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The Cruelest Miles – Book Report by Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Sanka in Messages to Teachers, Reading and Writing Date: January 15, 2010

The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury

The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury

It’s all a part of the history of the great state of Alaska and the Iditarod itself – the Serum Run of 1925, Balto, Togo, Dr. Welch, Nurse Morgan, Governor Bone and 20 brave mushers who carried the anti-toxin from Nenana to Nome. The Cruelest Miles, written by cousins, Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury, is a story full of details about Nome’s 1925 diphtheria epidemic and the great race by dog team to get the life saving serum to Nome. My handler and I read this book. It gives a far more detailed account of what went on back in 1925 than you can find in the movies or books about Balto or the Serum Run. When you read about the fierce weather with frigid temperatures, strong winds, wicked storms and treacherous ground blizzards, you’ll feel like you’re on the runners with Leonard Seppala and all the other drivers.

In 1925 like today, no roads or railroads went to Nome. Snow machines hadn’t been invented yet. Once the Bering Sea was frozen over, Nome was completely isolated. There were only two possible ways to transport the serum the 674 miles from Nenana to Nome – airplane or dog team. Learn about the dangers of delivering the serum by airplane and the dangers faced by the dogs and mushers. The risks and rewards were many whether the serum got to Nome by the unproven airplane or by the tried and true dogs and their drivers. The decision on how the serum would reach the sick children was left up to the Governor of Alaska.

Read about Nome and the people living there.  Read about the trail, the dogs, the drivers, the roadhouses, the horrific weather, crossing Norton Bay and the challenge of keeping the serum from freezing.  Read about how the relay was halted when the temperatures reached 60 degrees below zero but because there was no way to communicate with the driver on the trail, the serum kept moving.  Read about the chance meeting of Seppala and Henry Ivanoff on Norton Bay outside of Shaktoolik as Ivanoff carried the serum toward Golovin.  This book is a true adventure thriller.  I could hardly put it down!

Blackjack gets to read Cruelest Miles next.

Blackjack gets to read The Cruelest Miles next.

Well, you know that the serum made it to Nome by Dog Team in a remarkably short time. You know that Balto was the lead dog of the team that carried the life saving serum into Nome. You know that the serum arrived in time to prevent an epidemic of Diphtheria. You know a lot about the Serum Run but there’s plenty more to learn by reading The Cruelest Miles.

Nearly all the other dogs at Just Guts Kennel have read The Cruelest Miles. It’s Blackjack’s turn next.  You should read it too.  For sure it’s my all time favorite book and it makes me really proud to be a sled dog.

Born to Run,

Sanka

Tagged: Comments: 3

To Zuma from Students in Indiana: Community Challenge

Posted by Zuma in Community Challenge Project Date: January 14, 2010

zuma_adult Hello Boys and Girls,

I was so excited to get email from Mrs. Goble’s students this week.  They are doing an exciting project this year.  I hope you enjoy their letter!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Hello Zuma,

I am Joan Goble, teacher at Cannelton Elementary School in Cannelton, Indiana.  I just wanted to let you know that again this year my students and I are making booties for the Iditarod dogs.  This year we are helping out both the Bootie Brigade and the Paw Partners groups.  The dog teams we are making booties for are Hugh Neff’s dogs and Michelle Phillips’ dogs. We are making 100 booties for each team.

We also had fun right before Christmas hosting one of the traveling Iditarod Quilts. As a matter of fact, we got to host the original quilt!  It was fun to read each quilt piece and see where it came from. It was also fun to do a scavenger hunt using the quilt.  I have a photo of my students in front of the quilt if you are interested in seeing it.

We plan on following the Iditarod again this year. I am planning on becoming an Iditarod Insider again. It was great to be able to follow all of the dog teams last year via the GPS.

We thank you and the other dog reporters for keeping us informed about the race and the mushers.  You are all doing a great job!

By the way…we received our Zuma award last week! Thank you so very much!

Everything in it is wonderful…and two of my students are creating a small website about our Iditarod learning experiences, and the booklet and other items will help them with it.

We will hang the award and your picture in our hallway!  It is beautiful!

Mrs. Joan Goble

Comments: 3

Panhandle Hook by Sanka W. Dog

Posted by Sanka in Messages to Teachers Date: January 11, 2010

Wishing the snow flakes were larger!

Baffin wishes the snow flakes were larger.

If you’re a sled dog that lives on a glacier and can run on snow all year long, the first big snow isn’t such a big deal. For the rest of us, as fall turns to winter, we are plenty anxious to park the 4-wheeler and get the sled out. In Wisconsin, we begin to look for snow around Thanksgiving. We anxiously listen to the weather report at least three times a day. There was no mention of snow until the second week of December when winter storm watches and warnings were issued for our area. We didn’t get too excited – you know how it is – storms can take different paths and a storm forecast to bring many inches of snow might only deliver a trace or maybe the precipitation turns out to be rain. With the watches and warnings in mind, we settled into our houses after supper hoping we’d get enough snow for the snow hook to hold. That’s the determining factor between using the 4-wheeler or the sled. During the night, the wind blew fiercely and the snow sometimes fell at the rate of two inches an hour. Little peeks out of my house during the night revealed a white out. At dawn I could wait no longer, I leaped out of my warm house and found myself BELLY DEEP in snow! We were not disappointed this time – the watches and warnings produced a BLIZZARD. In just one night we got 14 inches of snow complete with even deeper hard packed drifts created by dangerous winds! I was so excited I howled the good news to the other dogs as well as our handlers and mushers.

The storm that brought our sled out originated in northern Texas. It gained strength and crossed 14 states before dumping all that snow in Wisconsin and neighboring states. These storms are called “Panhandle Hooks” because they start brewing out near the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas then as they gain strength they hook around and head to the northeast. You can do an Internet search like I did to learn more about this type of storm. The other type of winter storm that hits the Great Lakes Region is an Alberta Clipper. Sounds like a ship – but it’s not. Alberta Clippers are fast moving storms that deliver sleet and freezing rain or a few inches of snow. The precipitation is always followed by frigid arctic air and bitter winds. Have you checked into the type of storms or weather systems that typically affect your hometown? It’s very interesting and while you’re at it, you might want to check into the meaning of weather “watch” and weather “warning.” The science of meteorology is very interesting especially for we sled dogs who live and work in the elements.

Trail Breaker Snow Machines at Koyuk.

Trail Breaker Snow Machines at Koyuk.

After all the snow, one might think our humans would rush to round up the mushing equipment, rig the sled, transfer the gang-line from the 4-wheeler and off we’d go for our first sled run of the season. Well, that didn’t happen. Remember, I said the snow was up to my belly and some of my teammates aren’t even as tall as I am. Before we can pull the sled down the trail, we need to have a trail. Even a large team of very strong huskies can’t go very fast or get very far in belly deep fresh snow so just like in the Iditarod where trail breakers go out ahead of the teams we needed trail breakers. Iditarod trail breakers on snow machines stay just ahead of the lead mushers to establish, mark and pack the trail. Trail breaking at Just Guts Kennel isn’t quite like that – our trail breakers do it the old fashioned way – snowshoes! While you might think that mushers and handlers have it pretty easy riding the runners of the sled while we do all the work, such is NOT the case. Musher’s and Handlers do a tremendous amount of work to open trails for us to run on. They can break trail at the rate of about 2 miles an hour and we have MANY miles of local trails.

I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to my trail breakers and to Iditarod trail breakers who open 1049 miles of trail for the Last Great Race. We couldn’t do it with out you! This is what team work is all about.

Born to run,
Sanka

Comments: 0

Happy New Year

Posted by Gypsy in Messages to Teachers Date: January 10, 2010

Hey Boys and Girls,
Happy 2010!
Hope you are all having a great school year. I’ve been really busy with my studies this year. Each year seems to get a little more difficult. Is that the way it is in human school too?
The Iditarod will be starting really soon. I can’t wait. I bet your teachers are busy getting ready for you to follow the race. Have you been thinking about what musher to pick to follow? If you’ve read my posts before, you know I’m all about setting goals. I’d love to hear about your goals and how you are doing with accomplishing them. If you haven’t set any goals, did you make any New Years Resolutions? Those could be your goals.
I will be writing to you more often now. Some stories I am working on have to do with schools and organizations working on Zuma’s Community Challenge Project, the new Teacher on the Trail Finalists, and stories on race preparation. Hope you check back often to read all of the K-9 reporters stories.
Is there something you would like us to write about? Is your school or class doing a community project that you would like to share? Just let us know.
Well, I’m off to do more homework.
See you on the trail soon,
Gypsy

Tagged: , Comments: 0

What Does It Mean to Withdraw?

Posted by Libby in Messages to Teachers, Zuma and Reporters Answer Questions Date: December 23, 2009

dsc_0536 Libby here!

Hello Boys and Girls,

I hope you have had time to go to the musher listing page and see all of the mushers who have signed up for this year’s Iditarod.   If not, go to the link that you will find after my name, and you can visit that part of the website.

When you look at the musher listing, you can see that a few mushers have already withdrawn from the race.  Are you wondering what that means?  My job as reporter is to help you with the ‘little details’ that you need to know.  I will help you understand what a withdraw before the start of the race means.

When a musher withdraws before the start of the race, the musher has decided not to race this year.

Reasons for this decision can be a personal reason like the health of a musher, concerns about money or sponsorship, or not enough trained dogs to run the race.  The Iditarod website does not usually give you a reason why a musher withdraws but you can be sure that the musher made the decision for a good reason.

One thing you can do is make a list of good reasons that a musher can have to make a decision to withdraw.   Then, think about good reasons that you might have when you or your family have to stop doing something.

Just Spinning de ‘tails’,

Libby

Follow this link to the musher listing.

Leave us comments or questions about reasons for withdrawing.  Share your thoughts with us!

Comments: 25

December Update

Posted by Zuma in Messages to Teachers Date: December 20, 2009

zuma_adult Hello Boys and Girls,

As December rolls to an end, Gypsy, Sanka, Libby, and I want to take a moment to wish you a Happy New Year!

While you are on your holiday vacation, we’ll be starting our research and beginning to write our articles for this year’s race!

When you get back to school, remember to check the website for updates every week!  At Zuma’s Paw Prints, you’ll be able to meet authors, meet some of our fur friends, and find out everything you need to know about the race.

Remember to click on the menu items on the side of the page to help you find information and articles.

This is going to be the BEST Iditarod race ever!  You can count on us to keep you up to date with news and information.

The Iditarod is just a few weeks away!

So, enjoy your holiday and then, start learning all about the race!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 2

Meet an Author: Dagny McKinley

Posted by Zuma in Meet Authors: Read Books!, Messages to Teachers Date: December 16, 2009

Hello Boys and Girls,

I had the pleasure to get to know an awesome author and photographer, Dagny McKinley!

When I picked up her book, Wild Hearts:  Dog Sledding the Rockies, I couldn’t put the book down.  The pictures of the sled dogs are so amazing!  She did a great job capturing the personalities of the dogs in the photographs.  I enjoyed reading the book, too!

I invited Dagny to share information with you.

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma


Hello!

WildheartsWild Hearts: Dog Sledding the Rockies has tons of photographs and tips about dog sledding as well as a look at every day life for the amazing dog sledding dogs. Dog sledding was once a way of life for people in Alaska who used the dogs to transport food and supplies. Today, dog sledding is a passion for many people. Over the last two years, over 100 dogs have become some of Dagny’s best friends. See how these dogs live and how they are loved.

Find out  more about Dagny’s day to day adventures with the dogs at www.DogSleddingTheRockies or email her with any questions or thoughts – dagny@UndiscoveredEarth.com
Dagny McKinley
Author/Photographer

www.DogSleddingTheRockies.com

Comments: 2

Zuma’s Community Challenge

Posted by Zuma in Community Challenge Project, Messages to Teachers Date: December 12, 2009

zuma-schultz3b.jpg Hello Boys and Girls!

The mushers and their dogs have been training for a long time.  With sled bags soon to be packed, with hopes, dreams, and plans in place, mushers will be heading to the starting line on Saturday, March 6.   The restart is on the following day, Sunday, March 7.  The race will end when the last musher reaches Nome.

Each musher has already faced challenges of training dogs, raising funds to pay for expenses, and putting all of their plans in place.

Iditarod staff has been putting all the plans in place to hold this race. Volunteers have been making plans to go to Alaska and help with volunteer jobs before the race, during, and after the race.  This race would not happen without the many, many volunteers.  We are very thankful for them because they help make Iditarod happen!

While you are thinking about the challenges the Iditarod staff, the volunteers, and the mushers, and dogs will face, I would like you to think about being a volunteer in your own community so that the  challenges others face around you, can be less.

Now is the time for you to think about how you can volunteer and help make the world a better place in your own community.  I’m sure if you sit down and come up with a brain stormed list, you can discover lots of ideas about what you and your classmates can do in your own school or community to show you care about others.  Look around you!  Think!

My challenge to you, Boys and Girls, is to come up with a class project in your own community.

Learn what it is like to help with a community project and take pride in your efforts.  The project doesn’t have to be big—-  because sometimes even small projects make a huge difference!

Here is one idea:  Animal shelters are always in need of supplies.   Gypsy, Sanka, Libby, and I have a special challenge for those of you who are interested in helping the pets in your communities to stay healthy.  Research about your local shelter.  Invite someone from the shelter to visit your classroom so you can learn more about the shelter.  Discover what their special needs are and how you can help.  Put a plan in action.

Do you need more ideas?  Is there an organization in your community that raises funds to help needy families?  Is there a food drive going on or does someone you know just need a helping hand?  Would you brighten someone’s day by sending cards or putting on a  program for the local retirement community?  Does the trash in your local park need to be picked up?  Is there an organization in your community that could use a hand?

Take a look at your own community and do something to help out!

When your project is done, write to us and tell us what you did and why you did it.  You can even send us a  picture and we’ll put the picture and your story on the website.

Don’t just sit there, friends!  Get your thinking caps on and come up with a project, any project that you know will help make a difference.   Show your community the power behind the people who volunteer!

If each of us  were to get involved in helping others, we can really brighten someone’s day and make the world a better place!

We can’t wait to hear about your projects!  Join our challenge!

Start your project next week or next month.  You could even start the project on the start of the race and see if you can finish it before the last musher reaches Nome!

Good luck on your projects!  Happy ‘good deed doing’ to all of you!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Tagged: Comments: 3

What is an IditaRider?

Posted by Libby in Messages to Teachers Date: December 9, 2009

Libby here!

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA Did you know that each year, a group of lucky race fans get to have a very important and special ’seat’ at the start of the race?  Did you know that some race fans get to see the start of the race while on a very special journey?

That ’seat’ is in the sled of an Iditarod musher as the sled goes beneath the starting banner for the first 11 miles of the race.  Just think about how much fun it would be to not only hear the musher’s name called to the starting line, but your name mentioned, too!  Just think of the sights and sounds of the start day!  Just think of the people you’d see on that 11 mile ride!  It would be so much fun to be an Iditarider!

Who are the lucky race fans?  They are the winners of the IditaRider Auction! The winners of the auction are called: IditaRiders.

This IditaRider auction is a fundraiser that helps pay for the race.  Race fans go to the website and sign up to bid.  The race fans place bids and the highest paying bid wins!   The winners meet ‘their’ musher a couple of days before the start of the race.  How exciting!  They can even get the musher’s autograph, too!

I hope you check out the IditaRider auction section of the website.  It is fun to watch how much money the race fans bid for their ride.  The money raised helps pay for the race.  This is a very important fundraiser so let’s cheer on the bidders!

You can learn more about the Idita-Rider auction at the auction link or by reading this article which tells about other auctions, too!

Just spinning some De’tails’!

Libby

Here is an idea for you:

Write a short story about what it would be like to be an IditaRider or make up a TV commercial about the IditaRider Auction.  Send us an email sharing what you write because the K9 journalists would like to read what you write.  We’ll post some of the ideas right here for others to read, too!

Learn more about Libby and the other K9 journalists at this link.

Did you know Zuma is on Facebook?  Join us there!

Comments: 7

November Update

Posted by Zuma in Messages to Teachers Date: November 27, 2009

Hello Boys and Girls,

zuma_adult

zuma-keyboard.jpg

Can you hear my howl song?  I’ve been howling for days!  There is snow on the ground!  The temperatures have been cold, and it is Iditarod Season!

As November comes to an end and December begins, the Iditarod race season draws closer, too. It is so noisy at Iditarod Headquarters, that I can hardly get a good snooze in while practicing my napping skills next to the Executive Director’s desk.  The phones ring, people stop by, and race staff is very busy with the details for this year’s race.   If I could only get everyone who stops by Race Headquarters to bring me a treat, I wouldn’t mind not getting in my nap.

But, I guess it is fine that I can’t get a good nap in because it is time for me to start snooping around for good stories and get my paws typing on the key board. More than 70 mushers have already signed up to run this year’s race and it is rumored more entry forms are in the mail! The deadline for sign up is the end of November.

This year’s race begins on Saturday, March 6. The start of the race is about 11 miles. This is an exciting day because it is like a grand ceremony. In each musher’s sled, an Idita-Rider will experience those first few miles. An Idita- Rider is someone who has participated in the Idita-Rider Auction, one of the race fundraisers. The Idita-Riders placed bids on riding in the sled. Learn more about the Idita-Rider program at this link. If you are headed to Alaska for the race, you should think about bidding and enjoying the ride of a life time!

The restart is on the following day, March 7. Once the mushers leave the restart, they are on their way to Nome. The restart is in Wasilla, Alaska.

Boys and Girls, I just want to take a moment to let you know that the K9 journalism team working with me this year, Gypsy, Libby, and Sanka W. Dog and I are very excited about this year’s race. We have lots of ideas on great stories and articles that we’ll be writing to keep you informed on what is happening at Headquarters, in Alaska, and along the Iditarod Trail. We will also be introducing you to some great books that you might want to check out from your school library or purchase at our on line store. If you are looking for books to read, don’t forget to check out our book list on this website.   Meet the authors who have agreed to share with you about their books.   We’ll also feature a few articles and stories sent to us from some of our K9 friends. Don’t miss our scrapbook of pictures!

We are looking forward to bringing you the best prerace and race coverage ever!

Check Zuma’s Paw Prints every week or so for new articles.

Have a great week, friends!

Woof! Woof!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

PS

Have you met my new friend yet?  His name is Herb Brambley.  He is this year’s Target® Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™.  Check out his section of the website.    Click here! Herb is a teacher and he is also a musher!  He lives in Pennsylvania.  If you want to meet his dog, Willow,and his other dogs, read this article!

Comments: 0

October Update

Posted by Zuma in Race Coverage Date: October 7, 2009

CIMG5176

Hello Boys and Girls!

We now have 65 mushers who have signed up to run this year’s race!  Isn’t that exciting?  Have you taken a look at the musher listing on the website?  When you do, you’ll be able to notice that we have mushers not only from the United States, but Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, and Jamaica.  Isn’t that amazing?  Get out a world map and locate those places, Boys and Girls.

Did you know that when you click on the name of a musher, you get to read about the musher?  Reading about each musher is a great way to learn about the mushers and their teams.  As you read, you’ll notice that some mushers have their own websites, too.  If your teacher says it is ok, visit the musher websites.  It’s lots of fun to read about mushers!

By the way, I thought you’d like to know that I was just hiking through the Iditarod Headquarters building and my ears perked up because I heard talk that even more mushers are expected to be signing up.  So this is your behind the scenes information, watch that musher listing and see who else signs up.  Mushers have until  November 30, 2009  to sign up.  You can read all about the musher’s rules by clicking here.

Well Boys and Girls, I think I’ll take another hike and see what else I can learn today!  Hike and learn! Hike and learn!  Hike and learn!  Great plan, don’t you think?

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

PS  If you have questions about me or the other K9 Reporters, be sure to click on the link on the left hand side of this page, Meet the K9 Reporters.  You can read about me there, too.  Where do you think I was born?  Click that link and find out!

Comments: 0

Welcome Back

Posted by Zuma in Messages to Teachers, News Date: September 26, 2009

CIMG5181Hello, Boys and Girls!

The months of June, July, and August were a mixture of busy days and lazy days. Summer in Alaska is a beautiful time. All of the daylight hours give everyone plenty of time to be outside. When I wasn’t walking around the neighborhood, I enjoyed chewing on my favorite toys while in the shade beneath the trees in the yard. I breathed in he smells of salmon, steak, shrimp, potatoes, and other goodies being grilled in the evenings. I couldn’t resist sitting next to the table at meal time, hopeful of something delicious being handed to me beneath the table. I also enjoyed taking long afternoon snoozes and dreaming about the fun times I’ve had with my family and friends. I went camping and fishing a couple of times, too. Riding in a boat is lots of fun but I have to tell you my favorite part of camping has always been the time around the campfire watching my humans roast marshmallows. Getting that marshmallow roasted just right is such an art but my humans are pretty good at it. We had a great 4th of July holiday, too. I must admit that the sounds of firecrackers going off are too noisy for me. I covered my ears with my paws until all the noise was gone. Best of all this summer, I enjoyed spending time with all of my humans. We even took time to look at some old family pictures. We talked about the times when we were all a lot younger. All that talk about the past and our time together made this the best summer ever. You just can’t beat spending time with family and friends!  I am grateful for my loving family and will always be with them, even in my dreams.

I bet you did some of the same things I did this summer. I’m sure as many teachers do, your teachers had your write in your journal about your summer. I know that is something you probably have to do every single school year,  but writing about your experiences is a good thing.  One idea is to save your journal entry and look back at it ten or twenty years from now. What fun it will be for you to remember what you did!

No matter where you are now, September is almost over and October will be here soon. Your September and mine may look and feel different. Here in Alaska, ‘Termination Dust’ is on the mountains. Leaves have turned golden. There is a crisp feel to the evenings and mornings. I know this because as I walk through the park near my home, my paws feel the crispness in the grass. My nose breathes in the coolness and I know that winter will soon be all around me. In some places in Alaska, a tiny bit of snow has already fallen. Take a moment and look around your world and jot down some notes about what you notice in nature. What hints is Mother Nature giving you about your season? In 30 days, observe again. Take notes and compare how things have changed.

Most of you are probably back in school and working hard on your assignments. Some of you are in a year round school and have holidays and vacations at different times. I live in Alaska in the northern hemisphere, but some of you live in the southern hemisphere and are moving into spring and looking forward to summer. No matter where you are, though, it is time to start to think about the 2010 Iditarod! This will be the best race ever and you aren’t going to want to miss a bit of it!

At the June 27th Volunteer Picnic and Musher Sign up, those mushers wanting to race in the next Iditarod began to turn in their registration materials declaring that the rest of their summer and the months leading up to the race, would be filled with training their dog team for the race. As of today, 63 mushers have signed up to run the race. Take a look at the musher listing and see who has signed up. Check back often to keep up with the sign up news because I’ve heard rumors a few more mushers will sign up soon.

zumareads During the next several months, the K9 Journalists and I will be bringing you lots of interesting stories. Check in every month and get updated information. After our last K9 Journalist staff meeting, we’ve decided on some great story ideas. Get ready for great stories from Gypsy, Libby, Sanka W. Dog, and me! We can’t wait to get our paws on the key boards!  (Learn all about the K9 Journalists by clicking here!)

One special highlight at Zuma’s Paw Prints this year is your chance to meet a few authors. Ed White, Helen Frost, and Marianne Schlegelmilch are the first three authors who have agreed to share about their books. When at Zuma’s Paw Prints, click in the menu tab,” Meet Authors! Read Books!” to get started. I hope you decide to read the books by these authors. After you have, leave comments or your questions about the books by the author’s article. This is going to be so ‘mush’ fun! Get reading!

I am also proud to announce the 2nd Annual Zuma’s Community Challenge. Boys and Girls, I know one thing you’ve learned in school is that people are pretty powerful and even kids can do things to help make the world a better place. I am sure you have ideas on things kids can do in their own communities to help out. Talk to your teachers and get involved in this project. You can learn more about this challenge by reading this article.

Boys and Girls, I know that you are going to have a great school year. As you practice your skills and learn new things in school, keep checking Zuma’s Paw Prints and Iditarod’s website for interesting information about Iditarod and Alaska.

Racing season is just around the corner. We can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

You can learn more about me at this link.

I hope you enjoy this slide show.   The pictures will change so keep watching!

Comments: 1

Rookies and Veterans

Posted by Libby in Along the Trail, Zuma and Reporters Answer Questions Date: September 24, 2009

CIMG5370Libby here!  Is that you there?

Did you know that mushers have already signed up to run the 2010 Iditarod?  That is right!  As of today, 63 mushers have signed up.

While I was spending my summer days taking boat rides on the lake with my human and k9 friends, mushers were making their plans for the next racing season.

The mushers started to sign up last June.  You can see who has signed up by looking at the musher listing on the website.

Some of the mushers are veterans.  Some of the mushers are rookies.

A veteran is a musher who has completed at least one Iditarod.

A rookie is a musher who has not finished the race.  The rookie might be racing in Iditarod for the first time or the rookie could have been signed up before but for some reason, didn’t make it to Nome.

Not every rookie musher gets to Nome on the first try.

Getting to Nome and finishing the race is not easy.  Rookies and veterans train all year long and make lots of goals.  Their dogs don’t get to lounge around like me.  I am a reporter.  They are athletes.  I write.  They train.  I can’t wait to read all about them during the next several months.  On the first Saturday in March, the rookies and the veterans will have their 16 member dog team ready to leave the starting line in Anchorage, Alaska.  What an exciting race to Nome it will be!`

I hope you look at the musher listing.  Count the rookies.  Count the veterans.  Check back every month.  Keep watching the list of rookies and veterans to see how many of each will start this year’s race.

Be sure to check back at Zuma’s Paw Prints, too.  Zuma, Gypsy, Sanka, and I will be putting lots of stories on the website to help you learn more about the rookies, the veterans, and lots of other Iditarod information.

Just Spinning D’Tails!

Libby

PS.  In the picture, my fur friend, Wicket and I are shown enjoying a boat ride on a bright and sunny summer day.  I love summer boat rides!  They are almost as much fun as riding in a dogsled!

OH, and if you want to learn more about why some mushers don’t finish Iditarod,  read this article by Gypsy.  I know you’ll enjoy it.

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Meet an Author: Marianne Schlegelmilch

Posted by Zuma in Meet Authors: Read Books! Date: June 16, 2009

Hello Boys and Girls,

marianneschlegelmilch.jpg

Just the other day I had a chance to talk with author Marianne Schlegelmilch.   If you are looking for a book to read, try one of Marianne’s books.  When you are done reading, leave comments and questions about the books.  I can’t wait to hear what you think about the books.  If  you ask a good question to the author, maybe Marianne will stop by the site and answer it.

Do you want to know more about the books?  Keep reading!

Solo Flite is a story about a lost young puppy who ends up living at the kennel of Joe Redington. There he begins a life of exciting adventure, starting with the day Joe shows him the Iditarod trail for the first time and later taking him to his own incredible finish in Nome. Along the way, he meets a team of other very special dogs including one big surprise meeting that you will want to read for yourself.

Later, in the book Coho Waterboy, the Flat-Footed, Web-footed Alaska Sled Dog, Solo takes the young Coho under his guidance and inspires Coho to overcome his disadvantages and gain the confidence he needs to earn his own special moment in Nome. Not only does Coho become the darling of the tourists at Iditarod Headquarters, but he also learns to hone his instincts and become a team player as he does what he was told he could never do, and runs in the Iditarod race.

Both Solo Flite and Coho Waterboy will show you that heart and spirit go a long way in making life’s adventures the best they can be.

Marianne wants her readers to know that she will be working this winter of 2009/2010 on a third book featuring Solo, Coho and a new dog named Aero –tentatively titled, Aero–Adventures of an Iditarod Air Force Alaska Sled Dog.

Each of these children’s books written by Marianne are fictional stories about The Last Great Race. She hopes her readers will find them not only entertaining, but warm examples of the Alaskan spirit set amidst the adventure of the one thousand mile race to Nome known as  Iditarod.

For orders, contact evan@publicationconsultants. com or www.publicationconsultants.com .

What are you waiting for, Boys and Girls?  Get reading!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

Comments: 2

Meet an Autor: Ed White

Posted by Zuma in Meet Authors: Read Books! Date: June 14, 2009

Hello Boys and Girls,

Have you read Foxy’s Tale? It is an awesome read about an Iditarod Champion sled dog. 

Just the other day I was having a chat with Ed White.  I told him I’d remind all of you about this book.

I’m going to challenge you boys and girls to read this book and that chat about it here with us!  Leave comments about the book.  Ask questions.  Who knows, maybe Ed will drop by and answer them for you!

Lots of Tail Wags,

Zuma

PS

The following is what Ed sent us about the book Foxy’s Tale by Ed White and  Donna Freedman

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Ed White is the co-author of Foxy’s Tale – The True Story of a Champion Alaskan Sled Dog. The book, told from Foxy’s point of view, describes the real-life adventures of a former runt of the litter who wouldn’t give up, and the family who loved her. This true heart-warming story demonstrates how hard work and determination will help you live your dreams and achieve your goals, despite your size.

The plot sounds like a Disney Movie. The smallest puppy in an Alaskan sled-dog litter gets sold to a family as a pet. After the dog is seriously injured, the family veterinarian recommends euthanasia; she believes the dog may never walk again. But Foxy recovers and not only learns to walk again, but she also learns to run, and to pull a sled. With her best friend Kelly, Foxy goes on to successfully race and later compete in the Junior World Championship Sled Dog Race in Anchorage.

To learn more about Foxy’s Tale, visit www.foxystale.com

Ed White loves to answer questions about the book or sled dog racing.

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