Last night the

true spirit of this gruelling race

shone through in the dark!

Hans Gatt #13

Sebastian Schnuelle # 11

.

Hans & Sebastian are two mushers

that we know & respect.

In the dark of night

Sebastian came across Hans

in a rather difficult &

extremely dangerous predicament!

Seasoned dog mushers,

in fact two of the best the world,

they were able to work together

to keep both themselves &

all of the dogs safe from harms way...

but, I dare say, Lady Luck

was hanging around with them too!!

Hans' team & sled broke through

a thin skim of ice, dropping them into chest deep overflow...

icy cold & potentially deadly water.

Sebastian was on his tail so,

he was able to join Hans' quest to

save the dogs & get to safty.

I can't imagine how long it took the two men

to haul the dogs out of the water

and retreive Hans' sled before they could

get themselves to the security of dry land!

But, once there, Sebastian apparently built

a fire & assisted in getting Hans dry.

It was said that they even made dry boots,

for Hans, out of dog blankets burlap & necklines!!

And of course, Sebastian stayed with his friend.

Apparently, after an hour

they left the warmth of their fire &

headed back onto the trail.

Sebastian can likely kiss

a second place finish goodbye

along with Hans...

but all that really matters, today,

is that they are all safe!!

I dearly hope that Susan Rogan

(Hans' Sweetie) does something special

for Sebastian this Valentine's Day

!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the link to the original article on the Yukon Quest website...
http://www.yukonquest.com/site/news-articles/?articleid=1918

Well done Sebastian :)

May Lady Luck give you

wings over Eagle Summit!

.

Last week Aunt Maureen flew North

for a much needed visit...

Sean was working in Whitehorse for a few days

and the Yukon was hosting the start of the

Yukon Quest 1000 Mile Dog Sled Race!

SOOOOOOO...

We rolled it all into a mini family holiday

;)

To start things off on the right foot

Adelaide greeted me with a breakfast in bed of

every Mummy's dream,

water & apple sauce & a morning smile ;)

YUMMMMMY!!

The presentation was awesome...

and every bite was wonderful...

Here I am enjoying my breakfast!

(photo compliments of Daddy)

There were plenty of power snuggles with

their much loved Aunt 'Reen!

The lot of them on the magic trail hunting for

Chocolate Smartie Goblin Poop!
(notice what happens when you step off the beaten path?

You are one awesome trooper Aunt 'Reen!)

"Could there be more chocolate poop here"??

An indoor break was taken to work on their
colouring between the lines ;)
Looks to me like they are rather talented !!
...
Our first Ladies' Lunch!

From afar, Zia 'Leen & Aunt Margaret

treated us to a special lunch

even thought they couldn't be with us...

It certainly will be a day to rejoice

when we can all be together again!

It was so fun to see the girls all dressed up
and having fun with their Aunt!

This Princess's eyes twinkle whenever
cookies are involved ;)
And the sprinkles only served to
double the twinkle factor!!

Now THIS is a face of sheer delight
with a wee pinch of mischief in those eyes ;)

!
THANKS Zia 'Leen & Aunt Margaret!
Wish you'd been here too!!

After our ladies' lunch it was time to
run a few quick errands & then
hit the airport.
Now, Aunt 'Reen is a huge part of
Adelaide's & Sarah's life
and she does her best to visit as often as possible,
so saying good bye isn't so easy...
Adelaide was devastated and wouldn't give her a kiss.
I think she thought that if she wouldn't say good-bye
maybe Aunt 'Reen wouldn't really leave...
Sarah just got quietly sad.
My heart broke to see my girls this way...
But, at the same time,
my heart was filled with a gratefulness
that this woman has embraced
her neices, who just so happen to be, my world!
.
Anyhow,
on the drive home
a plane flew over head
with the sunset illuminating it's con-trail.
Sarah & Adelaide spotted it before I did &
they both announced with an enthusiasm
only three year olds could muster,
"There is Aunt 'Reen's plane!!"
They both waved, hoping that she'd see them...
When they asked me to
confirm it really was her plane
I said...
"I'm sure it is!"
I didn't know if I should laugh or cry...
So instead, I pulled off the highway &
took a photo of her flying home to
Uncle Ian, Kramer, London, Ryan & Neil ...
and made a mental note that
I'd post it here as soon as possible...
It was a moment that mattered!

The girls never did sleep on the drive home
which is rare...
they ALWAYS sleep on that drive!
And something struck me...
seeing Aunt 'Reen's plane,
oddly, seemed to cheer them up...
When we got home they were in high spirits,
full of hugs & giggles!!
I guess they are learning that
that plan always brings Aunt 'Reen back!
.
Thanks for the visit
Aunt 'Reen...
We can't wait till you're back
in your Yukon home!!

Aunt 'Reen's visit through the eyes of

Adelaide Anne

Sarah, hanging out in their hotel room!!

Aunt 'Reen relaxing with her tea

Aunt 'Reen taking care of her girls

(nice shot Adelaide!!)

Teddy, having a much needed nap
at the Westmark

Stellar photo of Sarah...

Hummm,

Seems Adelaide is getting a good handle

on this photography thing ;)

.....

Aunt 'Reen's visit

through her own eyes

Her two room mates!

It's amazing just how quiet they are

when they are sleeping ;)

Chatting it up with Uncle Ian on the cell phone...

Main St, Whitehorse.

Riding the glass elevator

in the Elijah Smith Building, Whitehorse.

Walking the Magic Trail,

close on the heel of the

Chocolate Smartie Gobblin!!

(who just so happens to poop yummy treats)

Me, making Aunt 'Reen some

yummy homemade bread

(and sticky buns!)

I don't often

post photos of me so,

here I am :)

In keeping with the Yukon Quest...

Me, handling a pretty little blue eye's pup

at the Vet Check,

Yukon Quest 2009

One of the wonderful Vets

giving a Quest dog her mandatory check up

just prior to race day!

Again, me, handling the dog,

while two others are close at hand,

one being the musher and

the other, a volunteer

writing down all of the vet's findings

2009

This year, on the side lines,

I'm standing near the end of the start chute
trying to keep Adelaide from

running out in front of the on-coming teams,

while a friend holds Sarah!!

Interestingly, (for me anyways!)

to the left, and partially hidden by the Official,

there is another set of

twin girls with their Mum...

Hummmm,

I keep hearing there is something

in the water up here!

Maybe it's true

;)

Although it was great fun to be present for the

Yukon Quest 2011 start,

in two years time when the Mushers

take off from Whitehorse again

(the starts go back & forth between The Yukon & Alaska)

I hope to be back in the thick of it again!

As we all know, volunteering is great fun

& it makes great things happen!!

And they're off...

It was the start of the

Yukon Quest today!

The sidelines were filled with

Yukoners, Visitors & Friends alike

and the sun shone down

on the lot of us :)

The dogs could not

have looked happier nor,

more ready for

the adventure waiting!

And now,

with the countdown behind them,

all we can do is wait...

wait for news of their progress...

of their trials & tribulations...

wait for their arrivals

into the check points

wait for anything

wait for something

wait for the finish line...

...And wait, we will !!