south of the border

More Shoes fer fun!

Nobody told me about sea lice ---eewwww

A Peak at hazy days

I took these pictures 2 days ago. I was leaving to drop my son at school and go to work. Jake pointed out to me that the deer were covered in snow. Luckily, I've learned to carry a camera at ALL times and was able to capture these images. We've lived at our home almost 4 years and I have never seen them just waking up and snow covered. It was a treat. Jake and I thought it was funny....plus the bird came in for a morning snack :)

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...their teams will get tired.

Ahead of the pack is Aaron Burnmeister. He's a surprise to most. Running since he was 19, now 31, he is an unexpected leader. The trail is soft and slow and the year the pace is slower. Check out all the Mushers here....http://www.adn.com/photos/iditarod/story/703829.html?bib=56

Aaron Burmeister

56

Takotna (Ta-COT-na)

03/11 02:44:00

13

3h 1m

McGrath

03/10 23:43:00

5.97

2

Hugh Neff

55

Takotna (Ta-COT-na)

03/11 03:03:00

14

3h 5m

McGrath

03/10 23:58:00

3

Sebastian Schnuelle

34

Takotna (Ta-COT-na)

03/11 03:14:00

15

2h 58m

McGrath

03/11 00:16:00

6

KURT REIGH is currenty at position 62 Checkpoint: Rohn (Rone)

Time In: Tue, March 10, 2009 23:06:00 Dogs In: 13

Time Out: Tue, March 10, 2009 23:06:00

The unusually warm weather - temperatures were above 20 degrees Tuesday afternoon - also was hard on the dogs, which prefer to run in colder weather. Aliy Zirkle, a former Quest winner who was 10th into Nikolai, said her dogs had lost their appetite in the warm weather. They weren't eating well, a serious concern for any musher who expects their team to perform over the long haul. ****HEY THERE COLORADOANS.....I think Kurt has the advantage here....his team is trained in warm weather AND altitude *****GO KURT****

The winner will receive $69,000 and a new pickup truck and should arrive in Nome sometime next week

( I think these guys shold get a bit more for a 10 to 17 day race ****personal opinion!!)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g3T59XZ0F9Sguh4zNxXoJ7CXqnVAD96RI968

http://www.iditarod.com/race/musherlisting.html

Look for more updates here in Colorado Rain!

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It has been called the "Last Great Race on Earth"

2009 Iditarod International Sled Dog Race in Anchorage, Alaska starts tomorrow. The race, which is also known as the "toughest race on earth," is an 1150 mile race that passes through five climate zones. The first race was held in 1973. The race spans beautiful Alaska. The mushers take the old Iditarod trade route that was used during the height of the gold rush in Alaska (mail and supplies went in and gold came out) and then the trail was forgotten when airplanes became the most popular method of transport. In 1925, part of the Iditarod Trail became a life saving highway for epidemic-stricken Nome. Diphtheria threatened and serum had to be brought in; again by intrepid dog mushers and their faithful hard-driving dogs. Now the Iditarod is a National Historic Trail.

 

 

 

Iditarod is the Ingalik word for hidehod or clearwater. It takes 10 to 17 days from start to finish using a team of 12 to 16 dogs. There is a Northern and Southern route that are alternated each year to minimize environmental inpact. Y

 

 

 

 

 

You can watch a replay of last years race on Iditarod Tracker http://race.ionearth.com/2008_iditarod_replay/

2009 Iditarod Musher Listing: Last night, at the Musher Banquet, the starting numbers were drawn from an Ingalik boot 

 

2	Peck	Aaron	M	Grande Prairie	AB	CANADA	Veteran
3	Yoshida	Nancy	F	Thompson	ND	USA	Rookie
4	Iten	Ed	M	Kotzebue	AK	USA	Veteran
5	Larson	Rick	M	Sand Coulee	Montana	USA	Veteran
6	Moore	Allen	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
7	Palfrey	Warren	M	Yellowknife	NWT	CANADA	Veteran
8	Swenson	Rick	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Veteran
9	Matray	Blake	M	Two Rivers	AK	USA	Rookie
10	Redington Jr	Ray	M	Wasilla	AK	USA	Veteran

 Did you know???

We have our very own musher from Colorado? Yes! Kurt Reigh, as retired engineer, trains his team up in Divide Colorado. He raises Alaskan Huskies and devotes most of his energies to raising his two children AND raising money for children's charities. 

59

Reich

Kurt

M

Divide

CO

USA

Rookie

Kurt Reigh is raising money for children, coordinated wtih Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs. www.iditarodforcharities.ORG

Doggie Care --- we LOVE HUSKIES !!  Most teams have Handlers. These folks take care of the dogs and help the musher before the race. They cannot interfere during the race. The Iditarod is possible due the mostly volunteers from Ancorage and surrounding towns.

 

 

 

About the Photographer

Jeff Schultz has been photographing in Alaska since 1978 and has been the Iditarod Trail Committee's official volunteer photographer since 1982. Jeff says that his God-given talent for photography has resulted in his images being published worldwide in books, magazines and advertisements. Jeff owns and operates Alaska's largest stock photo agency, Alaska Stock Images, which represents more than 100 photographers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMING SOON!  I will be interviewing Kurt Reich.

Watch for that exciting blog later this spring!

 

 

 

 

No it's not Flag Day or the Fourth of July. I don't need a special day to love my country. I love America every day.

This is no surprise, the majority of the statistical information I have read concerning US foreign aid has been negative reviews. If I Google stats on American Foreign Aid, a whole slue of charts and information comes up. In all of this, we are listed at the bottom of the stats. Surprise, surprise says Gomer.

Despite the fact that we are the largest contributor of aid in the world, it is said that it is NOT enough. Because our economy is so large when compared to the per capita donation of say Belgium, they out strip our donations. They give more. Wow. What a slap. To top that one off, it is claimed that our private charity and donations are grossly exaggerated. Well I'll be. I personally know 3 people who travel each year to foreign lands, using their own cash, to help those in need. Now if little 'ol me can say I know THREE people myself, how much private charity is never counted or added in these statistics? How much goes unnoticed and unappreciated? How many thousands of missionaries, good Samaritans and selfless individuals have these statisticians MISSED? I would venture to say most. They certainly missed the 3 people I know.

I tell you, from what I watch and read, American Bashing continues to be a favorite world pastime. It sure would be nice to have a few more Gordon Sinclair's in this world. But since there are not more Gordon's, I guess we need to get up, dust off and again do what we do best. Work hard and give much.

Let's stop listening to the naysayers and fear mongers. There are always 100 people who'll tell you, you can't. There are 100 countries lined up to tell us what we aren't.

I say, We Can, and We Are, and Will always Be a great, giving and prosperous nation.

God Bless the U.S.A.

 

http://www.peacecorps.gov/