The Ceremonial Start is Tomorrow

This is what I came for! Tomorrow morning there will be approximately 95 teams of 12 dogs each lined up for blocks up and down 4th street, and on adjoining side streets. The first teams to run will have there dog trucks in the back of the line, so when the dogs and mushers go, the handlers can turn the trucks around and head out of town 11 miles to pick up the dogs are the end of the ceremonial run.

Tonight when we came home, workers were beginning to dump truckload after truckload of snow all the way up 4th Street. I am 1 street down from all of that. There are hundreds of people out there dumping and scooping and putting up crowd barriers, ect. in preparation. They will be working all night. All along the city there are dog trucks parked in parking lots, driveways, side streets, with dogs tied out to the side with there dog bowls for feedings. I am sitting here writing this and can hear the dump trucks and the snow plows working. By 5 am, mushers will begin lining up, getting everything ready, checking and double checking dogs, harnesses, supplies, and nerves, all the while being friendly as possible to all of us idiots who want to borrow a little part of their adventure.

My tour will be leaving Anchorage right after the Ceremonial Start to go to Wasilla to be nearer Sunday's 'Real Start'. So, I have to pack all my bags tonight (again) and have them ready to be picked up and transported to the next leg of my trip. Since I want to be out in the street bright and early, I will get it all ready tonight. This will probably be my last post for a while. I don't know Internet availability in Wasilla or Talkeetna, and besides that the next few days are more packed full than the last few. I will update when possible.

One more tidbit. It hasn't been too cold here until today, but it was cold, foggy, and snowy all day today, and I could feel the temperature dropping. It is supposed to drop more in the next few days, the days I will be outside most of the time. Glad I brought all those layers! They are going on tomorrow. Maybe that way I won't have so much to pack!

Till further down the trail
JeanieB