Yukon Quest Day One

I was going to impress you by showing you a pin from the very first Yukon Quest. So I photographed the oldest one in this special little bag I have that holds my Quest pins. I thought the first Quest was 1984 - but it must be 1985 as that is the first pin I have. Then looking on the Quest site - the first race WAS 1984! I must have filed that pin in a very special place.

My first Yukon Quest story: Shaun and I went to the finish line to see Sonny Lindner be the first to cross. Shaun was about 1-1/2 years old. He was also acting very much like a Terrible Two. I finally gave him a bottle to pacify him. Sonny's team finally arrived, he crossed the line then steered his dogs to the front of the White Pass & Yukon Route building where his dogs immediately laid down, panting, tongues hanging out. They LOOKED like they had just run 1,000 miles. Shaun, now in much better mood due to the bottle, went up to the lead dog and shoved the nipple of his bottle in the dogs mouth. Guess he though if it helped him so much, it would help the dog as well.




Give the 'ol blogger a pat on the back. I needed a few things downtown today so thought I'd grab my camera and take a few photos of the Quest start for all my faithful viewers. The crowds began well before the start line and continued well after the start line. Now, in case you didn't know it, Yukoners ARE Yukoners because they don't like crowds. We don't line up for shows (or at least those of us that are not newly from Vancouver don't), we don't like lining up at banks, and we don't like driving around and around looking for a parking spot. So, with this in mind, I proceeded downtown to pick up the few things I needed. A great time to shop downtown - parking spots wherever I went. Then, feeling a bit guilty, I thought I'd proceed further along the Yukon River and perhaps catch some of the mushers there. Eureka! It worked just fine. So here are a few shots of mushers from this year's Quest. Finish line - Fairbanks Alaska - 1,000 Miles away!
If you want to follow the race, just click into the Yukon Quest site.

What's Happening

Guess what time of year it is ... Yukon Quest time!! Our town is filling with lots and lots of one ton vehicles all sporting dog boxes with sleds on top. The race begins this year in Whitehorse on Saturday. For those of you who lived in the north, yes, the Edgewater is still here, as you can see in the above photo with Horwood's Mall (remember T & D's ??) right across the road.

Had an update from the "kids" in Argentina. The latest travel blog was about, among other things, the ZOO in Mendoza and how upon leaving the facility, Brooke cried for the animals. I Youtubed the Mendoza zoo and other than the tourism videos which shows a modern lively entertaining facility, personal videos show a very different picture - especially the one of the zoo keeper removing a dead tiger from its cage, then proceeding to skin the animal right there. Oh my, now I know why she would cry.

On a brighter note, they are in wine country and have toured local wineries as well as an olive oil factory. They toured the one and only organic winery in South America. As well, they have wine with their dinners and suggest Luigi Bosca Wine if you ever see it in the wine store.

And for all you hockey fans (which doesn't include me unfortunately) Whitehorse will be hosting HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA on February 12 - not this Saturday, but next Saturday.
The name of the event is a bit of a misnomer, as there will be a near week-long celebration in the area. There will be youth hockey events, banquets and appearances by a host of NHL alums, including Kelly Hrudey, Kevin Weekes, Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark, Reggie Leach, Pat Quin, Brad May and Tim Taylor. The Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup will be on hand, as will Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound and Toronto Maple Leafs mascot Carlton the Bear.

Ron MacLean will host most of CBC's 13 1/2 hours of live coverage from an outdoor rink at the Canada Games Center in Whitehorse, starting at noon ET. He'll move inside Tahkini Arena later in the day, where the Vancouver Giants will play the Kamloops Blazers in a key Western Hockey League game. That game will serve as the backdrop to regular the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, including MacLean and Don Cherry hosting Coach's Corner and the Hot Stove panel.

So if you want to see a bit of the north, you may want to tune your TV to CBC and see if you can catch some of the hockey action.

February 1st

The wind was a'howling last night, blowing in the warm air from Hawaii! It's not quite the Pineapple Express as no moisture was blown in - just warm air. So for a couple of days we will enjoy the spring like conditions before the arctic cold front pushes the thermometer back down to -17 as expected on the weekend.

Lily has only been gone for a week and I do miss her. Above is her favourite toy with parts nibbled away.

It's getting cold again. Only about -15 but down to -33 with the windchill. Looking out the window, it is deceivingly inviting to play outside, with the blue blue skies and the sun shining on the snow.

Saw The King's Speech last night. That movie just proves you don't need sex or violence to make a great movie. Colin Firth deserves an Academy Award, as does Geoffrey Rush. At the end of the movie half the theatre clapped. I can't remember that happening in a movie theatre!

My Edmonton Realtor friend Lori shared this Youtube with me. It was so cool thought I'd share it with you.(Interested in buying a house in Edmonton? Here's her web site: www.therealtywiz.com) (sorry tried to link the site but had problems in html ... so just visit her site by cutting and pasting).

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We have just been going through a cold snap - again. Near -40 temperatures. However, yesterday they promised warmer weather to come our way, so last night the south wind began to blow and it looked like a blizzard with all that blowing snow. Today, still -25 with a wind chill lowering the temperature even further. Now they say by the weekend we should be at -5 degrees....we'll see!

Dined with Lily's parents tonight. SR is leaving tomorrow to Calgary, then Vancouver, then Argentina ... Brooke leaves on Saturday with Lily. Lily will stay in Vancouver while they travel throughout Argentina for 5 or so weeks for a wee holiday. Good time of year to depart. Even though they currently have house sitters, I will still be the official plant waterer and mail picker upper. I'm sure they will have a wonderful time exploring Argentina.

I will miss the kids, and also little Lily - whom I dog sit on occasion.

Meet Fritz

Fritz arrived in Whitehorse two days ago all the way from Edmonton. He is about 8 weeks old and is Helen's Christmas present. He is a miniature dachshund so we are not certain how large he will grow, but according to his feet, not very large.

For such a wee dog, he is full of vim and vigour and for such short legs he is as fast as a bullet!

Sunday Morning

It was a beautiful crisp winter morning so I walked along the banks of the Yukon River. This is what I saw.

The river is not completely frozen over (hasn't been since they built the dam) so in cold weather the cold air hitting the "warm" water (it's all relative, isn't it?) causes this mystic scenery.


Went to see TRUE GRIT last night. I smell an Oscar for Jeff Bridges! If you get a chance, watch it, even if you are not too keen on westerns.

Happy New Year!!

Watching the cities of Sydney, Moscow, and numerous other cities that display their sky-full of wonderous explosions of colour to mark the beginning of a New Year, I pondered my city and how the New Year is brought in...very quietly. You would think that as we cannot have fireworks in the summer -- the sky does not get dark enough -- that the winter would be the perfect time to set off the fireworks. But for some reason, Whitehorse is reluctant to do that. THEN, for the first time that I can remember, the sky exploded with colour as the clock ticked midnight! What a pleasure it was to step outside and watch the celebration in the night sky.

To all my readers -- HAPPY NEW YEAR -- and may the coming year bring health and happiness to you all.

December 23rd

Lily is flying to Vancouver today for Christmas. Above is her Travel Papers (passport), which will be attached to her kennel while in-flight.
Merry 1st Christmas Lily!

It's Still Not Christmas

In case you missed it (I did - the only night it was cloudy!!!) here is what everyone was talking about - the lunar eclipse, as seen from Toronto. Thanks Jenn for passing this along to me.

My friend passed this clip along to me. It was produced by her friend Dan Sokolowski and I thought I would share it with you. 'Tis the season of the Winter Solstice. Here is how much sun you would see if you lived in Dawson City. http://sokcinema.ca/solstice08a.mov
Thanks for the Iris!

The Nativity

For all you techies out there and people under 30: (sorry but you'll have to remove the Google ad -- "x" on top right hand corner of ad -- when it pops up, as I cannot figure out how to remove it)

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas ... dinner tonight with Cousin Frank, opened early gifts from Brooke (loved your gifts B!!) who will spend Christmas down south. Everything I do these days relates to Christmas. Good thing I stayed in town this year.
Haven't seen Frank and Anne for about a year. He did advise me that a Hungarian friend of his will soon be bringing back Hoorka so will let me know when he cooks it up. Still has the kennel and tourism is booming. All in all, he is the same as I saw him a year ago.

SR & Brooke brought Lily who behaved exemplary as usual. I will miss that little one when she goes south with Brooke.
More visiting this week and before you know it the weekend will be upon us and you know what that means ... so I better be good till them!
Oh, and that lunar eclipse that is so special I won't be able to see again in something like 300 years, I cannot see tonight unless the clouds quickly scoot away. Hope the skies are clear wherever you are.

Happy Christmas

Christmas is fast approaching. Already had my Book Club Christmas and my Golfing Foursome Christmas. The cookies are baked and being gifted to the neighbours tomorrow. The pics are for my bud and one day I hope she can share the cookies with me here in the Yukon! Now that would be a picture worth taking!


This weekend will see a Hungarian meal (Chicken Paprikas) being served to family ... haven't seen cousin Frank for ages so will be fun sitting down and breaking bread with him. Brooke leaves soon for her Xmas with her family, so the gift exchange will take place before she leaves. SR is spending Xmas with me this year - I will look forward to that. And, is my luck changing ???, I won my Christmas turkey -- so so lucky!!

If you've been reading my blog, you would have seen the dump of snow we have already had. Now the thermometer is dipping with a high pressure system descending upon us this week. Temperatures between 20 and 30 below zero. We are so lucky here escaping the snow, snow, snow of parts of Canada and the States, escaping the floods of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Yes, it may get cold, but living in the Yukon, we are not only prepared for that but expect it.
I do wish well to all those experiencing the harsh conditions Mother Nature is throwing their way.

And, just heard this on the radio recently, so here's a heads up for all of you. There will be a lunar eclipse December 21st beginning about 1:30 AM Eastern Time (so I believe that makes it 10:30 PM on December 20th Pacific Time). It is also called the Christmas lunar eclipse. It will be the first total lunar eclipse to occur on the day of the Winter Solstice (in the Northern Hemisphere) since 1638. Worth a look.

And a Happy note to us northerners, December 21st is almost here ... !yeah! ... after the shortest day, longest night (on December 21st, sunrise in Whitehorse is 10:10 AM, sunset is 3:48pm, a total of 5 hours and 38 minutes of daylight), the tides turn and every day will bring more daylight - can't wait.

In case Christmas sneaks up before my next blog, The Best of the Season to all my readers!

The Cone of Shame

Brooke sent me these photos taken last night of poor little Lily. Continue down and watch the movie exerpt which will explain just how she felt.




This excerpt from that fabulous movie UP explains Lily's first experience last night:

Hungarian Dogs

Always said those Hungarians are a talented lot!

Winter

Winter is finally here. In the "olden days" our first skiff of snow appeared around October 11th and by Hallowe'en we were in full blizzard mode and -30 temperatures. Not this year. Last weekend saw our first real bout of snow - it seemed not to stop snowing for days and our snow banks were building higher and higher and higher. Today it stopped and the temperatures dropped. We are lucky in the south of the territory - our "cold" snap stopped at around -20. Not two hours north of us, the temperatures are at the -40 mark. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that when it is bitterly cold the skies are the most clear shades of blue and the little sun we do receive cloaks the trees in a golden glow. It is beautiful. And we are lucky as well in the fact that we have the clothes to dress warmly. Cold weather comes as no surprise when you live north of 60.


My friend just sent me an article on the weather in England. "Up to 20cm (8in) of fresh snowfall is expected to fall on the east of England on Thursday, with London and the South East also being hit by more blizzards. " Winter won't stop there causing airport closures and chaos on the roads. Ahhh winter!

A New Addition to the Family

SR & Brooke adopted Lily from the Mae Bacher Animal Shelter. She is a lovely 4 month old who was actually born in the shelter.


She won't be a very big dog (look at her paws) but she is a happy addition to the family!

Christmas shopping

My bud sent me this - two different varieties in fact. As Christmas is coming, and shopping is on everyone's mind, wouldn't it be nice to experience an event such as this!

Seems the birds came late this year. On their way south they stop in to my yard to eat the berries of my mountain ash. I had to look up their arrival on a blog from a previous year and they are a bit late, but not by much - about a week and a half.
It never ceases to amaze me when they come. The huge flock blackens the sky as they swoop down on the trees, eat in a frenzy, then all swoop up and away in unison. A few minutes later, back they come...again and again and again. It's fascinating and I do enjoy watching them every year.

I Know Hallowe'en's Over, But ...

Was just on my cousin's blog and saw this photo ... it made me laugh so thought I'd share it with y'all. Here's the caption that went with the photo:
The pumpkins are out ready for Halloween. In the concourse where I work there was a pumpkin carving contest the one pictured here is the one I thought was the best. Boo!!!
Thanks for that one Joe!

Housing

Just in case you were wondering:

The world’s most expensive home is complete. The $1 billion (£630 million), 27 storey tower block in Mumbai is the home of Mukesh Ambani — the richest man in India, fourth richest man in the world –, his wife and their 3 children.

As well as having a health club with a gym and dance studio, at least one swimming pool, a ballroom, guestrooms, 9 elevators, a variety of lounges and a 50-seat cinema, the tower also has 3 helipads on the roof, and a parking garage with capacity for 160 cars in the lower floors.

The family quarters are understandably on the top floors, where they enjoy an incredible view across Mumbai and the Arabian Sea. Experts say there is no other private property of comparable size and prominence in the world.

A taste of the Jersey Boys

Forgot to add this. Enjoy!

Jersey Boys

OK, I didn't leave my last blog entry on a very high note, so here is a happier topic. While in London, England, we went to see the Jersey Boys. My review of the production: If you haven't already seen it GO AND SEE IT. It is fabulous. Although it had been playing for 2-1/2 years, there wasn't an empty seat in the house. And the audience was stamping their feet, clapping their hands and some were even singing. At the end of the production, I didn't see a face that wasn't smiling.

The Dirty Dozen

I know this can get to be too much, what with chemicals on our food (i.e. The New Dirty Dozen), chemicals in our household cleaning products, chemicals on our household furnishings (i.e. your rugs, drapes, couches), but the latest one that I have been viewing is in our everyday cosmetics.

Here is an exerpt from the Suzuki Foundation:

"Some of the ingredients in beauty products aren't that pretty. U.S. researchers report that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors...."

It goes on to list what they call the Dirty Dozen, a list of 12 chemicals, why they are used and what harmful effects they can possibly have on humans (which I took into my washroom and found that all the products I have contain at least one of them!!!!!). To read the findings of this foundation, Click Here . They also suggest a sensible approach to stocking your shelves with safer products ... take the list to the store when replenishing your stock and choose wisely.

Brooke also showed me this site, cosmetics data base, in which you can research the products you currently use. We were surprised to find that just because a product is very very expensive, cost doesn't necessarily raise the safety factor.

I know I sound like doom and gloom, but I believe it is better to be informed so we can make better choices for ourselves, our families and our planet.

The Hockey Game

They are at it again. While I was travelling, the McLean Girls sang the national anthems at the Cannucks hockey game. In case you missed the game, here they are on Youtube.

A Journey's End

This year's fashion previews directly from London, England ... fake fur is IN this winter, from coats to boots to hats to purses. If it is fake fur wear it and you will be ahead of the styles in North America!
Also IN is the ked's rubber toed running shoes, from the regular cheap ones to designer $$$$ ones.

It is fun to see what is on the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square. Went to visit the National Gallery and of course wandered through the square. By the way, they are dissuading people from feeding the pigeons which cause a huge mess on everything in and around the square. Large money fines if found feeding the pigeons. Back to the 4th Plinth. If you have not heard of it, check out this site: click here . While on the site don't forget to click on the HOME page where you can vote on the next piece of art to be displayed on the Plinth. I've already voted but won't tell you which I picked.

Above is a section of Trafalgar Square with the National Gallery in the background.

And more England pics, just to prove I was there.

Is that a new Beatle crossing Abbey Road???? This photo is for Jennifer who talked me into partaking in this very touristy venture, then was too ill to watch me live on the web cam. So Little Jennie, this one is for you.

Ya Sas Greece

Our last day in paradise. Here are my thoughts,

THINGS I WILL MISS:
*the weather, lots and lots of sun and little little little rain
*the beaches - no matter where we travelled there
was a beautiful sandy (and sometimes pebbley) beach near-by
*the SEA, the feeling of the water caressing my skin, the temperature:perfect for swimming, the crystal clear water in which you can always view the sea bed ever so clearly, even in port
*Kalimera, Ya sas, to legariosmo parakalo, (this last, even though I didn't really like receiving the bill, loved asking for it and feeling the words rolls right off my tongue
*afternoon Ouzo
*local wine - loved the taste and the price (2 euro 80 for a litre, albeit in a plastic bottle)
*the olive oil, served with every meal
*the patisseries, baklava etc.
*fresh baked bread
*yoghurt and honey - every morning for breakfast - the best in the world
*the Cretans who kept giving us treats, tiny sweet green grapes, cheese, raki, wine - the gifts never stopped

THINGS I WON'T MISS:
*see through toilet paper
*sandpaper towels
*their driving habits: beeping horns, tailgating, double/triple parking, fast, fast driving and passing on curves
*finding nowhere safe to walk without the possibility of being run over, even on a sidewalk
*road systems that are too narrow to accommodate two (small) vehicles, never mind a vehicle and a tour bus
*showers with hand held wands and no shower curtain
*souvenir shops
*shop hours - close between noon and 6 PM and other times if they feel like it

Paros

We made it to Paros. This is the island that is next door to our favourite Naxos. We just took the long way around. Above is the Church of 100 doors. Ninety nine are visible. The 100th door is hidden and will be made visible when Istanbul comes once again under Greek rule. (we weren't suppose to take photos in this church, so I hope nothing untoward happens to me for this!)

Cats, cats, cats and more cats. Where ever you look and especially wherever you eat there are cats. One tried to hop up on our table the other day to help himself. They seem to be a way of life here.

Order a cup of coffee and you never know what you'll get. This was our cup of Greek coffee during our rest stop this morning.

Get off the ferry in Paros and this windmill is the first thing you will see. It is in the middle of the roundabout. It holds the tourist info office which as this time of year is closed. Mid October is the time all the shops, restaurants, tavernas and hotels are on the down-swing. A good time to be saying good-bye to a lovely island.

Next stop, London, England. (Culture shock?? maybe)

Crete

The huge Anik Lines Ferry took us on an overnight journey from Crete to Pireus. We landed in the wee hours of the morning to catch an early ferry to our last island - Paros.

We have seen fabulous sunsets. This particular one from the beach in Paleochora.

Ah Paleochora, the last time I visited was 1972. As was Matala, it is much different today although the beach is still beautiful, the people friendly and the outdoor cinema still operating!!! In 1972 it showed the movie 1/2 on a tree trunk and 1/2 into the night sky. In 2010 it showed Zorba the Greek on a white wall they had built which was a vast improvement, although the film broke three times and had to be repaired before continuing. It was so much fun under the stars!

The roads in Crete - fabulous. The ones we drove were all paved and two lanes. The National Road in the north of the island is the pride and joy of the people. The major roads leading south are large, with good signage and lots of room to drive. What a pleasure!

From Iraklion to Chania. If I didn't know better, I would think we were in Venice!! The old port is very Venetian and very friendly. While in Crete, I cannot remember a meal where were were not given a bowl full of tastey green grapes, a hunk of cheese, a bowl of yoghurt and always a wee carafe of raki. The people of Crete are most generous.

When you see this, you definitely know you're in Chania!

For Kayla

Yes Kayla, I am lucky and since you have studied Knossos at university, here are a couple of photos I took while there. It was very impressive, very large (and very hot that day). Enjoy!