This is Karin Hendrickson, the musher one of the gals I traveled to the Iditarod sled dog race in AK with. She was a rookie this year and did quite well. Heck just finishing the race is doing quite well. Karin put on a slide show last weekend at her mother's home here in Southern CA and talked about her first Iditarod experiences. It was very interesting. She came through it pretty much unscathed while some veterans of the race nearly lost their lives because of the extreme weather conditions this year. Jodi-

The morning of the ceremonial start of the 2009 Iditarod. The dogs have been let out of the truck. The sleds will be next. The ceremonial race is only 11 miles long and starts on 4th Ave. downtown Anchorage, AK. The musher has an Iditarider (someone who has paid for the privilege of riding in a sled which is not the sled used in the official race) for the 11 miles to Eagle River. The musher usually has a second sled and person with him just to slow down the 16 member dog team. Iditariders can win a seat on a sled in an auction or pay $7,500 outright to sit with their favorite musher. I have an interesting story regarding an Iditarider I met at the mushers' banquet but that will have to wait until for another time, I have to head into the office now. Jodi-

Gorgeous pictures, once again....Just yesterday I passed a house and in the back yard was the biggest wisteria vine..I did a double take and actually had to turn around and stop to see it better...Turns out, the fellow that lives there is a long lost cousin....Who would have thought? But I sure loved that vine.....

Jas, I am a Master Gardener in Oklahoma and in Tulsa county. The last few pictures I posted were of the booth we (MG's) had set up at the Home and Garden Show. I worked the evening shift that Friday, which means, answer questions from the customers. :) Moni PS, I didn't set the booth up, just took pictures there.