This was a day for the record books, a most excellent adventure. I had the brilliant idea to go see my blogger friend Jill Choate's dog yard to get some good dog pictures for my entry in the Idiadrod Show this year. So even tho we'd never met I asked,can I come to your remote cabin and take some dog pictures? She was very gracious and gave me directions. Now here in Alaska we don't so much go by street names as my mile markers and the odometer on the car's dashboard, it's like go down so-and-so road until you see the dog crossing sign and go another 5 tenths of a mile, turn left go 14.5 miles until the plowed part ends then go an another 8.5 miles until you see the dog trailer and turn left. Thank God for my all wheel drive Outlander it did good. My daughter Nicole drove back so I could get some more pictures. Denali was showing her lovely face today so we so fortunate indeed.
Once there I saw her studio and her art she is a great basket weaver.
I got so much more than ever I expected, Jill and her daughter Jenna hooked up a small team put me on a sled on the back of the snow machine and we took off to get ahead of her mom and the dog team to get the good pictures! It was a blast and of course it wouldn't be complete without me falling off the sled at least once and doing a face plant into the snow. We got back and had a cup of hot cup of chocolate and got to know each other a little better, then it was time for Jill to get back to work.
Jill, thank you and your cool daughter for a most excellent adventure and your warm Alaskan hospitality.
Take some time to check out her web site: http://www.jchoatebasketry.com
Quote from Jill, "only Alaskans aren't impressed with other Alaskans." I understand what she means, we live in a huge state with a relatively small population we all run into the celebrities like songbird Jewel, Governor Hammond (when he was still alive), Tom Bodet, the artists, Ididarod Champions like Martin Buser and Lance Mackey, hell even Sarah Palin at the P.T.A. meeting or hockey game, no big deal.
We live in a place that defines us as individualists, the original pioneers are still alive with stories to tell, we are folks that for one reason or another came to be a part of this great land and have earned our pride because Alaska doesn't cut anyone any slack!
2 comments:
Wow..look at all that snow. Only rain here thankfully. Bad enough we have less and less daylight.
Looked like fun though!
xxp
WA-HOOO Judy! Your a wild thing! Come back and ride those runners again with a dog team in front of them instead of Jenn. Check out my take on the day at the blog site.
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