Signs of Spring

My tulips have broken through the ground.
The grass has a greenish tint.
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

The buds are bursting on the maple trees.
We can sit around the campfire at night
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

I always can feel when it is spring
the air is warmer,
the dogs take off for hours at a time
Tim is obsessed with the Iditarod.
Tim is obsessed.

WHAT I HAVE DONE RECENTLY

BY ANGIE
It's Feb. 1st and I have been busy this year. Just wanted to share some of the things that have been keeping me busy. I'm sure you all are on the edge of your seats so here goes.
I got a new job. No longer am I slaving over writing promos for the news department at kgan/kfxa tv. I have been appointed at the University of Iowa as Educational Media Coordinator II at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. When I figure out exactly WHAT my title means I will share it with you. For right now, I am the assistant to Head of the Production Unit, Bob Burns. Bob used to work at KGAN. So, it has been a blast so far. Just finished my 3rd week on the job. Tim came over after his gig on friday to get the nickel tour.
The 100s had two gigs in Janaury. One around Jan 10th. at Springville at the Legion. Good show. We went out for breakfast afterward, which meant driving to Cedar Rapids. Tim was mad at me, but I was hungry. A girl has got to eat.
Then the 100s played an unplugged gig at the Java House in Iowa City, Friday Jan. 30th. Filled the room and more. Great show. It aired on the radio, IPR so cool. They did videotape it so you can watch it somewhere, sometime, at a date which I don't know.
We have been taking the dogs out on the snowmobile, or snowmachine, trails about once a week to get them some exercise. Tim wiped out, as you may have read last weekend. We went today and had a better run. We did not let Krunchy go with us so it helped Brownie focus on leading. HEr and BIscuit did a great job. PRoud of both of them. They pulled me a long ways. Tim made a new break for him when he went down the mountian trail. He didn't wipe out, the break worked great. We are now in the house, sweaty and tired but feeling great about the dogs. They did a super job.
The daughter is performing in speech and is going to the state contest for her group mime. We are proud of her.
The teen son is using Motley Crue to wake us up ev ery morning. At 6:15 every morning. Even when he is not here. He is playing basketball, and although I have only been able to attend one game, Tim took the video camera and I was able to watch another. HE seems to enjoy it and even remembered the other guys from the other teams that he played against during football. That is the cool part about playing sports, meeting the other team and sometimes making friends.
Saw Tim's other son at the gig Friday and turns out he has class in the building I work at. Maybe he'll look me up more?
Would recommend reading the book "winterdance" by Gary Paulsen, if you like reading about life, obstacles, dogs, outdoors, dreams, and the iditarod. Good book. Easy reading, fast paced. Good. 5 stars. And I finished the book I got for Tim for Christmas, by Neil Peart "Roadshow" good book and again, easy to read, fast paced, could keep reading for hours on end if I had the time. He (Peart) is similar in many ways to Tim. Or vice versa. So I totally understood his lack of enthusiasm for being a rock star. Like I said, great book worth the read. Especially if you are a Tim Looney fan, a Rush fan, or a DRUMMER.
Now we are preparing for Feb. the time of the year when winter doesn't go by fast enough. Looking forward to selecting seeds from the catalogues, planting new trees, and baseball and softball season.
Stop in and visit friends or family. We welcome ya'll.

Mushing On Ice

By Angie
I'll admit it. I am now a musher. And in the two plus weeks I have taken out my two dogs, Brownie and Biscuit with Krunchy off-leash leading our way, I have bruised my elbows, hyper-extended my knee, and almost flipped myself over the sled onto the ice glacier of an Iowa waterway. This is the most dangerous sport I have ever done! Just when it starts getting fun, something happens and BAM! I find myself beat up. Realistically, I don't think my body can take it. It is tough. So kudos to all those mushers. I'll stick to being an amateur. And my question to you is this: How do you run dogs on solid sheets of ice?

Tonight is the Premiere of "Toughest Race On Earth: Iditarod"

Tonight is the premiere of the Discovery Channel series "Toughest Race On Earth: Iditarod".

The series will air at 10PM Eastern Time tonight, and repeat at 11PM ET, 2AM ET early Wednesday, Friday night at 10PM ET, early Saturday morning at 2AM ET, and Saturday morning at 11AM ET.

Tune in for coverage of the race start in Anchorage and Willow. Meet mushers and their dogs. Learn behind-the-scenes strategies and training methods. See exclusive interviews.

TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD

Discovery Channel has announced the premiere of TOUGHEST RACE ON EARTH: IDITAROD, on Tuesday, October 7 at 10 PM ET/PT.

Produced by Thom Beers, creator of Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers, the six one-hour episodes will follow mushers and their dog teams as they take on the elements, the cold and the trail conditions – as they race each other over one thousand miles across Alaska in The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

View trailer:

Exciting New Blog!

Head on over to "The Loon's Mushing Report" http://mushingloon.blogspot.com/ for up-to-the-minute stories, rumors and facts about mushing and sleddog racing!

I'll still keep you up to date on the biggest stories in the sport on this page, but for a more detailed, day-to-day report, hit the link!

Hike!

No ESPY for Lance

Champion musher Lance Mackey did not win an ESPY this year, for the second year in a row. Lance was nominated for "Best Outdoor Athlete of the Year". The winner was Army Captain Scott Smiley, blinded in Iraq, he climbed Mount Rainier in Washington state in July 2007.

Not to discredit Captain Smiley, but Lance's accomplishment deserved to win. It was as if Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France twice in the same year, two weeks apart, and then did that two years in a row! Talk about an "Iron Man" - the Incredible Lance Mackey!

Oh well, we'll keep mushing as an obscure sport.

It'll be our little secret!

Groundbreaking Discovery Channel Series Chronicles One of the Toughest Races on Earth

- Premiering October 2008, IDITAROD (working title) Shows a Musher's Preparation is No Match for Mother Nature -

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 10, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Discovery Channel continues its exploration into and chronicling of the fascinating world around us with the groundbreaking series IDITAROD (wt). The world premiere of this original series is slated for October 2008. This historic 1,150 mile sled dog race over some of the world's most beautiful -- and most challenging -- terrain was documented from beginning to end through the eyes of the men and women who dared to take on the monumental challenge.

In this six-part series, viewers will get a rare look into one of the harshest races on the planet -- The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Across frozen rivers, barren tundra, mountains and thick forest in freezing temperatures, this grueling race from Anchorage to Nome puts mushers and their dog teams through the ultimate test of human and animal teamwork and endurance.

"This new series truly defines adventure programming," said John Ford, president and general manager of Discovery Channel. "Viewers will once again travel back to Alaska, one of the toughest places on earth, where they will see the sheer will and determination it takes for men and women to compete in and complete this 1,150 mile race. The stories of these competitors deserve to be told and we are proud to do it."

Mushers from around the world convene in Alaska each March to run the "Last Great Race on Earth." Some prepare all year for this legendary race while others fit in training around their full-time jobs. Some are carrying on a proud family tradition while others are first generation mushers. Discovery Channel will follow returning race veterans and rookies alike to see, through their eyes, what it takes to compete not only against each other but also Mother Nature.

Copyright (C) 2008 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Vote for Musher Lance Mackey for an ESPY

In 2007, dog musher Lance Mackey proved the impossible is possible winning two 1,000 mile races back to back. So, in 2008, he decided to do it again.

Now the only musher on the face of the planet to win back to back 1000 mile (plus) races is headed back to Hollywood for the second year in a row as the ESPY nominee in the category of “Best Outdoor Athlete.”

“Last year I was in awe… it is a very big deal… and some of the greatest names in sports are a part of it. It’s a humbling experience to just be nominated. But this time around I’m going to soak it all up and enjoy myself.” said Mackey.

The ESPY’s are voted on by the public. Anyone can cast their ballot online by logging on to: http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specialsection/espys2008/#/voting/bestoutdoorathlete/. Log on today and cast your vote for the athlete who best exemplifies the “Best Outdoor Athlete” in sports: Lance Mackey!

Sign up is free!

by the Iditarod.com staff