Hi all! Happy first day of Spring - especially for we northerners!!! Record snowfalls, record days below zero, that's what we had here in CT. I'm anxious about my saucer garden, but still optimistic. I took the last pix yesterday - the last day of winter. I can't yet get any closer than that pix shows but from what I can see, it's only the Blue Star Creeper that looks iffy to me. The three pix below are from Jan 21, Feb 14, and Mar 19, 2014. I still have a frozen stream along the path. In anticipation of success for this saucer experiment, let me add a few notes and tips that I forgot to include above. On my second try I used a lot of local dirt over the base of potting soil. Seems happier - potting soil not earthy enough? This sled is made of aluminum. I don't know about plastic - might its chemicals leach into the dirt over time? Maybe a year or two would be okay? I don't know - anybody else? Since last summer I water (drizzle) with rain water only, and only when needed, concentrating on the drier perimeter, letting it soak to the center. All that said, I'll probably finish this thread with one more pix in early summer - with critters. As for the rest of my time in here - I'm still learning from everyone else - with very little expertise. Onward and upward for us all - flowers included! -- K

Marcia, That would be cool to go out on a sled dog tour. None of the teams that come here to race do that. Our dog bylaws won't let you go above 4 dogs so all the teams in the races are from out of town. You could skijor but that would be it with 4 dogs. It was lots of fun Sierra. Another year till the next one. I think they were going to try and have a 25 mile race next year. Syreeta

Thanks everyone. I was so excited to finally be able to post high quality versions of my videos. I sent the link to kennel Vern Halter. During the week I will post other short videos I created during that trip. Jasdip: the dogs, at least at Vern's kennel are well socialized right from birth and very friendly. They do scrap among each other because each dog has its own hierarchy not only in the canine world but also when pulling sleds. There is always a lead dog with anywhere from 5-15 dogs behind him. The lead dog is an exceptional decision maker and will steer the sled away from thin ice, and other dangers of the trail. The other dogs often struggle to get to a higher rank in the pull line and will jump over each other to the point that all of the harnesses are terribly tangled and it takes several people to get it all straightened out. Nicole: someday I may actually put together a video of live footage I took at the official start of the race. You can feel and hear the excitement in the dogs. Nanny: you're probably referring to Jeff King, he's well known in the Iditarod world as a racer, inventor and writer. Cabellas Sporting Goods store carries Jeff King designs. I've read his book Cold Hands, Warm Heart. He is a better musher than writer, but it's still interesting. I have several photos of him and his dogs as they took off from the block at the official start. Ellie: yes, the dogs are incredibly psyched! While waiting to start the race there is a handler for each of the 16 dogs so that they won't take off down the trail without anyone on the sled. Alaska huskies are not a breed per say but a list of attributes that suit the race mentality. They are generally medium size, a good eater (important on the trail to not be finicky), powerful and smart with a drive to run. They come in many colors and points but all have that incredible drive to run in them. Murraysmom: three people are really not that difficult for the dogs. The sled usually has to be weighted down by something to stay solid on the ground as the dogs go wild flying down the trail. The sled I rode on had a basket in front for someone to sit in, a middle area for the kennel's driver and a back area for another rider. I sat in the basket for about an hour when the other person riding with me (who had done this before) offered me her spot on the back rails for the ride of my life. Go back and take a look at how thin the sled rails are. I was amazed, especially because Vern had given me a pair of his cold weather boots (along with his Iditarod jumpsuit and gloves). The boots were big enough for me to wear over my own cold weather boots. Meaning the boots were several times wider than the rails. If anyone wants to get a personal and humorous view of what it's like to train for and race in the Iditarod, I highly recommend Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. He's best known for children's books like Hatchet, but took some time off writing to race the Iditarod. I laughed so hard in parts and was amazed in others by what these racers go through, and particularly Gary who kind of took bonding with his dog to the extreme (and paid for it :-) Jodi-

I am not a Sooner nor a Steelers fan BUT I am a Ravens fan! If I had any energy I would get something together for Lucy to model but unfortunately I have no energy. Maybe tomorrow I will found something for her to wear. I must say that both dogs look great in their outfits. Deb