Mushers show support for one of their own

By now you've read the news: Dallas Seavey's dogs tested positive for a banned substance. The revelation came after over a week of drama between the media, fans, mushers and the Iditarod Trail Committee. The Iditarod Finishers Club created a petition with many mushers, including Seavey's father Mitch, demanding the ITC come clean and name the musher. Many of those that signed are now coming out in support of the 4-time Iditarod Champion.

Once Dallas' name was released, speculation gave way to camps of fans deciding guilt or innocence with the majority siding with Dallas once his 18-minute video statement started circulating. Soon after, mushers chimed in with their thoughts on the matter. The vast majority were supportive of Dallas, saying that the Dallas Seavey they know and compete against know there was not logical reason for him to drug his dogs (especially with a sedative).

Last night three former Iditarod Champions spoke their support on facebook, plus more retired mushers as well as Dallas's current competition. By morning more followed suit with Aliy Zirkle sending an email statement to KTUU saying how she's raced Dallas for 10 years and knows that he did not drug his dogs. Jessie Royer also talked with KTUU saying very much the same thing.

One of the most telling showings of support is Lance Mackey's statement on his facebook page last night.

We all remember when Lance Mackey had his melt down a few Iditarods ago where he was asked who he hoped would win and he had some not so flattering things to say about the one musher he hoped WOULDN'T win (Dallas). Doesn't sound like much has changed, but if even Lance is smelling something rotten it's time to pay attention.

Jeff King also risked breaking the Iditarod's gag rule by speaking out in favor of the younger Seavey.

More statements of support are pouring out. This battle is far from over. Dallas has basically declared war on the current ITC calling for resignations for all members except the one voted in by the mushers themselves (ITC Board Rep, Wade Marrs). Dallas has also suggested mushers withdraw from the Iditarod until the ITC board changes. Until about a half hour ago, no one had joined him in boycotting, but Laura Neese - part of Nature's Kennel - has now followed suit, though not citing Dallas's call to action as the reason.

Iditarod's finally acknowledged Dallas' withdrawl from the race.

Buckle up, friends, it's about to get good.

I Support Dallas Seavey

'Nuf said.



I may blog later about this issue. I had a blog in the works when the news broke. Work and life got in the way of my weighing in with more than 140 characters on twitter about the drama of the last week in Iditarod. Yes, it's true, I am "biased" as I've been gungho Team Seavey (and a fan of Dallas') since 2007. However, in that decade I've trusted Dallas. I've respected Dallas (name calling and witty remarks aside). I consider he and his family friends. I do not trust people easily. I do not choose who I'm loyal to easily. I believe Dallas. I know he would never cheat - because he does not need to. I don't think his ego would even allow him to entertain the thought. This witch hunt is unwarranted and shame on the ITC for the way they've handled this.

A Dementia Night

We all went to bed by 1030. Dad had fallen asleep in the chair and was "late" getting Gpa his meds, they are not time sensitive just one needs to be taken at bed time. It is supposed to help Gpa not have anxiety. Normally it works.

Fast forward to a little over half an hour ago and I was scared awake by my grandfather opening my bedroom door and flipping the lights on. This has never happened before. He has knocked on my door every time before entering until tonight. Unless I was so dead to the world I didn't hear it, but that is unlikely as Stitch would have been awake and barking. Needless to say when the light came on both Stitch and I jumped to the ceiling. Stitch immediately raced out of my room thinking it was time for food (so I know where i rank, thanks dog). As for me I am trying to wrap my brain about what is going on! I see gpa dressed but I am pretty sure he slept in what he wore yesterday... but he is in my room yelling something that makes no sense.

Finally he gets out "I don't know where I need to be next! I need to talk to somebody and go there!" I will be honest, I was scared. He was rambling like he did a year and a half ago when he got violent on us. Then he turns to my bookcase near my door and frowns and says "and some of these are mine." I assure him, "Nooo, I promise all of those books have always been mine." He then turns back to me and yelled "I just don't know what's going on!" (After thinking about it, there were a couple of cookbooks in the bookcase that I'd given Gma as gifts, but at midnight I'm not awake enough to realize things like that.)

That's what this all boils down to. His brain can no longer figure out what is a dream, what is imagination, and what is reality. For weeks now he has been upset with us over things we find out we did in a dream of his. Sometimes we can explain to him he was dreaming, but most times he just loses focus and forgets. In this moment at midnight, though, is not the time to suggest that.

"This was easier the first time when the officer told me where to go 90 years ago." At the time this statement threw me. 90 years ago Gpa was maybe 18 months old. I then thought maybe he meant when he went into the Navy. As i type this i think he may have meant the incident in May 2016 when the police were called and he was taken to the hospital where they were able to help him get on the right meds. These are all logical guesses while trying to understand a disease that is anything but logical.

I tell him that my dad should know where he needs to be and I send out a silent prayer that it doesn't set him off. He agrees to the idea (thank you, God) and says he is going to lay on the couch and wait. I quietly go down the stairs trying not to wake my parents in the same manner i was woken up, and I softly call out for dad. Mom of course hears me and has to nudge dad awake (the man will be able to sleep through North Korea nuking us). Dad goes upstairs to see if he can calm Gpa down.

I couldn't hear their full conversation, but Gpa was all over the map. At one point, mid-sentence he stopped and asked dad if the bear rug on the wall was his. Dad answered yes. "What about the horns?" "The moose antlers are from a moose I shot a long time ago, Dad." "Oh."

At one point (I didn't hear this, but dad shared with me later) he was on the subject of sexuality. There's something my dad wanted to talk about with his dad at 12:30 in the morning!

Dad was finally able to get Gpa back to bed, told him he would see him tomorrow after work. Dad and i chatted a minute and now I am back in my room typing. Gpa apparently went right to sleep, but he is restless. He is talking loudly. I am thankful I don't work on Fridays as I have a feeling this night is not over.

Iditarod montages

From the Iditarod Facebook Page.

Faith is like a bluebird you see from afar...

Had a visitor the other night in the backyard. A Juvenile Steller's Jay spent time in our trees during a very windy part of the day. Steller's Jays are my favorite type of bird that we have. Yes, they beat out even the incredible Bald Eagle. (One of the Steller's in our yard can make the same sound an Eagle makes, it's hilarious!) With the bird just sitting there it gave me enough time to run into the house and grab my camera and big lens. I kept creeping closer to him to get different angles and what not. It was super windy so a lot of them ended up with too much motion blur, but I got a few decent ones. Check them out (and don't forget to click the "read more" to see all of them!)

Changing of the Guard: Jonrowe says Iditarod 2018 to be her last

If you grew up watching the Iditarod like most children in Alaska did in the 80s and 90s you knew DeeDee's name. If you were female, in Alaska, and growing up in that era you definitely knew her name. DeeDee Jonrowe was one of the women who people wanted to see win. Who knew she'd win. In many ways, DeeDee was supposed to champion what Susan Butcher had made common place - a female Iditarod Champion. Jonrowe was the media darling after Butcher retired to start a family. Jonrowe was as tough as they came and yet fought to keep her "femininity". She wore make up, had "styled" hair, and of course let's not forget all that pink (which as a kid I forgave because she was a lady musher poised to make it to the top).

She was a dominant name in the 90s, coming in second to some pretty fantastic champions three times, and never seeing a finish out of the top ten in that decade - except for 1999 when she scratched due to dogs balking at the winds of the Yukon River. Jonrowe has also had a difficult career due to personal crisis multiple time. In 1996 she was in a car accident that took the life of her grandmother and hospitalized herself and her husband. Her mother Peggy famously battled cancer several times throughout the last 3 decades, before finally losing the battle in 2015 just weeks after DeeDee signed up for the 2016 race, and while wildfires destroyed the Jonrowe Kennel and home. The Jonrowes lost just about every material possesion along with most of the property's structures (all but one retired sled dog, and one cat, survived thanks to the quick action of Jonrowe and her friends). In 2002 DeeDee herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had surgery to remove both breasts, and after completing her chemo in January she ran the 2003 Iditarod where she placed an incredible 18th place (this was the first time Iditarod would run from Fairbanks to Nome, and was difficult for all teams). Through it all DeeDee pushed through, overcame, and continued to land herself consistently in the top 20.

This morning, the Iditarod Legend (and she deservedly owns that title) took to Facebook to report that the 46th Iditarod will be her last. The last few years have been an extreme emotional roller coaster for Jonrowe, with a lot of emotional posts coming through on social media. She also had a more pessimistic view in many of her interviews as she ran each race. While retirement seemed inevitable, the announcement was still a surprise to many in the mushing fandom. DeeDee is a recognized figure throughout the world and her name is synonymous with Iditarod.

I personally cannot remember a time when DeeDee was not a competitor in the Iditarod. Her first race was 1980, five years before I was born. She has entered every year I've been alive. Next to Libby Riddles and Susan Butcher, DeeDee Jonrowe was the next big thing. The torch passed from her to the next generation of dominant lady mushers a few years ago when Aliy made a splash first in the Yukon Quest in 2000 and then later on in Iditarod. Aliy seemed poised to be the next female super star (and she is) but now Jessie Royer and Michelle Phillips are hot on her tail ready to surpass her. No woman has been a dominant figure as long as DeeDee Jonrowe. While she may never hold the title of Iditarod Champion, she's every bit as known, loved, and respected as those who do (and in some cases she's more so). Next March may be the last time DeeDee runs the Iditarod race as a musher, but she will forever be a part of the Last Great Race.

Thank you for teaching girls world wide, but especially in Alaska, DeeDee how to stay strong and battle through the darkness! May this coming training and racing season be the best one EVER.



Share your favorite DeeDee Jonrowe memory in the comments below.

Phone Scam Alert!

Last night (June 16, 2017) as we were getting ready to sit down to dinner, the phone rang. Dad answered and the caller asked to speak with Alan Reitter. My dad said that was him, and the man on the phone said that there was a warrant out on him because he failed to appear for jury duty. Dad is scheduled for Grand Jury duty in July, and he informed the man on the phone of such. The man continued to say that my dad had incorrect information, that he'd missed his court date, and that there was a warrant out for his arrest if he didn't show up at a location to sort this all out.

Mind you, this is well after hours for the court - and it's also not "illegal" to have missed jury duty. This man didn't care, he stated he was with the Alaska State Troopers and that if my father didn't drop everything and do as he said, they'd have to arrest him.

The caller's call dropped several times but he called dad right back. Each time the caller ID said "private caller". While my dad continued to get information from this guy about this supposed warrant I kept saying it was a scam, but no one believes me without me having someone else back me up (which is a rant for another day), so I texted my friend who is a prosecutor here in Kenai. He texted back SCAM!!!!! My dad informed the man on the phone that he was going to have to call the police and make sure this was legit as "an ADA just told me you're a scam." The man's call conveniently dropped again.

My dad reported it to the Kenai Police Dept. Soon after he was done with that long call the SCAMMER CALLED BACK. I'd had enough, and I answered the phone (dad was on another call with the Alaska Office for the FBI - who gave him the number to call the office in DC!). The scammer once again asked for my dad and I asked if this was the supposed officer from the Alaska State Troopers. He said yes and that he needed to talk to my dad. I informed him that we've already talked to the police and they said not to talk to him any more. He told me that WE CALLED THE WRONG DEPARTMENT and that we needed to talk to him only. I got REALLY pissy at this point and told him absolutely not that the KPD WAS EXACTLY WHO WE NEEDED TO CALL and to STOP CALLING OUR HOUSE. He said he was going to send troopers to our house and I hung up.

We had dinner, went to the movies, came home - he'd not called again and it's been over 12 hours and no trooper has showed up to arrest anybody.

BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A SCAM.

The info the man used to Identify himself as "legit" were:

Name: "Lt. Steven Harris of the Alaska State Troopers"
Case Number: FTA 0079-81-10CV
Phone number: 907-290-3015 ext 3

Again, we've spoken with folks at the Kenai Police Dept AND the FBI and both say this is a definite scam and that it's been going around the Peninsula for a few weeks now. IF YOU GET THE CALL - CALL THE POLICE AND REPORT IT. They use it to get more statistics on who they are calling it may help them track down where they're getting info.

Feel free to share. You can contact me with more questions if need be.

Calling all readers - I need your help

I am getting ready to move into a new office (yay!) in my new job (I forget, did I mention that previously?). I'm going to have wall space to display photos on, and, well... you know me and pictures - I got a lot of them. So I'm asking for help. I'm going with an Alaska theme (I love my state) and each wall will have another sub theme...

I've narrowed down the photos and I'm now polling my friends, family, and readers to choose from those I've chosen to make the final cut. You can like/comment on as many photos as you want.

The first batch of photos is Iditarod/Mushing themed (and I have SOOOOOOO many photos it's crazy!):

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Bear Sighting

A few weekends ago my bestie Kassy and I went on a short road trip to Anchorage. Just an overnighter so I could get my car fixed and she signed us up to help with an Operation Christmas Child information booth at a Christian Women's Conference. It was fun, but it was a quick up and back and I was tired (I dealt with migraines all weekend). On our way home (much later than I'd originally planned but we were at the mercy of the mechanics) we were stopped just outside of Sterling. I originally thought it was due to an accident until we looked to the side of the road and saw a sow brown bear and her two yearling cubs! We spent over a half hour taking pictures and watching idiot drivers/people. This is only the 3rd time I've seen a Brownie in the wild (and so close to the road!) and the very first time I've seen cubs in the wild! So awesome!

Who Are You?

Why are bathroom selfies some of the better lit photos?

I've gotten this question, or the "I didn't know you..." comments, a lot lately. I've realized in the last few years of social networking I have more followers that really don't know who I am or what I'm about. Not that I'm anything overly unique or special, but I figured I'd go out on a limb and give a little introduction to those newly following me.

• My name is Antonia Reitter, but I go by Toni (or Tonichelle online). I was born and raised in South Central Alaska, which pretty much solidified my introvert personality. Big country, small population. I love small towns, it's why I can't imagine living anywhere else. I can breathe here - plus little to no air pollution makes breathing a wonderful exercise!
  
• I am a professional photographer. I received my first camera at 7 years old and I learned mainly by trial and error until taking actual classes in high school and college (meaning I've had a camera in hand for 25 years). No degree to show that I know my stuff, but sometimes my work speaks for itself. Photography has given me ins to worlds I would otherwise never be able to be a part of. I have been an official photographer for local triathlons and marathons (the only way you will see me at a running event. I don't run!), and of course I've been an official photog for sled dog races (mainly the Tustumena 200). I've also been hired by a few major Iditarod teams to take photos of their four legged athletes. I've also had several photos of mine featured on Alaska blogs, magazines, and websites.
  
• Speaking of mushing, I LOVE the sport even though I have never actively participated in it. Growing up in Alaska, Iditarod was a normal part of the vocabulary, but it wasn't until 2007 that I really started to understand and have a great appreciation for what these teams do. I got an inside look while working for an Iditarod Champion kennel as a summer job. I worked for them for 4 summers. It was fantastic. I never trained the dogs (didn't really do much with them at all), but I worked as support for the mushers and their handlers. It's still one of my favorite jobs of all time, and has allowed me many opportunities. (And those that hired me have no one to blame but themselves for creating, in me, an "obsessive Iditarod fan". You know who you are.)
  
• I live for Disney - this is no surprise if you've followed me for any length of time. I love the films, the history, the Parks, the merchandise. I am a total Disnerd. Since 2001 I've been to Disney World six times, and since 1990 I've been to Disneyland five times (with a sixth trip planned early next year). I own every animated classic on at least one medium, and have many on multiple (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital). My walls are adorned with Disney photos and posters. I don't have kids, and I don't need them to justify being a Disney fan. What is the magic cut off age that suddenly it's "not okay" to be a fan. You don't just age out of a fandom. Lose interest, sure, but it's not an age thing.
  
• I am a dog person - if the being obsessed with mushing wasn't enough of a give away. I've never had a time in my life where I didn't have a dog in my family. Maybe short blips as the loss of one meant grieving time for another, but it wasn't long before another four legged bundle of awesome wiggled its way into our hearts. Pugs are my breed of choice, we currently have two in our family. My parents have a fawn pug named Sushi, and I have a black pug I've named Stitch. Word of advice: that saying that "names give power" really works. If there was a live embodiment of a Disney alien character, my dog is it. He is SO NAUGHTY! But I love him. Pugs just have the best personality... and their squishy faces are just so kissable!

And a photo of Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland, because I can.

Just a few bullet points to give you an idea of what makes me, me. Hello to all my new followers! If you have a question or an idea for another blog post just ask! You can get ahold of me a multitude of ways, but leave me a comment on this post and I'll answer it either in the comments or create another blog post.