In honor of Alaska Bob (Bob Parsons)

Friends (fans) of Alaska Bob - on Saturday March 5 a few of us are going to wear Overalls/Bibs to the Ceremonial Start...

Posted by Toni Reitter on Saturday, February 20, 2016

Is the Iron Dog important for Iditarod fans?

With the ceremonial start of Iditarod just two weeks away, fans are anxiously counting down days grasping at any news on their favorite teams they can.The Iron Dog is a race run partially on the Iditarod trail system on snow machines (though the race uses the term that Canada and the rest of the US use: snow mobile). They kicked off their ceremonial "parade" through Anchorage this afternoon. Like the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, the Iron Dog likes to put on a show for the fans and onlookers. The irony is - the Iditarod was created, in part, to protect the sled dog from extinction due in part to the invention of the snow-machine.

So why is this race important for the Iditarod fans? Well, it is an interesting race going from Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks, over some of the most interesting terrain. And, the drivers are pretty exciting. But what really stands out is this is our only look of the trail conditions before the Iditarod begins. The last couple of years we've seen the Iron Dog drive on dirt and skim over water (with one sinking near Nome!). While they don't travel the entirely same trail as the dog teams will in two weeks (we don't see them go through the Happy River Steps) we at least get the general idea.

So enjoy watching the race updates, and lets hope the trail is a good one for both races!

Iditarod will stick with Tradition

After another winter gone MIA in South Central Alaska, many fans worried that the restart for Iditarod would once again happen in Fairbanks. While the Fairbanks restart and race was considered successful - many traditionalist fans were excited with the outcome of yesterday's vote. With just three weeks until the Ceremonial Start, the concern now turns to how to get snow into Anchorage for the festivities of Fur Rondy and Iditarod.

Reports from Willow have trails looking and feeling good. My big wonder is what the "Happy River Steps" and Burn looks like. Reports earlier this season said the area looked better than it had in the previous two winters, however that's not really saying much. We won't get a good idea of what the Trail looks like until the Iron Dog goes through - that race begins in Big Lake on the 20th.

The Reitter Trail Guard team will be out at Tudor Centre again this year. Very excited to see everyone and cheer on the teams. I'm predicting more slush like last year. I just hope we don't wake up to rain again. That was NOT a fun way to start the Idita-weekend.

Then on Sunday we'll be in Willow to see the race begin "for real". Not volunteering - hoping I can somehow get a handler badge to be able to get into the musher area, if not I'll still hang out around the area. We're taking the Viking so we'll be able to get the spot I want when the teams come down the chute. Should be good times.

What? You DON'T have Bald Eagles in your backyard?

New roadkill so you know what that means. I actually got some decent shots of this guy in flight. Too bad the lighting was yucky and the background means the wings blend into the photo.

Oh, she replied...

I promised to update if I got a response from the musher who was supposed to remain nameless. Mind you, I do not blog to get into a war of words with people - the only reason I'm "not letting go" is because of the hurtful and unnecessary comments Ms Denure made about someone who passed away during a long and hard fought battle with cancer. I don't freaking care that he was a jerk in her eyes, you just don't do that on another person's post honoring their friend knowing full well his friends and FAMILY would be able to read it.

So this is HOPEFULLY the last time I post about this, but, well... I'm not holding my breath that this is the end of it.

As for this only being a three person battle against her - she knows darn well there's more than three of us that have these feelings. Heidi is just the most vocal of the mushers - but I can tell you that I have listened to MANY mushers of all ranks say exactly what they think about her.

Secondly, I am not targeting anyone. I am not the one who decided to be ugly about Bob's passing.

Thirdly, and probably way more importantly - the idea that she doesn't go around talking poorly about others is laughable. She went after Jeff King last year, she's gone after others as recently as just a few months ago to the tune of trying to get their sponsors to pull their support! And SHE wants to continue to play the victim? No. Again - I have gotten contacted by SO MANY who are DONE with her actions since my blog post. It's been eye opening - and it's the reason why I will continue to speak up when I feel it is warranted.




Oh... and one more thing: Who the heck is BRIAN?

Zoya Denure: Keepin' It Classy

A few days ago I wrote a blog post about losing my friend, Bob Parsons. As the mushing community and fandom found out about his passing a lot of tribute posts went up. Bob was well loved, and the proof is in all of the tributes and posts and comments. HUNDREDS of people chimed in about the loss. Mushers, too, took the news hard and posted their gratitude for his love of the sport and his photography.

And then Zoya decided she needed to put her two cents in and play the victim. Because, we know EVERYthing is ALWAYS about her.

You may recall a few posts of mine from last year where I called her out for scratching - news flash, I'm not the only one who observed the obvious. Bob called her out around the time of "her husband's" (did he write it?) article saying those that scratch from the big races lack the heart and drive to be truly great mushers (he was basically hating on Jeff King). To put it mildly, Zoya does not take criticism (much less fact) well. She and Bob were anything but friends (when he started out actually supporting her). Whatever. I'm not friends with everyone in the sport either. Everyone has their favorites.

But she sank to an all time low last night with her comment. Look, we're all supposed to be adults. We know how to react to someone's passing. He's not Hitler or Bin Laden - he was someone's husband, friend, mentor. He was a good guy that you didn't get along with. Pull up your big girl panties and get over it. Suck it up, princess. That you attack a dead man is just a reflection on how ugly and pathetic you truly are.

Zoya messaged me a few days ago saying I was NOT ALLOWED to talk about her on my blog. I was going to "play nice" and not say anything about her (I mean it gets tedious reporting yet another scratch anyway). But after last night? Nope. She doesn't deserve ANY respect (not that I had much to give her anyway).

I think Heidi Sutter said it best last night. So I will just leave it here:

"The world lost an incredible man Friday. I lost a dear friend whom I consider family, as he was part of my family in many aspects. Alaska Bob was one of the biggest hearted men I have had the pleasure to call friend. He loved the Kid like she was his own. He was always there with a funny message, a quick smile and a long lasting bear hug just at the right times. Bob was a HUGE supporter of mushing and of many, many mushers. He was a GINORMOUS supporter of KMA Kennel.

Someone who considers themselves a role model in mushing, and an ambassador to the sport has finally showed their true colors as many of us are mourning the loss of this amazing human.

Zoya, you are indeed a despicable human who has sunk to the lowest of lows. Now that AB is on the other side, you best be watching your back, cuz honey, Karma is going to eat you up. I just hope that we are all there to see it all go down. You reap what you sow.

Namaste, bitch."

 Bob is no doubt getting a kick at seeing us all react to it. People are seeing her as he's seen her for years.
Will keep you posted if she decides to try to justify this new level of stupidity.

Movie Review: The Finest Hours

Who doesn't love a good historically based film, especially when it's Disney so you're pretty sure that the outcome will be uplifting and inspiring. The Finest Hours does not disappoint - and I don't feel I have to worry about spoiling anything because, hey, history! But seriously, this is probably one of the most exciting and fascinating Rescue At Sea stories I've ever read up on - so I was excited for the film.

Okay, really I was excited because Eric Bana and Michael Raymond-James both had supporting character roles in the film... but shhhhh! that's not what this is about.

The film is based on the book written by Casey Sherman and Michael Tougias, and follows the heroic story of the Coast Guard rescue of 32 men from the Pendleton which split in two during a blizzard off the coast of Massachussetts in 1952.

In February of 1952, one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast struck New England, damaging an oil tanker off the coast of Cape Cod and literally ripping it in half. On a small lifeboat faced with frigid temperatures and 70-foot high waves, four members of the Coast Guard set out to rescue the more than 30 stranded sailors trapped aboard the rapidly-sinking vessel. - Walt Disney Production Company

Chris Pine is our unlikely hero in the story - and if you're expecting his typical pretty boy role you will be shocked. He is by far the standout of this film, he isn't recognizable. He is an unsure, shy, awkward guy from the first scene until he pulls back into the pier after an insane night out in the storm. On the ship side, you also have a solid performance from the de facto leader of the survivors in Casey Affleck. I don't normally care for him in film (can't put my finger on why) but I found myself cheering for him to succeed in getting the group of men working together to keep the stern afloat (literally all that was left of the boat was its butt). Both men had the challenge of some of their coworkers not having much faith in their abilities - not understanding their need to follow rules.

One such character on the Pendleton is D.A. Brown played by Raymond-James. If you know his work, you know this is a character he's played before. Maybe not by that name in that situation, but a hot head with a lot of swagger. He quickly becomes the antagonist and you kinda hope he falls off the boat. Again, a solid performance (but I admit I'm biased), and a very needed voice in the movie.

We get a little bit of a love story with Pine's character, and while some have said that it was what is wrong with the film I disagree. It gave us more backstory for the way Pine's character (Bernie Webber) responds to thing. Webber is as straight laced as they come. He's not confident in himself even though he knows he's good - he just doesn't show that or have the courage to show it. He's a rule follower and if there aren't rules he fumbles around trying to figure out what he can and cannot do.

This comes to a head as the men head out on the rescue mission because they lose contact with the mainland and suddenly he is in control and has decisions to make. Not only is his life in the balance but so are the three other men with him - plus all the potential lives on the Pendleton. Once he realizes that rules and regs are just guidelines, that a lot comes to instinct and sheer determination, he comes into his own.

I really enjoyed the film, and my parents definitely did. My mother was on the edge of her seat with her hands covering her eyes (all the while screaming) during the ocean scenes (so for 90% of the film). My dad said he gave the movie two big thumbs up - and wanted me to tweet the cast that I follow (including MRJ lol) that he cried. It was that good.

Is it Oscar worthy? Probably not - though the graphics of the split ship were impressive (blows Titanic out of the water IMO, but we've come a long way in technology). It's a solid film - it's PG 13 for the intense ocean sequences, there's only one or two curse words that I remember and unless kissing is too graphic for you no sex. So older kids should be okay watching this film.

Definitely make plans to see it - if not in theaters then on DVD. It's worth the couple of hours.

I lost a friend today.

I lost a friend today. We met four years ago at the Tustumena 200. He and his wife had volunteered to help with the race, and I was the official photographer. Little did we know that it was going to be -30 for most of the weekend (plus windchill. It was flippin cold) and so we were all going to get really close in a Yurt in the middle of nowhere. Bob was, at the time, a hobbyist photographer who was still getting used to the digital age. He could work computers, but he wasn't sure about the DSLRs.

Bob would go on to become a pretty popular photographer over the next few years. When he got into something he went all in. He photographed many sled dog races, sometimes while volunteering in other areas of the race, and shared his views of Alaska for all to see on Facebook.

But I knew him as a friend, not just as a photographer or a name on facebook. Bob was a take no crap kind of guy. He was a straight shooter who didn't mince words. You knew exactly where you stood with him and what he thought on any multitude of subjects. He lived life in a way most only dream of being able to. He didn't play games, he didn't keep toxic people near. If you were a friend, you knew it - and you earned it.

I'm having a hard time putting into worlds just what this big guy means to me. He and Jolene (aka "The Boss") have always been so awesome to me, and I treasure the times spent together - which were not nearly enough. Schedules being what they were, there were a lot of missed opportunities. I think I still owed him Dairy Queen.

Last month he treated me and Taylor Steele (up and coming Mushing Superstar currently helping train Mitch Seavey's yearlings) to St. Elias Pizza. We gabbed about sled dogs, past happenings and up coming events. Taylor is fresh out of high school with all of these dreams and as he listened he gave advice and more importantly encouragement and support. If Bob was in your corner, you always knew it. He'd challenge you and keep you going.

No one saw this coming, while he was a man on "borrowed time" by doctor's standards - no one I know ever doubted he'd kick cancer's butt. Getting the message this afternoon (while I was at work, and we all know how much I LOVE getting emotional in front of people, no doubt that'd amuse Bob) I just sat there staring at my phone in shock. I wanted it to be a cruel joke. One I could get upset with him about.

But it's not. And I don't know how I feel. I'm in shock. My heart breaks for Jolene, but I selfishly also feel sorry for myself. I lost a friend today. Cancer took him away. Cancer Sucks.

See Bob Parsons' photos by going to his gallery here.

2nd day of a new year.

So this is my first blog post from my phone. Consider this a test if you will. Just think! I could get the hang of this and then I could become super annoying. Haha.

Anywho here are (I hope) a few pics to document the day. A new year, a new Disney countdown, so I need to get my cooking on again. With the new job that gets me home by 5pm I can do more cooking. Plus I am not exhausted by the time I get a day off so I actually want to cook and bake. The first two dinners of 2016 I have made myself (from scratch!). I've missed cooking.

Also I (hopefully) added a few pics of Stitch because... well... why not?? 

Not the best picture of me, but I love my snuggle pug,
so I was brave and shared it anyway!

 

Happy New Year from Alaska!

Let's hope 2016 is a more beautiful, peaceful, and blessed year! Much love to all of my followers, friends, and family. Here's to making more memories in this next round trip journey around the sun.