Willow Jr. 100

Chelsea and Gay ready for the Willow 100 start

More from Talkeetna

Chelsea and co. on the Yentna River.

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Hey family,

I set it up so that some people will receive email notifications when there is a new post and/or comment on the blog. However, it would only let me add 10 email addresses, so not everyone can receive notifications. I included at least one person from each family, so you'll have to pass the word along so that those who don't get notifications can get on and read and comment on the new posts. If you want your email address taken off the notification list, email me at caitlinjpbahr at gmail and I can take you off.

I really cannot wait to see everyone at the Davis-Lee wedding. I think about it daily. So excited! See you soon,

Love, love, love,

Caitlin

A neighborhood boy just rang the doorbell and gave us the pink sign you see sitting on our mantel. He made it (with some help from his mother, I suspect) and it reads "Bless your Hearts." I can't think of a better Valentine Day wish for all of you. We love you very much.

We hope you all have happy hearts tomorrow, whatever work you might have to do.

NEWS from Talkeetna

Dogs, dogs, dogs! Over the last few weeks and for the next couple of weeks we have been training dogs for the Jr. Iditarod. A week ago, Chelsea and I did a training trip from Willow, 35 miles up the Yentna River to the Yentna Roadhouse and back. Gay volunteered to stay home and take care of the rest of the dogs and keep the fire going so the house didn't freeze up. Since we heat with wood, if we are gone for too long all of the canned food and any water or other liquid in the house freezes, which is a real pain. It was snowing hard when we left Willow and was around -20 degrees F with about a 20 mph wind. I was driving a snowmachine (that is snow mobile to all of you from the lower 48, they are also called iron dogs, sleds, or snowgoes in the native villages) with food and extra gear and Chelsea followed a few miles behind with 12 dogs. The dogs started off fast, which is about 14 mph, but after a few miles settle down to about 9 mph. The trail cuts across a large muskeg and then drops down a steep hill to the Susitna River wich is a few hundred feet across. It was snowing so hard that I couldn't see the trail. The trail is marked with painted lath stuck in the snow about every 500 feet, but we couldn't see from one marker to the next. So I just looked straight down and followed the snow machine tracks. The dogs just trotted along, the trail was probably obvious to them! We thought it was 45 miles to the Roadhouse, and after 30 miles Chelsea was getting pretty cold and tired, and it was dark, so we stopped and snacked the dogs and Chelsea got off the sled and walked around to warm up. We were not really sure where we were, but started off again. Fortunately we were a lot closer than we thought and after about another 45 minutes we arrived at the roadhouse (which is nowhere near a road). The Yentna Roadhouse is run by a family that has lived there for a long time. There is a downstairs common area with a dining room and bar with a half loft upstairs with rooms. They gave us a half bail of straw for bedding for the dogs and some water. We fed the dogs, watered them and took their harnesses off and spread straw for them to sleep on. The roadhouse is an Iditarod Checkpoint and will be the halfway point when Chelsea runs the Jr. Iditarod race. There is a large wood stove in the common area and all of the walls are covered with Iditarod posters and signed photographs. We were the only guests, so we ate diner at the bar and the owner told us stories about life on the river. We told him we were going to head up the river the next day for a training run and then come back to the lodge for the next night. He asked me if I had a gun, which I didn't, and then insisted that I take one of his the next day. He said the snow was so deep that the moose wouldn't get off the trail and so you would need to fire some shots over their heads to scare them off, or if that didn't work, shoot them before they ran you over! Well he was well into his cups at that point and by the next morning he must have forgotten all about it because he didn't say a thing about a moose or gun. While we were eating breakfast in the dining room we were looking at all the posters, and there on the wall were the articles of faith! Quite a surprise! I asked him if someone in his family was Morman, and he mumbled something as he walked off, so I take it one of his kids or wife's kids is LDS. We didn't see any moose the next day. We actually see way more moose tracks on the trail to our house then we did that day. But it was a clear, pretty day and we had a great run. We went home the next day. In the daylight when it wasn't a blizzard, the trail was about 50 feet wide. We had a great run home and all the dogs did really well. Lots of fun in Alaska! I'll post some pictures the next time we go to town where we have faster internet. We are still on dialup at the house, can you believe it! Dogs, dogs, dogs, three dogs in the house right now, and one of them (Kenai, I think) has gas, PU.

Sarah's father, David Harmon, just forwarded this photo taken of Gwen playing the violin her Grandfather Tippets (Sarah's mother, Laura) made. He once played in a symphony orchestra in San Diego. Gwen played that beautiful and tender "Ashokan Farewell" (from the Civil War series) on this violin at Mr. Tippets' funeral a few months ago.

As I look at this photo, I think of the importance of families--of staying connected--of honoring and preserving the accomplishments of each and every member of the family. There is a purpose and a reason for building everlasting family ties. No one appreciates or understands us as well as other members of the family do. That is because in the family we learn to accept one another's successes and failures, strengths and weaknesses, and learn to recognize and appreciate our own strengths and--yes, weaknesses--at the same time.

Hats off to Gwen. Hats off to Chase. Hats off to Chantry and Stephanie. Hats off the Chelsea. Hats off to Fiona. Hats off to Nora, Caitlin, Henry, Jason, Meridith, Annika, William, Emma, and Mia as you work hard in your studies and grow as you learn. Hats off to Nate and Kia who are completing a goal they worked hard to achieve and begin their lives as a new family and are at the same time a part of our family as a whole.

We love you all, Grandma and Grandpa

Happy Birthday to Jason Bahr today!

Above is a photo of Jason and Caitlin taken when they both graduated from BYU last year.

We are glad he is a part of our family because:
1. He adds interesting ideas and fun to our family get togethers
2. He likes to play computer games with Will and talk Will's talk about the games.
3. We like his smile and generally upbeat attitude
4. He likes jazz and plays several musical instruments: guitar, ukelele, banjo, etc.
5. He works hard at his college studies
6. He is kind to Caitlin
We wish you health, happiness, and joy in all you do.

Love from Garold and Norma