Backstage Iditarod

ITC Picnic photos from Maureen Morgan

Maureen with the Balto statue visiting HQ.

Maureen said this one was just for fun, but including it anyway. ITC's Ed. Director Diane Johnson is seen before the Wall of Champions inside the meeting room.

Balto statue. As Maureen notes, I wished it was in the meeting room beside Togo, too, for photos. Unlike Maureen, however, for some reason I didn't take Balto's photo, so glad she did.

Bob Morgan and Eric Rogers discussing, no, not dogs, but the Ice Trucking series.

You know, the scary thing about going into the gift shop for me is realizing just how much of this stuff I already own.

Donna posing with Balto.

Pat Schue and Donna Quante waiting on the membership meeting to begin.

Maureen in her snazzy new short-do, too. I think we all decided to go "short" with our hair at the same time.

See, Bonnie, Maureen was looking out for you. She helped me out by taking aa photo of me in my duct tape tag. I was laughing cos guess who forgot to wear a tag? Maureen!!!!

Lance

Lance and Maureen looking quite serious minded. Actually, they were both probably getting tired cos it was warm, warm, warm.

Iditarod Musher Sign-Up/Volunteer Picnic, Part 1

Lance (with his duct tape/blue tarp) name tag and Pebbles.

Theresa with Lance's mom, Kathy. I was actually going for John Baker passing in the background, but you don't have to know that and pretend I was going for the gals laughing.

Melissa Owens and Karin Hendrickson

Robert Nelson with Theresa

Lance seems to have gotten in the way of Theresa and I taking photos of each other, huh?

Tonya holds Pebbles, who claims to be Lance's next lead dog extraordinaire.

Lance was one of the first "big name" mushers to arrive, hence I'm heavy on Mackey photos initially.

Candy checks with Lance about....oh, I don't have a clue.

Lance and Pebbles with Melissa Owens

Before signing in/up himself, Lance turned in Newton Marshall's paperwork.

Back on the lawn, Dick Mackey, right, was meeting with ol' friends.

Both Lance and Cain have new musher cards. Lance was busy here signing a bunch for some kids at my former school. Mary H., don't let me forget about 'em!!!

New haircut AND a name badge, was I with it today or what?

Sign-up has certainly gone high-tech, with info entered directly into computers nowadays instead of onto paper and then having to be moved to the computer.

Theresa and I had lots of fun bossing the Mackey Clan around. Cain, Lance, and Dick Mackey.

Love the smiles, tho' looks like this one could stand some lightening up from PhotoShop.

Jack drops by to chat with Dick.

The looks on the fans faces as they mingle with the mushers is what makes this day worthwhile. Lance has just signed the back of a jacket.

Iditarod Musher Sign-Up/Volunteer Picnic, Part 2

I don't normally do the pose with the mushers thing, but this one is for you, Bonnie Lundberg, to prove that I not only remembered to wear my duct tape/blue tarp name tag, but that Lance was wearing one, too. He loved it.

Mike S. and a furry friend

Donna, center, taking a photo of...I have no clue.

Jack N.

John Baker

Karin, left, and....????? Not quite sure.

Ray Jr. talking with Melissa Owens

Smile, Chas, you're on candid camera.

Please note, that even when he took off his jacket, Lance hung onto his duct tape name tag.

Pat Schue has found a new friend, a Redington puppy. Mary Dillingham and Judy Shellnut, rear.

Eric, who was actually posing for Theresa, but the pose was too good to ignore. Besides, I had my eye on snagging the puppy. Ha

Lunch was served!

Marti and Eric Rogers, left-center, talk to Leslie, right.

Grandpa!!!

Martin (and I think that's Clint Warnke behind him in the cap).

New souvenir, wine with different mushers featured on the bottles. Shhh, don't tell anyone, I came home with a bottle.

Bonnie Foster, center.

People found a comfy spot on the ground or a chair and ate.

Tony Waffen, left, Doloris, seated, the smart one in mosquito netting.

While picnic'ing, Lance received a load of bottled water and helped move it from the delivery truck to the back of his truck.

Rae and Kay, or is it Kay and Rae. Check the duct tape name tag to be sure!

Mike

What a pretty face.

I'm not sure what they were talking about. You'll have to ask Bonnie, right.

Jeff Schultz was there, camera in hand.

Without looking, can't recall the last name, but this is Herb, the new TOTT, who plans to take his guitar up the trail with him. How cool is that? He did a couple songs for the crowd.

I hope Theresa got a better photo of this than I did, but it was awarded to Cain Carter for winning last year's Jr. Iditarod. The dogs pictured with him on the gold miner's plate are Rev and Dred. Don't be too impressed with my doggie ID skills, tho', cos I had to ask him to be sure.

Barb Redington, right, did the honors of awarding the plate to Cain.

DeeDee

Iditarod Musher Sign-Up/Volunteer Picnic, Part 3

Dallas Seavey

Just a random crowd shot.

Oh, dang, is Lance practicing to take over my photographer spot?

DeeDee waiting for her credit card to go through the machine.

Paperwork, paperwork....DeeDee.

Ryan Redington having a laugh.

Jeff King

Jeff attends to the ever popular paperwork.

DeeDee talks to fans and volunteers.

Herb entertains us.

Sonny and Chad Lindner

Two for the price of one photo, Chas interviewing Ryan for the Insider to the rear, Jeff still working on that dang paperwork, as is Jim Lanier, right.

Dan Seavey. Never saw Mitch, so not sure if he was there.

Chas interviewing Ryan Redington

Ah, ha, after trying all day to get the Redington Clan together, Barb Redington and I finally managed to get them all in one spot for some photos. Ryan and Ray, front, Raymie, rear, on the cart Raymie uses to give rides.

Chas has moved on to interviewing Martin.

Ryan, Raymie and Ray....while we had 'em, Barb and I ran 'em all over the place to pose. Thanks, guys!

If you count Joe's statue, we've got three generations of Redington mushers here, too, just as with the Mackey Family.

Poor Ryan, I told him he had the youngest bones, so he had to kneel down. They're in front of the little cabin at HQ that's a replica of Rohn Cabin, standing in front of a sign with a tribute to Joe Redingto Sr.

Crowd shot, looking toward where the food was. Karin's sorta left center, looking right at me.

More crowd shot. When you start seeing crowd shots, it's a sign I'm wearing down, which I was, so standing near he end of the sidewalk just sorta swinging around in a circle and taking pix of whoever popped up.

DeeDee with Martin's wife, Kathy.

And, I'm outta here as Chas, in orange shirt, walks across the yard. That's GG Goss front right, who I cut in half and missed her face. She was taking photos, too, and Gail S. had just arrived, so should be more photos soon from not just them, but others, I'm sure.

A Quick Look at Iditarod Headquarters

Amy and Roger at Iditarod Headquarters.

I arrived at HQ a few minutes early, so I wandered over to the cabin area for some pix. Raymie Redington does cart rides in this area but doesn't start till Saturday, so no dogs, alas.

Hmm, my dog team seems to be short a few dogs.

It was a sunshine kinda day

I've obviously got to get back over there when the sun isn't quite in the same spot and get better photos of this sign.

Ol' fashioned snow-shoes. About all you see now-adays are the sleek, smaller versions.

Togo stands guard in the museum

Gary Paulsen Speaks at Mat-Su Reads

Probably should have put these shots here, but they wound up at http://sunhusky.blogspot.com/ so click over there to check out a few photos Gary Paulsen doing a presentation.

Direct link: http://sunhusky.blogspot.com/2009/05/gary-paulsen-speaks-at-mat-su-reads.html